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Research to empower and inspire

We are a globally outstanding centre of teaching, learning and research excellence. We are a world top 100 university, with 10 of our subjects ranked in the world top 50 and 22 in the world top 100 in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026. We conduct innovative and impactful research to transform lives and make a difference, globally and locally: research to empower and inspire.
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    Bollywood Dance group at the Oriental museum, Holi Festival, indian dance

Research Impact at Durham

Read about our Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 impact case studies.

Aerial view of Durham

Global Culture

Interested in how the cultural activities of Durham's staff and student bodies enrich life worldwide? Head to the Global Culture page to find out.

Bollywood Dance group at the Oriental museum, Holi Festival, indian dance

Latest news

Study reveals new insights to support victim-survivors of financial abuse

Financial abuse affected victim-survivors' have lower savings, higher debt and miss more payments. These are the findings of a major new study involving PhD student Karen Perrirer, Money Advice Plus-Innovation Manager for Debt and Economic Abuse, from our Sociology department.
A person with head in their hands looking a bank statements and money on the table

Durham joins £5.3m project to develop laser power technology

Researchers in our Centre for Advanced Instrumentation are helping to develop a pioneering laser power system that could keep high-altitude aircraft operating continuously.
Computer generated image of a ground-based laser beam powering an aircraft

Granting a new gasfield licence does not guarantee energy security

The UK government is considering approving a licence for the Jackdaw gasfield, but would it answer Britain’s energy security problem? Or are there other ways to use the North Sea to reduce bills, increase energy security and create jobs in clean energy storage? Durham Energy Institute experts Professor Stuart Jones and Professor Jon Gluyas, Emeritus Chair in Geoenergy, Carbon Capture & Storage, both Department of Earth Sciences, and Dr Andrew Crossland, Department of Engineering, take a look.
An offshore oil and gas rig stands in the sea against a cloudy and dark skyline.

Call for Chapters: Cambridge Handbook on Unwritten Constitutionalism

We are pleased to announce an open call for a limited number of chapters for the forthcoming Cambridge Handbook on Unwritten Constitutionalism.
UCNP logo + call for papers

AI can be more comforting than a person – our research shows why

Research exploring the growing role of artificial intelligence in emotional support suggests that people can sometimes find AI responses as comforting, or even more comforting, than those from other people. Dr Sarah Walker, from our School of Education, and Dr Belen Lopez-Perez, of the University of Manchester, examine why AI-generated responses are often perceived as empathetic and supportive, while highlighting the enduring importance of human relationships and personal connection.
A person using a mobile phone, close up image of their hands and the phone

North Sea drilling is a distraction: low carbon transition hinges on prioritising people and jobs

Debate about the need for North Sea drilling risks distracting us from asking how the UK can build a low-carbon economy now and in the future. Dr Pancho Lewis, in our Department of Geography, and Dr Ewan Gibbs, of the University Glasgow, say a programme of industrial renewal, coupled with a more expansive set of social reforms, could support a green transition away from carbon-intensive industries while narrowing social inequalities.
Wind turbines in a field as the sun sets on the horizon behind them.

Researchers uncover new cloud security vulnerability

An international team of researchers, including Professor David Oswald from our Department of Computer Science, has discovered a security vulnerability that could put sensitive data stored in cloud computing systems at risk.
Cloud pointing to different devices including a mobile phone, laptop and other computing devices

Children trust what they hear over what they see, study finds

New research from our Department of Psychology has revealed that children are far more likely than adults to judge a person's emotions by what they hear rather than what they see.
A child smiling and leaning forward with their hand round their ear

What happens to a society when it stops asking what is meaningful, just or worth preserving?

The Humanities took centre stage in the House of Lords as Professor Arlene Holmes-Henderson MBE, from our Department of Classics and Ancient History, celebrated the launch of three new books exploring the impact and relevance of Classics in the modern world.
Image shows the front cover of the three books

Journeying through Syria’s shattered cities as they move from war to peace

Across Syria’s shattered cities, the scars of war remain visible, but so too are the people and communities working to rebuild their future. Here Professor Bahar Baser from our School of Government and International Affairs, alongside colleagues from the Bonn International Centre for Conflict Studies give a powerful account of recent travels through Syria and reflect on the long and complex path from conflict towards recovery.
Image of a street in Raqqa City, Syria, with evidence of damage alongside everyday life

Iraq’s archaeological discoveries have shaped understanding of human civilisation – but its scientists have been sidelined

Iraq’s archaeologists are often portrayed as recipients of support, rather than equal partners in shaping future research of this important part of the world. Professor Jaafar Jotheri, Honorary Research Fellow in our Department of Archaeology, and Claudia Glatz and Daniel Calderbank, of the University of Glasgow, tell us more about how the narrative is being shifted.
Drone image of the Ziggurat of the ancient Sumerian city of Ur in southern Iraq

Using a radar satellite to track emperor penguins in winter is changing our understanding of the species

Knowing emperor penguins' movements during the polar winter could help support future conservation efforts. Dr Grant Macdonald, in our Department of Geography, explains how for the first time freely available satellite radar images are giving us a year-round view of their movements and improving our understanding of their response to a changing environment.
An emperor penguin chick looks directly at the camera as an adult emperor penguin lies on the ice behind it.
Sample tubes being held by purple latex gloves over a light box

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