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Thought Leadership

Four video game adaptations of classic works of literature, from The Hobbit to Hamlet

Many video games have adapted literature while plenty of authors have published novels and poems in response to gaming. Dr Alistair Brown, from our Department of English Studies, looks at four examples of video games that have taken inspiration from literary works.
Two hands holding a PlayStation controller

The Taliban’s harsh new ‘vice and virtue’ laws are a throwback to the oppression of the 1990s – especially for the women of Afghanistan

Dr Kambaiz Rafi, from our School of Government and International Affairs, explores how the new laws introduced by the Taliban could see the scenes of oppression from the past return for women living in Afghanistan.
Four Afghan women in blue and black burqa walking on dirt path in barren land

Disney wrongful death legal case exposes potential pitfalls of automatically clicking ‘I agree’

Disney has made international headlines after it performed a U-turn on using terms of service to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit. Dr Stergios Aidinlis, from our Law School, explores the potential consequences of completing a user agreement without reading the fine print.
The building at Disneyland Paris

Corruption holds small businesses back: Ghana study reveals two strategies to avoid the traps

Corruption is one of the biggest challenges small business owners face in Ghana. Professor Joseph Amankwah-Amoah, from our Business School, explores the best strategies business owners in the African country can deploy to mitigate the adverse effects corruption carries.
Men working at a Ghanaian fishing port

Offering insights into global electoral integrity

Dr Juraj Medzihorsky is an Assistant Professor in our School of Government and International Affairs and part of the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project. The V-Dem project compiles and analyses data to offer a deeper insight into global democracy and the integrity of the election process.
A range of hand posting votes into a voting box

After teachers in England receive pay award – here’s what else needs to be done to keep them in schools

After the UK's Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson accepted recommendations to give teachers in England a 5.5% pay rise, Professor Stephen Gorard from our School of Education and Beng Huat See from the University of Birmingham explore what else can be done to keep teachers in the profession.
Female teacher smiles at a class of children with their arms raised

Is Britain on track for a zero-carbon power sector in six years?

The new government has created Great British Energy as part of its pledge to try and achieve zero-carbon electricity production by 2030. Professor Jon Gluyas and Dr Andrew Crossland, from the Durham Energy Institute as well as working in the Departments of Earth Sciences and Engineering respectively, assess whether that ambition is realistic.
Solar panels on a roof surrounded by a sunny sky.

Bigger animals don’t always have the biggest brains relative to body size – new research

Scientists have long believed that big animals will tend to have big brains, but a new study involving Professor Robert Barton, from our Department of Anthropology, has found that may not be the case.
Three brains at different angles

Corruption hurts businesses but digital tools offer the hope of fighting it, say manufacturers in Ghana and Nigeria

Professor Joseph Amankwah-Amoah, from Durham University's Business School, has co-authored a study looking at how corruption can impact businesses in Nigeria and Ghana. Here his team explain what the study found and how those results can help influence policymakers.
A laptop screen and a mobile phone

Euro 2024: women need safer fan spaces at big football tournaments to stamp out hostility and abuse

With Euro 2024 in full-flow, Professor Stacey Pope, from our Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, looks at what more can be done to help women feel more safe when attending major football tournaments.
A female football fan wearing England face paint in front of an England flag

Euro 2024: whoever wins the football, the Turkish kebab takes the fast-food crown

A new poll has revealed that kebabs have been voted the favourite food of football supporters attending Euro 2024, but how have they become so popular in Germany? Professor Daniel Newman, from our School of Modern Languages and Cultures, has taken a look at the origin of kebabs.
Two kebabs rotating

Labour’s plan to tax private school fees has drawbacks – but it could be better for society

The Labour party has confirmed its intention to end this VAT exemption for private schools if elected to government. Professor Stephen Gorard, from our School of Education, has assessed the pros and cons of what this would mean for the British public if implemented.
Empty classroom desks and chairs in front of a notice board