University Strategy
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University Strategy Refresh 2022-27
At the half-way point of our ten-year strategy, our purpose remains the same: to enrich lives and change the world through the advancement of learning – virtually unchanged from when we were founded in 1832.
Refreshed strategy
Since the launch of our 10-year University Strategy 2017-27 there has been significant change in the external environment. Our fundamental goals, and many other aspects of our University Strategy, continue to be our focus for the remainder of the Strategy period. However, reaching the midway point has provided us with an opportunity to review our progress, celebrate our achievements and refresh our priorities.
Engaging with our University community and gaining their feedback was a key part of refreshing our Strategy, which was approved by Senate and Council in May 2023. We also undertook focused consultation with numerous stakeholder groups to develop our revised statement of purpose and core lived values.
Strategy updates
Many of our activities are already well developed and will continue to progress as planned. Our core goals remain unchanged, which are to deliver:
- World-leading and world-changing research and engagement across all core academic departments and institutes.
- Education that is challenging, enabling, research-led and transformative.
- A transformative wider student experience delivering long-lasting benefits for graduates and society.
Our Finance Strategy is critical to the success of our refreshed Strategy. We will organise our finances to enable the realisation of our strategic goals on a financially sustainable basis.
New priority areas
- Equality, Diversity and Inclusion
- Sustainability
- Civic and Regional Partnership
Strengthened focus
- Research performance, including income and impact
- Business engagement
- Widening access
- Skills for a changing world
- Student wellbeing
- Digital
- Donor, alumni and supporter development
This refresh has given us all the chance to re-examine the direction of the University and examine our impact as a world-leading institution as well as a key player in the local economy. Our refreshed Strategy will enable us to transform lives through education and deliver long-lasting benefits for our graduates and wider society.
Our purpose and values
Find out more
Our refreshed University Strategy is made up of 13 strategic areas and is our roadmap up until 2027. It includes three academic core strategies, four transversal strategies and six enabling strategies.
Academic core
Research
Education
Wider Student Experience
Transversal strategies
Graduate Attributes
In 2023, we refreshed our Graduate Attributes. Students, staff and alumni contributed ideas about the attitudes and approaches (or “mindsets”) we would like our students to develop during their time at Durham.
Read our updated strategy document
Engaging with our University community and gaining their feedback was a key part of refreshing our Strategy, which was approved by Senate and Council in May 2023. We also undertook focused consultation with numerous stakeholder groups to develop our revised Statement of purpose and core lived values.
University Strategy 2017 - 2027
As with all strategies, our University Strategy is continually reviewed, updated and refreshed. View or download our original University Strategy 2017 - 2027 document.