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Iain Farquharson

Lecturer in Global Challenges – Security Pathway Lead, Brunel University London
I completed my PhD in Military History at Brunel in 2021. Prior to this I completed an MA in History at the University of Exeter in 2010 and my BA (hons.) in History at Brunel in 2009. My research examines the reform of officer education in the British Army between 1919 and 1939. I am also an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

Between 2018-2020 and 2021-22, I taught as an adjunct lecturer on Brunel's BA International History and BA Military and International History courses. From October 2021 I taught the Security Pathway on the BASc Global Challenges course, before becoming the Pathway Lead from September 2022.

My research interests focus on military history in the first half of the Twentieth Century. My current work focuses on the development and change of education and training within the British and Imperial armies, primarily through the study of officer education at cadet colleges and staff colleges.

In addition I am undertaking research into the application of multi-disciplinary (primarily Sociological) theories of culture and institutional innovation to the study of military culture and how militaries respond to and assimilate reforms to fundimental aspects of their cultural norms.

Economy

RBA Raises Interest Rates by 25 Basis Points as Inflation Pressures Persist

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raised interest rates by 25 basis points on Tuesday, lifting its benchmark cash rate to 3.85% from 3.65%, in a move that was widely anticipated by markets. The decision reflects the...

US–India Trade Turbocharge: Stocks Poised to Ride the Export Wave

The new US-India trade agreement highlights businesses with significant US market exposure by lowering duties to 18% on Indian exports and providing zero-tariff access for US products. Where US revenue shares vary from 10%...

Japan’s Agricultural, Forestry and Fishery Exports Hit Record High in 2025 Despite Tariffs

Japans exports of agricultural, forestry and fishery products surged to a new all-time high in 2025, rising 12.8% year on year to 1.701 trillion yen (approximately $10.9 billion), according to the Ministry of Agriculture,...

China and Uruguay Strengthen Strategic Partnership Amid Shifting Global Order

China and Uruguay have reaffirmed their commitment to deeper cooperation, with Chinese President Xi Jinping calling on both countries to work together to promote an equal and orderly multipolar world and inclusive economic...

Taiwan Urges Stronger Trade Ties With Fellow Democracies, Rejects Economic Dependence on China

Taiwan should deepen trade and economic cooperation with fellow democracies rather than China, President Lai Ching-te said on Tuesday, outlining his administrations strategy to strengthen collaboration with the United...

Politics

Federal Judge Blocks Trump Administration Move to End TPS for Haitian Immigrants

A federal judge on Monday blocked the Trump administration from revoking Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for more than 350,000 Haitian immigrants living in the United States, preventing their potential deportation to a...

Trump Spoke With FBI Agents After Georgia Election Office Search, Report Says

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke directly with FBI agents one day after they searched an election office in Fulton County, Georgia, according to a report published by the New York Times on Monday. The report cited three...

Trump Calls for “Nationalizing” Voting, Drawing Backlash Over Election Authority

President Donald Trump sparked controversy after saying Republicans should nationalize and take over voting in at least 15 unspecified locations, repeating his long-standing and false claims that U.S. elections are plagued...

Japan Finance Minister Defends PM Takaichi’s Remarks on Weak Yen Benefits

Japans Finance Minister Satsuki Katayama on Tuesday defended Prime Minister Sanae Takaichis recent comments emphasizing the potential benefits of a weaker yen, saying the remarks were grounded in standard economic theory...

Trump Announces U.S.–India Trade Deal Cutting Tariffs, Boosting Markets and Energy Ties

U.S. President Donald Trump announced a major U.S.India trade deal on Monday that significantly reduces U.S. tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from a previous combined rate of 50%. The agreement, revealed after a phone call...

Science

NASA and SpaceX Target Crew-11 Undocking From ISS Amid Medical Concern

NASA has confirmed that the agency, in coordination with SpaceX, is targeting no earlier than 5 p.m. Eastern Time (2200 GMT) on Wednesday, January 14, for the undocking of the SpaceX Crew-11 mission from the International...

Neuralink Plans High-Volume Brain Implant Production and Fully Automated Surgery by 2026

Elon Musks brain-computer interface company Neuralink is preparing for a major expansion, announcing plans to begin high-volume production of its brain implant devices and transition to a fully automated surgical procedure...

Jared Isaacman Confirmed as NASA Administrator, Becomes 15th Leader of U.S. Space Agency

The U.S. Senate has officially confirmed billionaire private astronaut Jared Isaacman as the new NASA administrator, making him the 15th leader in the agencys history. The confirmation, which took place on Wednesday, marks...

Senate Sets December 8 Vote on Trump’s NASA Nominee Jared Isaacman

The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee announced it will vote on December 8 on President Donald Trumps renewed nomination of private astronaut and tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman to lead NASA. Isaacman, known for his...

NASA Cuts Boeing Starliner Missions as SpaceX Pulls Ahead

NASA has significantly scaled back Boeings Starliner program after years of technical issues and delays, announcing that the next Starliner mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will fly without astronauts. The...

Technology

Elon Musk’s SpaceX Acquires xAI in Historic Deal Uniting Space and Artificial Intelligence

Elon Musk announced on Monday that SpaceX has acquired his artificial intelligence startup xAI in a landmark deal that brings together his ambitions in space exploration and advanced AI technology. The acquisition combines...

Google Cloud and Liberty Global Forge Strategic AI Partnership to Transform European Telecom Services

Google Cloud, one of Alphabets fastest-growing divisions, has entered into a five-year strategic partnership with Liberty Global aimed at accelerating the adoption of artificial intelligence and cloud technologies across...

Palantir Stock Jumps After Strong Q4 Earnings Beat and Upbeat 2026 Revenue Forecast

Palantir Technologies Inc (NASDAQ: PLTR) delivered a strong fourth-quarter earnings report, beating Wall Street expectations on both revenue and profit while issuing a significantly stronger-than-expected outlook for 2026....

Sam Altman Reaffirms OpenAI’s Long-Term Commitment to NVIDIA Amid Chip Report

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has publicly reaffirmed the artificial intelligence companys strong relationship with NVIDIA Corporation (NASDAQ: NVDA), pushing back against recent reports suggesting dissatisfaction with the...

SoftBank and Intel Partner to Develop Next-Generation Memory Chips for AI Data Centers

SoftBank Corp (TYO:9434) has announced a strategic collaboration between its subsidiary Saimemory and Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC) to develop a new class of advanced memory chip technology aimed at powering the next...