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Thought Leadership

‘Shy girl workouts’ aren’t just a great way to get fit – they may also help women gain confidence in the gym

Assistant Professor Hester Hockin-Boyers from our Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences explores the 'shy girl workout' trend and details how women can build gym confidence.
Woman in the gym

Keir Starmer hasn’t really called time on North Sea oil and gas – here’s why

Professor Gavin Bridge, from our Department of Geography, and Associate Professor Gisa Weszkalnys, from the Department of Anthropology at the London School of Economics and Political Science, explain what's at stake in Labour's plan for North Sea Oil and Gas.
oil rig

Magnet therapy for depression is available on the NHS – here’s how it works

Professor Amanda Ellison from our Department of Psychology explains what transcranial magnetic simulation (TMS) is and how it can be used to treat depression.
Digital image of a head with a brain

Poorer pupils do worse at school – here’s how to reduce the attainment gap

Professor Stephen Gorard from our School of Education explains what the poverty attainment gap is and how we can reduce it.
Students in a classroom.

Abortion: under-18s pushed towards in-person appointments but evidence shows remote consultations can be better option

Dr Elizabeth Chloe Romanis from our Law School and Dr Jordan Parsons from Keele University explain that telemedicine has made abortion more accessible and that this should extend to under-18s.
woman looking at a phone

The double-edged sword of formal education for indigenous hunter-gatherers

On the United Nations World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, which is on May 21, Professor Rachel Kendal from our Anthropology Department and Dr Sheina Lew-Levy from our Psychology Department explore the cultural diversity of indigenous hunter-gatherer communities. They discuss the communities’ right to safeguard their ancestral knowledge, the importance of that knowledge for UN global sustainable development goals, and the threat that current formal education poses.
hunter-gatherer children playing

ChatGPT can’t think – consciousness is something entirely different to today’s AI

Dr Philip Goff from our Department of Philosophy explains the difference between artificial intelligence (AI) and consciousness.
digital brain projected from a screen

How the British press covered the establishment of Israel – I looked into the newspaper archives to find out

Principal of South College Tim Luckhurst explains how UK newspapers wrote about the establishment of Israel.
Israel

Reflections on the Sir Harry Evans Global Summit in Investigative Journalism

The inaugural Sir Harry Evans Global Summit in Investigative Journalism brought together acclaimed journalists, publishers and political commentators from around the world. Professor Tim Luckhurst, Principal of South College, was among those attending the event at London's Royal Institute of British Architects on Wednesday 10 May. Here he shares his reflections on the inspiring summit.
Panel of journalists onstage at the Sir Harry Evans Summit

How King Charles’s coronation will reflect his desire to be defender of all faiths

Emeritus Professor of Modern British History, Philip Williamson, discusses how King Charles III's Coronation will include a larger and more diverse cast of religious participants, including leaders and representatives of the Jewish, Hindu, Sikh, Muslim and Buddhist communities, amongst others.
King Charles at the Durham Cathedral

Sudan’s entire history has been dominated by soldiers and the violence and corruption they bring

Professor Justin Willis from our Department of History explains the history of Sudan from 1820 to the present day in light of the current conflict in the region.
map of sudan

Heritage, historic urban infrastructure, disasters and sustainable development

Professor Robin Coningham is UNESCO's Chair on Archaeological Ethics and Practice in Cultural Heritage, the Chair of Early Medieval Archaeology and is Associate Director (World Heritage) in Durham's Institute of Mediaeval and Early Modern Studies (IMEMS) and Co-Director of Durham's MA International Cultural Heritage Management programme. Here Robin discusses the role of archaeology in urban infrastructure, climate change, disaster and risk, as part of Durham’s Global Lecture Series
An image of an archaeological excavation site