Dialogue 59

News for Durham University Staff & Students

RESEARCH INSIGHTS

Working in the coldest place on earth

Sep | Oct 2018

BOOSTING DIVERSITY IN ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES DELIVERING ‘EDUCATION

BY DESIGN’

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welcome Here at Durham we produce world-leading and world-changing research, provide challenging, enabling, and evidence-based education, and through our Colleges, Durham SU and Experience Durham create the conditions for one of the best student experiences in the UK. It is with all this in mind that I welcome you to the first issue of Dialogue for the new academic year.

Ours is one of the world’s great universities and one of the most distinctive. But we are not complacent. We have ambitious targets for growth and development and work towards these goals continues apace. As you’ll see in this issue, over the summer we launched a new department to help lead on excellence and innovation in education.

The newly-formed Durham Centre for Academic Development (DCAD) will deliver sector-leading schemes in learning and teaching – enhancing our educational provision for both students and staff.

We also pride ourselves on being one of the best sporting universities in the country.

That’s why we are investing £31m in a new Sports and Wellbeing Centre at our Maiden Castle site. Construction work began over the summer and will result in a new indoor cricket hall, a 12 court multi-use sports hall suitable for international and national competitions, a martial arts dojo, a fitness suite, purpose-built recovery facilities and high-performance weights rooms. The new Centre will be available to everyone in the University and all across our region. As the name suggests, the Centre supports wellbeing as well as sport at all levels.

Our University is rooted in our local communities. We are proud of the positive contribution we make to the City and North East England. Read on, and you’ll learn

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how we have joined forces with the County Durham Community Foundation to support local charities and non-profit organisations in the first year of a supported giving scheme.

Our roots may be local, but with 150 nationalities represented among our staff and students, and ambitious plans to strengthen our international reputation, our reach is global. Earlier this year, a number of our academic staff were rewarded for their world-changing research at our inaugural Impact and Engagement Awards.

You can read all about the awards in these pages, along with an interview with Geography’s Dr Pippa Whitehouse and her fascinating research in one of the coldest places on earth – Antarctica.

Closer to home, many students and members of staff have relocated this summer to Durham City from our Queen’s Campus site in Stockton. As we’ve explained before in these pages, we all have a part to play in ensuring this transition goes smoothly. I’m sure you will join me in extending the warmest of welcomes to our newly-relocated students and colleagues.

Finally, I’d also like to welcome our new students and staff arriving to start their first year here. You have embarked upon a journey like none other. I wish you well, every step of the way.

Professor Stuart Corbridge Vice-Chancellor and Warden

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Please continue to send your contributions and feedback to dialogue@durham.ac.uk News for Durham University Staff & Students

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Editor Ulrike Klaerig-Jackson Communications Co-ordinator Contributors Lucy Woods, HR&OD; Yvonne Flynn, Greenspace; Daryl Dowding, Event Durham, Retail and Catering; Leena Milroy, Research & Innovation Services; Linda Crowe, Institute of Advanced Study; Kirsty DeaconBrown, Durham Students’ Union; Claire Hall, Karen Frost, Nicky Sawicki, Angela Gemmill, Mark Tallentire, Izzy Rooke, Sophie McDougall, Eugene Grant and Paul McQuaid, Marketing & Communications; Jordan Christie, CIS; Vicky Parrish, Ceremonies Unit; Gareth Hughes, Durham Students’ Union Cover image Credit: Carlos Gonzalez-Palmieri

CUR/09/18/061

Sep | Oct 2018

4 GET SOCIAL

15 QUEEN’S CAMPUS TRANSITION

5 SERVICES AND CEREMONIES

16 DELIVERING ‘EDUCATION BY DESIGN’

6 RESEARCH INSIGHTS – WORKING IN THE COLDEST PLACE ON EARTH 8 IMPACT AWARDS

17 EVENT DURHAM, RETAIL AND CATERING

9 WORKTRIBE

18 COMMUNITY FUND

10 BOOSTING DIVERSITY IN ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES

19 COMMUNITY RELATIONS – ROUND UP 20 HR AND OD NEWS

11 MAIDEN CASTLE

21 DURHAM STUDENT’S UNION – MEET THE OFFICERS

12 CHANGE AT THE INSTITUTE OF ADVANCED STUDY

22 CIS NEWS

13 GREENSPACE

23 AN INSIGHT INTO

14 UNIVERSITY STRATEGY

24 WHAT’S ON

Durham University and Durham University logo are registered Trade Marks of the University of Durham. Unless otherwise stated, all material in this publication is copyright of the University of Durham. The University makes every effort to ensure that the information contained here is accurate. Please note that the University’s website is the most up to date source of information and we strongly recommend that you always visit the website before making any commitments.

