Our academics are at the forefront of world events, contributing to national and international policy-making, and helping frame understanding of new developments based on their research expertise.  

Research jointly led by our astronomers has created the highest resolution map of the dark matter that threads through our Universe.

The severe shortage of social workers in England could be addressed by employing overseas-qualified social workers living in the UK, according to new research.

From the Arctic to the Antarctic, we’re leading on research into the effect of climate change on the world’s ice sheets – and advising global policymakers on how to protect them.

The Durham Delegation are pleased to present our Report on COP30 and the Year Ahead. Find out more about our delegation, events and activities at COP30.

Congratulations to Dr Evelyn Mary-Ann Antony, a PhD student in our School of Education, who has won a prestigious award for her research in child psychology.

We are delighted that Dr Ashutosh Kumar, former PDRA in the Department of Engineering, has been awarded a highly prestigious Young Engineer Award 2025 by the Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) and has also been inducted as a Young Associate of the INAE.

Research by Professor Clare McGlynn is behind a new law being implemented in England and Wales to criminalise the creation of non-consensual sexual deepfake images.

Astronomers from our Physics department have discovered a striking and unexplained shock wave surrounding a dead star.

Dr Dušan Radunović, Director of Russian Studies in Durham’s School of Modern Languages and Cultures, and Daniel O’Brien from the University of Essex, mark 100 years of Sergei Eisenstein’s The Battleship Potemkin. They explore why this silent masterpiece continues to resonate, inspiring filmmakers and audiences across shifting historical and cultural landscapes.

Professor Christopher J Finlay, Head of our School of Government and International Affairs, looks at the book The Origins of Totalitarianism, by German and American historian and philosopher Hannah Arendt, and what it can tell us about populism today.

Two of our leading geographers, Professors Colm O’Cofaigh and Dave Roberts, have received a prestigious Polar Medal from King Charles III.