James Walston

James Walston (1949 – 12 May 2014) was a professor of international relations at The American University of Rome (AUR), specialising in Italian politics and modern history. He was chair of the AUR's Department of International Relations from 2002 to 2008. In 2008 he started the Center for Research on Racism in Italy together with Clough Marinaro. In 1997, he became the first EU citizen to stand for election to the Rome City Council

In 2003, he introduced on site teaching of international relations which includes regular field trips to European institutional sites like Brussels, Geneva and Vienna, as well as to conflict resolution sites like the Basque Country, Northern Ireland, Montenegro and Kosovo, and annual Ghana trip.

Walston had taught mainly in the US system abroad, starting with the University of Maryland programme for the US military in Italy and the UK, Summer courses at Middlebury and various US programmes in Rome including Temple, Trinity and Loyola. Since 1991 he has taught history, politics and international relations at The American University of Rome. Since 2004 he had taught and directed the University of Rome La Sapienza's Eurosapienza's international relations module in the masters in State management and Humanitarian Affairs.

Walston published regular articles in Wanted in Rome from 1989 until his death; he also wrote a regular column for Italy Daily (Italian supplement the IHT) from 1999 to 2002, for The Guardian and The Independent. His blog was Italian Politics with Walston.

He was educated at Eton and Jesus College, Cambridge (BA 1975, and PhD 1986) and the University of Rome, La Sapienza (Diploma di Perfezionamento, 1981).