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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 12 of our subjects ranked in the world top 50 and 19 in the world top 100. 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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Explore our global research

Discover how our research is changing lives around the world using the button below. We also have a static PDF version available.

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Latest news

Teesside and Durham Universities embark on £11million project to support hydrogen innovation in the Tees Valley

We are collaborating with Teesside University on a ground-breaking project to accelerate decarbonisation and the use of hydrogen through supporting industrial research and development and capacity building in the Tees Valley.
Professor Tony Roskilly

Supercomputer simulations reveal new possibilities for the Moon's origin

Our pioneering scientists from the Institute for Computational Cosmology used supercomputer simulations to reveal an alternate explanation for the Moon’s origin, as a satellite placed immediately into orbit following a giant impact between Earth and a Mars-sized body.
Moon simulation

Capping energy costs will damage climate change progress in developing countries

Developing and emerging countries will fail to make any significant contribution to global sustainability efforts, unless governments stop capping electricity prices, according to new research from Associate Professor Laura Marsiliani and Associate Professor Thomas Renstrom alongside colleagues from North South University in Bangladesh and Copenhagen Business School.
Arial photo of high rise buildings during the day in Bangladesh

Media deference to the royals must have a limit – just look at how Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson were treated

Professor Tim Luckhurst, Principal of South College, discusses why media must avoid deference to monarchy, in order to fulfil their role of holding power to account.
Image showing front of Buckingham Palace

Queen Elizabeth II: the history of royal funerals and how this one will be different

Professor Philip Williamson from our Department of History shares his insights on the history of royal funerals.
Royal funeral

Waiting for Ethiopia: Berbera port upgrade raises Somaliland’s hopes for trade

Professor Jutta Bakonyi from our School of Government and International Affairs talks about the improvements in Berbera port that could elevate Somaliland's international trades.
Sea port

Constant fear of eviction: how poor people experience life in Somaliland’s growing cities

Professor Jutta Bakonyi from our School of Government and International Affairs along with colleagues from University of Hargeisa, Somalia sheds light on the living experience of poor people in Somaliland cities.
Somalian cities

High air pollution in cities contributes to firms being less efficient at investing

Firms that are based in a city with high levels of air pollution have much lower efficiency when it comes to corporate investments, according to new research from Guanming He, Associate Professor in Accounting, and Tiantian Lin, from Beijing Jiaotong University.
Aerial Photography of City Buildings Under Cloudy Sky

Friction, Lubrication and Rheology at the Nano and Mesoscale

We are delighted to share the success of the FLRN 2022 Conference in spite of the impact of the concurrent COVID and heat waves! Following on the positive feedback on the NanoLubrication 2021 Conference, Miro Cafolla (Physics, CMP) organised a meeting also this year (20-21 July 2022) with the generous support of the Institute of Advanced Studies.
Conference attendees discuss over a group Zoom call, and other attendees pose in a group photo

Fate of the world’s biggest ice sheet is in our hands

The fate of the world’s biggest ice sheet is in our hands, researchers say.
East Antarctic Ice Sheet

Majority of customers have a positive experience with customer services robots

Interacting with robots triggers emotions of joy, love, surprise, interest and excitement for customers, whilst discontent is mainly expressed when customers cannot use service robots due to them malfunctioning, according to new research conducted by Dr Zhibin Lin, Associate Professor of Marketing, alongside colleagues from Smith School of Business, Queen’s University, Audencia Business School and Jimei University.
Friendly robot smiling

Durham History Department ranked 35th best in world

We’re delighted to report that the History department has moved up two places to 35th in the 2022 QS World University Rankings by subject
Student walking outside the Department of History
Aerial view of Durham

Research Impact at Durham

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

Impact Case Studies
Korean drummers playing at the Oriental Museum

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.

Find out more