April 20 is Chinese Language Day, one of a series of Language Days selected by the United Nations to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity. Dr Samuel Horlor, a Teaching Fellow in Ethnomusicology in our Music Department, discusses his research on Chinese popular music with a particular focus on audiency, street music, and music's embeddedness in everyday urban life.

Work is now well underway on the first phase of the Norman Chapel Conservation Project. Visitors to Palace Green will be aware of the on-going work, with contractors and building equipment on site since November 2022. This first phase of the project has been part funded with £80k provided by the Wolfson Foundation towards the cost of restoration.

This week marks Earth Day (22 April), an awareness day which focuses the world to consider its impact on the Earth and encourage further investment in our planet.

Healthcare law expert, Professor Emma Cave from our Durham Law School, has been appointed to the ethics advisory group of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

Our scientists are taking their research out of the lab and into Durham City in May as part of the international Pint of Science festival. 

Student-led group Enactus Durham have been crowned UK Champions for their dedication to social enterprise and commitment to contributing to the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The UK funding model for higher education should be changed to support students’ financial needs and the future viability of the sector, our Vice-Chancellor has said.

Students from our Anthropology Department travelled to Barnsley recently as part of their latest field-based research assignment.

Durham University has been awarded a £1.13m grant for a major project to help reduce Carbon emissions at one of its landmark buildings.

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We had a great opportunity to celebrate our connections with Canada last week as we welcomed the Canadian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom to Durham. The Honourable Ralph E. Goodale has been in post since April 2021 and was joined on the visit by Laura Lumsden, First Secretary (Trade) at the Canadian High Commission in London, whose remit includes education.

Our a cappella group Northern Lights triumphed at the UK ICCA (International Championship of Collegiate A Cappella) Semi-Finals in Wimbledon on Saturday 25 March 2023. As UK winners they will now compete at the international World Finals in New York on 29 April.