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Our Research and Impact

Understanding cultures, connecting worlds. Our research explores how languages, texts, ideas, and cultural practices shape societies across time and place.

The School of Modern Languages and Cultures brings together researchers in Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Hispanic Studies, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Translation Studies within a dynamic interdisciplinary research environment. Our work explores the movement of people, ideas, texts, and cultures across time and space, generating new perspectives on the human experience and addressing some of the most pressing questions facing society today.
Our People, Research Areas & Expertise
Mlac research network 1

SPOTLIGHT: Discover Some of Our Major Funded Research Projects

Reframing European gastronomy Legacy through Innovation, Sustainability and Heritage (RELISH)

Find out more about this research partnership into culinary recipes and food culture. 

A group of people enjoying an open air city dining experience in Calcotada to celebrate the launch of RELISH

Inventing Futures

Find out more about work on the future-oriented consequences of past-oriented study. 

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Our Research Networks

Our University-wide Research Centres and Institutes, together with our School Research and Interest Groups, play a vital role in fostering interdisciplinary collaboration. They bring together expertise from across disciplines, creating opportunities for networking, collaborative research, funding development, external engagement, and impactful knowledge exchange.

Join our Research Community

We welcome applications for postgraduate study in the School’s language and research focus area, especially where there are potential links to relevant Durham Research Institutes and Centres or to our research groups

Research and study with us

Click here to find out more
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Funding Opportunities

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Visiting Scholar

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Transformative Humanities

Transformative Humanities

Discover the Faculty of Arts and Humanities' new Transformative Humanities framework which brings together distinctive approaches to humanities research and education within the academy and across a wide range of partners and communities.

Visit the Transformative Humanities website

Research News

Dr Dominique Carlini Versini celebrates new editorial and research achievements

Dr Dominique Carlini Versini has co-edited a new special issue on Virginie Despentes and been appointed Co-Editor of Modern & Contemporary France, highlighting her contribution to research and academic publishing in French and Francophone Studies.
special issue of CFC Intersections

Dr Michael Barcomb shares recent research on AI, academic integrity and language education

Dr Michael Barcomb has recently published new research on academic integrity and AI and presented work exploring the environmental implications of generative AI in language teacher education at the EUROCALL Spring Festival 2026.
A Research Agenda for Artificial Intelligence and Academic Integrity