North East England is about to get its first elected mayor. Here at Durham University, we’ve been part of the region for nearly 200 years. Our Vice-Chancellor, Professor Karen O'Brien, explores our contribution to the region.

The Oriental Museum is hosting a free community event on Saturday 18 May, from 12 - 4pm, to celebrate Buddha’s Birthday. Also known as Vesak, Buddha’s Birthday is celebrated around the world and commemorates the birth of Buddha in around 563 BCE. Born a prince, Buddha went on to renounce his privileged royal life and become a holy man, ultimately reaching Enlightenment. 

Our astronomers have looked back more than ten billion years in time to find that the Universe’s early galaxies developed much faster than scientists previously thought.