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YOUR VIEW

Our favourite posts, tweets and videos over the past two months to show you what has been happening around the University!

TOP

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Celebrating the official launch of Durham Centre for Academic Development, the team donned hard hats to explore The Teaching & Learning Centre yesterday! Find out more: http://fal.cn/V2CD #DCAD @LearnTechDurham pic.twitter.com/DABjVAKvJ7

Another glorious day in Durham for @DUCongregation International student, Majedah Abdullah Alaiyed is graduating today. The first student to graduate with a PhD as part of Durham’s partnership with Al-Qassim University http://fal.cn/yF61 #DUCOngregation #DUGraduation pic.twitter.com/NFsN75CHvn

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Why are #beards so trendy at the moment?

Watch @DurhamPsych’s #evolutionary psychologist @drboothroyd explain why men choose to grow beards on @BBCIplayer: http://fal.cn/VQ-v pic.twitter.com/hLfXFv2Ytt

Thank you to everyone who came to the #DUOpenDay and to all our fabulous staff and students who joined us today pic.twitter. com/4h4zBf3ndl

đ&#x;˜Ž

Congratulations to DU student Lauren Irwin, and the rest of her crew, who won the Women’s 8 #rowing competition at the 2018 #HenleyRoyalRegatta on Sunday.

You can read about Lauren’s fantastic community work with local teenagers here: http://fal.cn/ yLfl pic.twitter.com/UWKZSscwMe

NEW DEPARTMENT

VIDEO OF THE MONTH

PHOTO OF THE MONTH

Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences. Find out more about Durham University’s newest department www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ejeCZ39GWZE&t=14s

SUPERMOON This stunning picture of July’s supermoon over the Cathedral was taken by student @cgpalmieri www.instagram. com/p/Blxds58gNfj/?hl=en&takenby=durhamuniversity

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News for Durham University Staff & Students

SERVICES AND CEREMONIES

Services and Ceremonies at Durham Cathedral

All staff are invited to attend the following Ceremonies and Services to be held in Durham Cathedral over the next few months: Remembrance Service Sunday 11 November 2018 Founders and Benefactors Service Sunday 25 November 2018 (tbc) Winter Congregation Thursday 10 January and Friday 11 January 2019 Staff are welcome to attend these events as a University guest. If eligible, you can join the Staff Procession and also get involved at Congregation by volunteering to marshal – an essential role in producing professional and celebratory occasions for our students and their guests – with lunch (and cakes!) provided.

Reflecting on their experiences, marshals at the previous Congregations said: “Being a Marshal was a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Seeing all of the graduands and the proud guests who come to watch them graduate really does remind me why we all work at the University.”

Sep | Oct 2018

“I’d recommend being a Marshal for anyone who hasn’t done it before as you meet staff from other parts of the University, it is a happy occasion for the guests and coffee and cake in the Cathedral café makes up for the early start.”

Look out for notices on Dialogue Signposts to register for these ceremonies and services or visit our website www.durham.ac.uk/ceremonies

University Honorary Awards Staff are encouraged to submit nominations for candidates they would like to receive honorary awards from the University.

• Nominations for Chancellor’s Medal should be submitted by 19 October 2018 • Nominations for Honorary Degrees should be submitted by 21 January 2019 Further information is available at: www.durham.ac.uk/ceremonies/ honorary

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RESEARCH INSIGHTS

Pippa 3rd in line. Credit Mark Beasley

Working in the coldest place on Earth An epic journey of five flights, via Spain and Chile, with a travel time of two and a half days covering 9,000 miles is what it takes for Geography’s Dr Pippa Whitehouse to carry out her research. Pippa researches the process of Glacial Isostatic Adjustment in the Antarctic.

Her fieldwork is conducted in Rothera, a science station operated by the British Antarctic Survey, on Adelaide Island off the West coast of the Antarctic Peninsula.

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What is it like in Rothera and do you travel at particular times of year?

