Professor John Horne is an affiliate with the Globalising and Localising the Great War research network, based in the History Faculty, from 2015-2017. He is emeritus Professor of Modern European History and Director of the Centre for War Studies, Trinity College, Dublin, and a member of the Executive Board of the Historial de la Grande Guerre, Peronne. He is also a Member of the Royal Irish Academy.

The lectures are funded by a generous benefaction from Professor Oliver Smithies, which enables Balliol to bring distinguished visitors to the University of Oxford