Professor Andrekos Varnava is a distinguished historian specializing in imperialism, colonialism, and the British Empire, currently serving at Flinders University in Adelaide, Australia. He holds the position of Professor in the Department of History within the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences, where he has served as Teaching Program Director for History, Archaeology, Indigenous & Australian Studies, and Geography (2021-2023) and previously as Research Section Head for History and Archaeology. Varnava received his academic training with a BA (Honours First Class) from Monash University in 2001, followed by a PhD in History from the University of Melbourne in 2006. His educational background established the foundation for his expertise in British imperial history, particularly focusing on Cyprus and the Mediterranean region. Professor Varnava's research interests span imperialism and colonialism, the rise and fall of the British Empire, war and society in the modern world, the Great War, the history of terrorism, genocide and ethnic cleansing, the Ottoman Empire, the modern Mediterranean, the Armenian Genocide, and the Cyprus "problem." His work frequently examines the intersections between colonial administration, migration patterns, and cultural identity formation in imperial contexts, with particular attention to Cyprus as a case study of British imperial rule. His scholarship challenges conventional narratives while incorporating transnational perspectives that connect Mediterranean, British imperial, and Australian histories. His extensive publication record reveals a consistent focus on British imperialism in Cyprus, refugee and migration histories, and the social impacts of war. Recent works demonstrate increasing attention to the connections between colonial histories and contemporary issues such as tobacco control, surveillance of ethnic communities, and the legacies of imperial border controls. His scholarship often bridges historical research with public health studies and migration policy analysis. Professor Varnava has received numerous honors including: Royal Geographical Society of SA G. W. Symes Award (2025) Election to the Fellowship of the Royal Society for Arts, UK (FRSA) (2023) Flinders Most Supportive Supervisor (joint winner, 2021) HASS Award for Research Excellence (individual, 2021) Election to the Fellowship of the Royal Historical Society, UK (FRHistS) (2014) Australian Academy of the Humanities Travelling Fellowship (2012) As an academic leader, Varnava has secured significant research funding including a $566,400 ARC Linkage grant (2022-2025) on "Cancer culture: understanding anti-cancer campaigns in Australia" and a $206,531 ARC Discovery Project (2018-2021) on "Managing migrants and border control in Britain and Australia, 1901-1981." He serves as Editor-in-Chief of The Journal of Imperial and Commonwealth History (from 2025) and has co-organized several international conferences on British imperial history. His media engagement as an expert on Cyprus, British imperialism, and Mediterranean history demonstrates his commitment to public scholarship. Professor Varnava maintains active research collaborations through his role as Honorary Professor at De Montfort University, Leicester (since 2018), and through international conference organization. His recent work shows increasing interdisciplinary reach, connecting historical research with public health studies, migration policy analysis, and cultural studies.