Rothera is perched on a small rocky outcrop between a chain of dramatic snowy peaks and the Southern Ocean. My work is carried out during the Antarctic summer - from late October through to early February. Even though it’s the warmest time of the year, the average temperature is just above freezing; if the wind gets up it can quickly drop below minus 20! During the summer there is 24 hours of daylight - good for getting lots of work done, but bad for trying to sleep when the sun is beating down at 2am and the inside of your tent is roasting.

What kind of training do you do to prepare and acclimatise yourself?

I have a thorough medical exam before I set off, but being super-fit is not a necessity. I ensure I’m in reasonable shape because my work means I’m on the move for many hours, usually carrying a rucksack or pulling a sledge. There are excellent doctors at the base, but

News for Durham University Staff & Students

RESEARCH INSIGHTS

What’s the most challenging thing about carrying out research in the Antarctic?

Above Pippa Whitehouse installing a GPS monument. Credit Ian Potten Right Pippa flying a Twin Otter plane. Credit Al Docherty

The lack of fall-back options. Out in the field a broken or forgotten piece of equipment can put paid to the whole project. I’ve been lucky: I dropped a memory card in a gale-force wind once, but somehow we found it again further down the rocky slope. In general, most problems can be fixed with either a decent penknife or a roll of duct tape.

And what’s the best thing?

out in the field the options are limited so we all have a wilderness first aid qualification. There is also some training – like crevasse rescue and snowmobile driving – that can’t be carried out back in the UK and we do that once we’ve arrived at the base.

The silence and the colours. The sun will usually dip below the horizon for a few hours each day. Watching the sky turn from blue to orange to pink through the door of your tent, accompanied by complete silence, is a very calming experience at the end of a tiring day.

Is there such a thing as a typical day when you are in Rothera?

Has the way you work in Rothera influenced the way you work when you are back in Durham?

“Hurry up and wait” is a phrase used a lot in Antarctica.

My work involves flying to remote locations – that may have never been visited before – and installing or servicing instruments that measure how the Earth’s shape is changing. Everything revolves around planes but only a limited number are available and this, coupled with the weather, means most of my days in Rothera are spent getting up early, packing my rucksack, making a flask of tea... and then sitting, waiting to see if we get the nod to fly.

The most striking thing about Rothera is the people.

Imagine living in a small, isolated community where you know everyone’s name, everyone has a specific role, and as a team you are completely self-sufficient. The default behaviour is to be kind to people, to look out for each other, and to pitch in and help. This rubs off on new arrivals very quickly, and I like to think it sticks with me, at least for a while, when I return to Durham.

We need perfect weather to land a plane – overcast conditions and ‘flat light’ make it hard to distinguish between sky and snow, and the maps aren’t accurate enough for the pilot to rely on an altimeter reading to land. Once, we were stranded at a field site for four days – not because of a bad storm, but because the fog rolled in. Mountains surrounded us and it was too dangerous to take off.

After landing, the field guide checks the area for crevasses and only then can we jump out and start loading up the sledges. It takes eight or nine hours to install our precision instruments. They have to withstand Antarctic winter storms, so large items are bolted to the rock or weighed down with boulders and delicate connections are covered with waterproof tape. An important goal for me over the next few years is to install satellite communication systems on each instrument, so we can monitor them remotely and, in some cases, even download the data in real time. Our final task awaits back at the plane - digging it out of the snow.

The plane’s skis freeze during the day, so everyone grabs a shovel and carefully clears away the snow and ice. Finally, we radio back to base to pass on the important message that a plane load of hungry scientists is due back in an hour.

Sep | Oct 2018

UK-US Field Team in Cape Disappointment. Credit Pippa Whitehouse

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IMPACT AWARDS

Academic staff were rewarded for their world-changing research in the University’s inaugural Impact and Engagement Awards.

The awards celebrated how outstanding research from across the University has positively influenced cultural beliefs, changed the way we live our lives, and helped build communities.

The awards were introduced by the University’s Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stuart Corbridge, and presented by Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), Professor Claire Warwick.

A judging panel, which included University academics and representatives from external organisations, reviewed over 45 applications from all three faculties.

Academics rewarded for world-changing research Global impact

Winners

Speaking about the awards, Professor Claire Warwick, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research), said:

Dr Abir Hamdar, from the School of Modern Languages and Cultures, was presented with the University Award, the highest accolade, for a play she wrote and co-produced, titled 'I am waiting for you'.

“The Impact and Engagement Awards are a great opportunity to see how Durham University’s research has a positive impact across the globe, reaching far beyond the academic environment.

