Researchers at the University’s Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS) have been awarded a significant philanthropic investment aimed at advancing research to address critical global challenges.
This generous investment will support the institute’s new Inventing Futures research programme.
This investment includes a transformational £1.3 million donation from Durham alumni Joanna Barker, who studied French at Durham, graduating in 1981, and Graham Barker, who graduated from Durham Law School in 1980.
Launched in late 2024, the IMEMS Inventing Futures programme is designed to draw on the research community’s knowledge of the past to tackle the urgent challenges facing humankind today.
The investment will facilitate the first phase of work by supporting three four-year research projects. Each research project will address a specific global challenge related to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG).
The first of the three research projects, Forging Social Solidarities During Religious Wars, examines how societies can maintain cohesion amidst civil wars driven by religious differences.
The second project, Daphne and her Sisters, asks how we can harness the potential of early modern literature and art to understand the history of gendered violence and to create a safer world in the future.
The third project, Utopia in the World, explores how the literary imagination has been and can still be used to imagine better ways of living together.
These projects will be led by Tom Hamilton, Associate Professor in Early Modern European History, Ita Mac Carthy, Professor of Italian, and Richard Scholar, Professor of French. Ita Mac Carthy and Richard Scholar also share the Executive Directorship of IMEMS.
Inventing Futures will employ early career researchers and fully funded PhD students to collaborate with leading academics. Interested candidates can now apply for these positions - full details and application information can be found at www.durham.ac.uk/IMEMS/InventingFutures.
Inventing Futures will also bring visiting fellows from across the world to Durham, contributing to the work of these projects.
The generous support of Joanna and Graham Barker will help IMEMS to build a sustainable future for medieval and early modern studies at Durham by investing in the research we do here and by training the professors of tomorrow. The three projects we are announcing today mark the first phase in our programme and are already paving the way for exciting new projects across the full range of medieval and early modern studies.
The generosity of our alumni is helping to transform academic research into real-world solutions, addressing some of the most pressing challenges of our time. I extend my deepest gratitude to both Joanna and Graham for recognising the profound social value that insights from the Humanities can bring to our understanding of the world. The Inventing Futures programme exemplifies our commitment to leveraging historical insights to tackle today’s urgent global issues. By harnessing our community’s deep understanding of the past, we are poised to make significant strides in research and shaping a better future.
Joanna and Graham Barker are also renewing their long-standing support of PhD studentships at Durham’s School of Modern Languages and Cultures. This brings the latest investment they are making to the future of research and scholarship at Durham University to a total of £1.7m.
The launch of Inventing Futures further demonstrates Durham’s strong commitment to the humanities and to interdisciplinary studies, aiming to help shape a better future through transformative research.
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