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Research to empower and inspire

We are a globally outstanding centre of teaching, learning and research excellence. We are a world top 100 university, with 12 of our subjects ranked in the world top 50 and 19 in the world top 100. We conduct innovative and impactful research to transform lives and make a difference, globally and locally: research to empower and inspire.
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Explore our global research

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Latest news

International physics honour for Durham University historian

A leading body representing physicists across the world has presented one of its most prestigious honours to a Durham historian.
Joseph D Martin smiles at camera standing in the countryside

Durham University start-up accepted onto world-leading space programme in British first

Durham University graduate start-up, Charter, has become the first British space company to be accepted onto the prestigious TechStars Space Accelerator programme, widely considered as the world’s leading programme for start-ups in the space sector.
Yuk Chi Chan giving a lecture to a room full of students

New Centre with University of Johannesburg

A new Centre for Philosophy of Epidemiology, Medicine, and Public Health (CPEMPH) has been launched by Professor Alex Broadbent, Professor of Philosophy of Science and a member of the Institute for Medical Humanities.
A market street in Kenya with various traders and pedestrians

“The Polyphony Meets China”: New collaborative initiative at The Polyphony

The Institute for Medical Humanities (IMH) at Durham University is delighted to introduce “The Polyphony Meets China”, a new collaborative project between our web platform The Polyphony and the Narrative Medicine Research Centre (NMRC) at Southern Medical University (SMU).
Polyphony crop

Teesside and Durham Universities embark on £11million project to support hydrogen innovation in the Tees Valley

We are collaborating with Teesside University on a ground-breaking project to accelerate decarbonisation and the use of hydrogen through supporting industrial research and development and capacity building in the Tees Valley.
Professor Tony Roskilly

Supercomputer simulations reveal new possibilities for the Moon's origin

Our pioneering scientists from the Institute for Computational Cosmology used supercomputer simulations to reveal an alternate explanation for the Moon’s origin, as a satellite placed immediately into orbit following a giant impact between Earth and a Mars-sized body.
Moon simulation

Capping energy costs will damage climate change progress in developing countries

Developing and emerging countries will fail to make any significant contribution to global sustainability efforts, unless governments stop capping electricity prices, according to new research from Associate Professor Laura Marsiliani and Associate Professor Thomas Renstrom alongside colleagues from North South University in Bangladesh and Copenhagen Business School.
Arial photo of high rise buildings during the day in Bangladesh

Media deference to the royals must have a limit – just look at how Edward VIII and Wallis Simpson were treated

Professor Tim Luckhurst, Principal of South College, discusses why media must avoid deference to monarchy, in order to fulfil their role of holding power to account.
Image showing front of Buckingham Palace

Queen Elizabeth II: the history of royal funerals and how this one will be different

Professor Philip Williamson from our Department of History shares his insights on the history of royal funerals.
Royal funeral

Waiting for Ethiopia: Berbera port upgrade raises Somaliland’s hopes for trade

Professor Jutta Bakonyi from our School of Government and International Affairs talks about the improvements in Berbera port that could elevate Somaliland's international trades.
Sea port

Constant fear of eviction: how poor people experience life in Somaliland’s growing cities

Professor Jutta Bakonyi from our School of Government and International Affairs along with colleagues from University of Hargeisa, Somalia sheds light on the living experience of poor people in Somaliland cities.
Somalian cities

High air pollution in cities contributes to firms being less efficient at investing

Firms that are based in a city with high levels of air pollution have much lower efficiency when it comes to corporate investments, according to new research from Guanming He, Associate Professor in Accounting, and Tiantian Lin, from Beijing Jiaotong University.
Aerial Photography of City Buildings Under Cloudy Sky
Aerial view of Durham

Research Impact at Durham

Read about our Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021 impact case studies.

Impact Case Studies
Korean drummers playing at the Oriental Museum

Global Culture

Interested in how the cultural activities of Durham's staff and student bodies enrich life worldwide? Head to the Global Culture page to find out.

Find out more