Simon Curtis

Dr Simon Curtis is a Senior Lecturer in International Relations at the University of Surrey, affiliated with the Politics and International Relations department, the Institute for Sustainability, and the Centre for the Study of Global Power Competition (CGPC). He holds a PhD from the London School of Economics (LSE) and previously served as an Associate Professor in International Relations at the University of East Anglia. His research focuses on global cities, geopolitical competition, and China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with notable works including Global Cities and Global Order (Oxford UP, 2018) and the forthcoming The Belt and Road City (Yale UP, 2024).

His scholarly contributions span international governance, urbanization, and global power dynamics, with publications in journals like Global Studies Quarterly. He has been recognized with the 2018 Hedley Bull Prize from the European Consortium for Political Research. His current work explores how cities shape global economic governance and geopolitical rivalries between major powers like the US and China. Dr Curtis is also engaged with sustainability research through the Institute for Sustainability, addressing urban resilience and global environmental challenges.

Key research themes include the role of infrastructure in geopolitical transitions, the evolving global order, and the intersection of urbanization with international law. His recent collaborations include co-authored works on BRI urbanization strategies and hegemonic stability theory. Dr Curtis’s teaching and advisory roles reflect his commitment to bridging theoretical insights with real-world policy challenges in global urban development.