James Smithies

Prof James Smithies is a Professor and Director of the HASS Digital Research Hub at the ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences. He specializes in Digital Humanities and Research Software Engineering, applying computational methods to arts and social sciences. His work includes developing digital archives, analyzing cultural data, and managing post-disaster information systems. He leads projects like the AI as Infrastructure initiative and the Australian Cultural Data Engine. Previously, he held roles at King’s College London and the University of Canterbury.

• Education: Doctorate in History of Ideas from University of Canterbury (Aotearoa/New Zealand).

Research interests focus on interdisciplinary digital humanities, cultural heritage preservation, and the ethical use of large language models. He has supervised research students and contributed to over 50 publications. Current projects include the Social Science Research Infrastructure Network (2024-2028) and ANU Futures Scheme funding (2024-2026).