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Diversity Initiatives

Five hands of different ethnicities next to each other on a table

 

At the Department of History we are committed to creating an all-inclusive culture and environment where individuals are able to thrive, irrespective of their background, worldview and identity. This not only means that everybody has an equal opportunity and is not treated differently or discriminated against, but also that differences between people and groups are taken account of and appreciated and, what is probably the most challenging, that we actively promote equality and seek and invite contribution and participation from everyone in our community. Our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Committee, which includes the department’s student representatives as well as staff, functions to monitor and safeguard this process. We are keen to hear your views and experiences in order to understand whether you feel part of your department and university and what we can do to eradicate discrimination of any kind.

It is legally binding for public authorities to promote equality and to ensure that other organisations, such as universities, meet their legal duties to do the same. Further information can be found in the Equality Act 2010 that specifies legal requirements regarding nine protected characteristics: age, sex, pregnancy and maternity, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, race, religion or belief, marriage and civil partnership, and disability. However, we are conscious that there are many more forms of discrimination that take place at university premises and beyond. For instance, people can be made subject of discrimination, as well as implicit bias, microagression and harassment based on their socioeconomic background, such as class, as well as place of origin, such as accent. There is no place for them at our department (For a glossary of terms, see Glossary).

Important initiatives driven by the EDI Committee include: decolonising, Athena SWAN, widening participation, and working with our Public History lead on encouraging public debate (e.g. Black History Month, International Women’s Day, LGBTQ events). We also collaborate with other university and external bodies in organising events and training for both students and staff on EDI issues. We are keen to implement recommendations of the Royal Historical Society's reports into Gender Equality; Race, Ethnicity & Equality; and LGBT+ Histories and Historians.

If you have been affected by bullying and harassment, hate incidents, or sexual misconduct and domestic abuse, these can be reported using Durham University's Report &
Support tool.

Decolonising History

The Department of History is committed to decolonisation, which we recognise as a complex and multifaceted process that encompasses education, research, departmental culture, outreach and student support. To this end, academic staff in the Department of History have formed a Decolonisation Working Group. These pages contain important information about our decolonisation initiatives, as well as resources that we hope will contribute to this endeavour.

Learn more about our decolonisation initiatives

Athena SWAN

The Athena SWAN Bronze Award recognises our commitment to advancing women's careers in academia, progressing our students into academia and improving our work environment for all staff.

Learn more about our Athena SWAN award

 

Find Out More

Use the links below to learn more about how we are promoting diversity at Durham

Decolonising History

Click here to learn more
Diversity Initiatives balloons

Athena SWAN

Click here to learn more
Students listening in a Department of History seminar

Prizes and Fellowships

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Student sat studying on campus

Resources

Click here to see our list of resources
A selection of books that have been scattered on the ground

What's new?

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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

Professor Edith Hall and Professor Andy Wood named new British Academy Fellows

We are delighted that Professor Edith Hall from our Department of Classics and Ancient History and Professor Andy Wood from Department of History have become new Fellows of The British Academy.
British academy fellows 2022

New monograph, 'Migrating Memories', published by Dr James Koranyi

The book deals with the experiences of Romanian Germans in the twentieth century - a subject that has hitherto been neglected in English-language scholarship
Germany, 1959. Passport control of German tourists during the Cold War on the German-Czech border.

Nazi Germany’s elite schools used British public schools as ‘model’

How Nazi Germany’s elite schools used British public schools as 'models' during the 1930s, cultivating connections with them through a series of student and staff exchanges, is revealed in a new book by a leading historian.
Napolas - Pupils and staff at the Napola in Ballenstedt prepare for a football match with a public school team from the UK, spring 1937. Photo credit: N/a

Recent graduate awarded NINE DTP Fellowship

Congratulations to recent graduate, Dr Adrian Browne, on his NINE DTP postdoctoral fellowship award
A man stands over fish, which have been emptied from a fish trap onto the pier. There is water and greenery in the background

2020/21 Undergraduate Academic Prizewinners Announced

The Department is pleased to announce the winners of our undergraduate academic prizes for this year, including the winners of our new prize for the best dissertation on BAME history
Student congregation ceremony with Durham Cathedral in background

Decolonising the Curriculum Internship - Now Recruiting

We are pleased to announce that the History Department is now recruiting for a new 'Decolonising the Curriculum' internship

Ralph Waggett MA Studentship in History

The Department of History is pleased to announce the Ralph Waggett MA Studentship as an addition to the Faculty of Arts and Humanities’ postgraduate bursaries and scholarships for 2021-22.
Three female students walking in corridor in University College