Explainer Series

How Australia and the US
assess evolving challenges

December 2023

Dr Charles Edel is the inaugural Australia Chair and a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). He previously taught at the University of Sydney and served on the U.S. Secretary of State’s Policy Planning Staff, advising on Indo-Pacific security. He has also held roles at the US Naval War College, the Wilson Center, and Peking University.

Dr Edel is the author of Nation Builder and co-author of The Lessons of Tragedy, and is currently writing on U.S. strategy toward authoritarian regimes. His work appears in major publications including Foreign Affairs, Washington Post, and Foreign Policy, and he provides regular commentary across U.S. and Australian media.

A former high school teacher and current officer in the U.S. Naval Reserves, Dr Edel holds a PhD in history from Yale and a BA in classics from Yale College.