A conversation for staff and students at Durham University - contributions welcome, opinions wanted.

Welcome to October’s edition of Dialogue magazine.

This month we're bringing you details about the range of support available to help with your wellbeing at the University.

Also in this edition, you can find out about: ancient dung and how it has helped provide the earliest evidence of animals being farmed for food; how the fate of the world’s biggest ice sheet is in our hands; and the expansion of our Student Community Warden team to provide important peer-to-peer support for students who are living-out.

Dialogue spoke to Durham University Bright Ideas Winner 2022, Project Student Housing, and we also learn how one of our students decided to offer free English tuition to Ukrainian children, which led to the start of the Tutor for Ukraine project.

Finally, we’ve extended the deadline for our photography competition until Friday 7 October, so there's still time for you to enter. We’re asking for your photos of Durham University people in the community, projects in the community, or buildings in the community. You can enter our competition by emailing your photograph to dialogue@durham.ac.uk

If you'd like to share a story with us, please email: dialogue@durham.ac.uk

Dialogue highlights

Help with staff wellbeing

You can find a range of support to help with your wellbeing at the University.

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Professional Services: Inspiring the Extraordinary

You can help to shine a light on the special contributions that colleagues in Professional Services make at the University through a brand new awards scheme.

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Discover my world

Ancient dung reveals earliest evidence of farmed animals

Ancient dung has helped provide our Archaeology researchers with the earliest evidence of animals being farmed for food.

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Fate of the world’s biggest ice sheet is in our hands

The fate of the world’s biggest ice sheet is in our hands, researchers say.

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Durham inspires

Student Boost for Community Relations Work

Our Student Community Warden team is expanding for 2022/23.

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Thanks for your admissions assistance

More than 50 colleagues came together to work collaboratively this August to ensure that A-Level results day went smoothly for potential undergraduates.

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The bright idea aiming to upgrade the rental experience for students and landlords

Earlier this month, Dialogue spoke to Durham University Bright Ideas Winner 2022, Project Student Housing.

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Tutor for Ukraine

When war hit Ukraine, one Durham student decided that she wanted to do something with a real-world benefit for those hit by its consequences.

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Walking for Reuben: marathon effort by Nursery staff

In 2019 one of our nursery practioners April Walker and her husband went through what no parents ever want to go through – they sadly lost their son Reuben at only one day old.

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Working Principles

As we start a new academic year, and many of us continue to embrace different ways of working, now is a great opportunity to review our working practices.

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Development roles and what they can offer

Our Human Resources and Organisation Development team is supporting the development and progression of Professional Services staff through development roles.

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Insights

Empowering people to improve well-being - in conversation with Professor Fuschia Sirois

Professor Fuschia Sirois is a globally renowned expert on self-regulation and well-being, and has recently published a game-changing book to help procrastinators understand and tackle the issue. We caught up with her to chat about her research interests, her commitment to sharing her expertise and whether she too procrastinates!

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Looking for the helpers: Local community, global citizens

Dr Sarah Maya Rosen, Assistant Principal, Ustinov College, reflects on finding hope in helping our local and global communities – and how one colleague at Ustinov College went above and beyond earlier this year to help those in need.

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What is the Institute of Advanced Study?

The Institute of Advanced Study (IAS) helps Durham academics build exciting, large-scale, interdisciplinary research which can reshape our thinking.

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Contribute

Do you have a story to share? We want to hear from you! Get in touch via dialogue@durham.ac.uk.