As we reach the end of Michaelmas term, we look at some of the ways the University has made a positive impact in the North East of England this year.
Successful collaborations within the education sector
This October we formalised Universities for North East England (UNEE) – a partnership between the region’s five universities.
Together, we will be a unified voice of Higher Education in the region and make an even greater contribution to inclusive economic growth and social transformation.
We also formed the Durham Learning Alliance with four County Durham Further Education colleges to improve access to education and skills training for local residents. We’re already seeing the benefits of this collaboration, welcoming college students who have joined us on work placements as part of an Apprenticeship pathway.
Driving economic growth
Nationally, we’re one of 24 Russell Group universities that together are worth £38 billion for the UK economy through research, commercialisation and innovation activity.
Many new ‘spin-out’ companies have been formed from innovative academic research or great student business ideas. Many of these companies establish a base in North East England, creating jobs and boosting the local economy.
Earlier this year we were named on Research England’s Initial List of Adopting Institutions for spin-out best practices. This recognised our commitment to ensuring that our research programmes make a direct and substantial impact on the region’s economy.
Promoting health and wellbeing
Our commitment to the health agenda is clear, with the recent appointment of our first Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Health), Professor Charlotte Clarke.
A renewed focus on health is critical to our contribution to health and economic development in the region. It ensures that we drive forward the strongest research and education opportunities for the welfare of communities, our region and individuals.
Our Chancellor Dr Fiona Hill has strong connections to North East England, hailing from Bishop Auckland. This summer she returned to Bishop Auckland Hospital, to further strengthen our collaborative partnership with the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust (CDDFT).
Meanwhile, our health, social sciences and maths researchers have worked on projects on neurodiversity, vision loss and on producing designs for NHS clinical studies in our region.
Award-winning attractions and preservation for future generations
Our visitor attractions have been in the spotlight recently.
We welcomed County Durham-born television presenter Matt Baker to the Botanic Garden and Durham Castle, as he filmed scenes for his Channel Four series ‘Travels with Mum and Dad’.
Our Botanic Garden achieved a Gold Award in the Northumbria in Bloom Competition in recognition of our commitment to community engagement, environmental responsibility and horticultural excellence.
As joint custodians of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Durham Castle and Cathedral, we recently completed the first phase of a long-term project to preserve and restore the Norman Chapel at Durham Castle. A team of specialists conserved stonework and repaired or replaced elements under a strict archaeological brief. Improvements were made to the accessibility, interpretation, lighting and presentation of the Chapel to open it up to even more visitors.
What’s next for 2025?
Next year we’ll continue a huge depth and breadth of work to break down barriers to educational achievement and enhance social mobility. We’ll feature more about this in a future edition of Dialogue magazine.
Working with others locally, regionally and nationally, we can be a catalyst for a multi-agency, collective social effort to improve life chances and promote prosperity in our region and nation.