James Cotton has held academic positions in Western Australia, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Singapore, the Australian National University, and Tasmania (head of Politics School, 1993–1997); he is a former head of the School of Politics, University of NSW, ADFA. In 2001, he was Centennial Professor in International Relations and in the Asia Research Centre, London School of Economics, and in 2004 and 2007 he was Visiting Professor, Department of Politics and Public Administration, University of Hong Kong. In 2013, he was Harold White Fellow, National Library of Australia.