“Our research expertise enables us to successfully build partnerships through a range of activities, from local businesses working with students and academics through to strategic partnerships with large corporations.

“We are immensely proud of our achievements and continue to strive to ensure our research brings even greater benefits to communities in the North East of England, nationally and internationally.”

The play is based on interviews with Arab cancer patients and in consultation with oncologists at the cancer institute of the American University of Beirut Medical Centre.

The research is part of a broader ambition to raise cultural awareness of talking about cancer in the Middle East.

Professor Bob Holdsworth and his team from the Department of Earth Sciences also received the University Award for work undertaken by the structural geology research group.

Their research has been essential in improving industry understanding of fractured basement reservoirs - rock structures fractured through earthquakes and other forces whose hard and brittle nature enables cracks in the rocks to accumulate oil.

Professor Holdsworth’s team worked closely with Durham University spin-out company Geospatial Research Limited which has created 30 new highly skilled jobs in the North East of England since 2006.

In addition to the University Award, three academics received a Faculty Award.

The Arts and Humanities Faculty Award was received by the Department of History’s Dr Giles Gasper for his work on the Ordered Universe Project, which examines the work of English thinker Robert Grosseteste.

Dr Claire Horwell, from the Department of Earth Sciences, accepted the Science Faculty Award for her work in preparing communities for volcanic eruptions.

Award winners

Academics from the University recently gathered to showcase how their research tackles global issues at the Celebrating International Research event.

The University has secured over £13m across 11 projects since 2016 from the Global Challenges Research Fund which supports cutting-edge research to address challenges faced by developing countries.

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Dr Les Graham, from Durham University Business School, picked up the Faculty of Social Sciences and Health award for his research on ethical leadership in policing.

The Early Career Researcher Award was received by Alice Alunni for her extensive research into Libyan organisations and social relations.

A full list of shortlisted researchers can be found at www.durham.ac.uk/research

News for Durham University Staff & Students

WORKTRIBE

New Grants Management System is coming The project to introduce Worktribe, Durham’s new Research Grants Management System, is underway. The system, which is an externally provided cloud-based solution, has been procured to provide academic staff, Research and Innovation Services and the wider University with an integrated tool for the pre and post-award management of research grants.

Built from the ground up as a support tool for academics and administrators, Worktribe is already widely used in many UK researchintensive institutions, including several Russell Group universities.

In the recent months the project team has been tailoring Worktribe to meet Durham’s needs in relation to its pre-award functionality and to integrate it with the University’s other systems. Parallel to this, the project team, with help from both the academic and PSS users, has been conducting thorough testing of the system. The current focus of the team is to complete the testing and deliver the relevant training to system users ahead of Worktribe pre-award functionality formally launching this autumn.

Once the initial functionality of the system has been rolled out to all users, the project team will continue work behind the scenes to prepare the second part of the project. As with the pre-award functionality, the post-award part of Worktribe will largely be set up by the project team here at Durham. The team will be undertaking the necessary steps to configure, test and provide system training prior to launching the post-award functionality of Worktribe next spring.

Sep | Oct 2018

Key features Worktribe includes a fully-integrated costing tool, supporting Full Economic Costing (fEC) for the accurate costing and pricing of applications. This means pFACT, our current costing and pricing tool, will no longer be used at Durham and the project budget can be seamlessly integrated with the other elements of the proposal.

Worktribe supports a streamlined submission process to ensure a smooth transition from approval to award. Bid submission is facilitated by tailored outputs for portals such as Je-S, and, since all approvals can be performed online, there will no longer be a need for RAARs to be prepared.

Worktribe also offers user-friendly dashboards to allow milestones to be tracked and documents securely managed. With automated finance integration, Principal Investigators (PIs) will be able to access their grant statements online and easily track grant expenditure.

More transparency, more efficiency Once Worktribe is in use, it will provide end users with significant improvements to the processes relating to grants management. With just one system to enter and view data, Worktribe will allow academics and administrators to work collaboratively on a proposal and to manage the award, saving time and ensuring clear communication.

With Worktribe, all applications, awards and associated documentation will be held together in a single source, allowing for ease of reference and improved working across the University.

PIs and administrators will both have full visibility of the project throughout its lifecycle, meaning that keeping track of changes and progress is simple and straightforward.

Worktribe has an in-built communication tool for exchanges between academic and support staff which will reduce email traffic and streamline messages. The system also offers email notifications that will alert participants when actions are taken on given proposal or project.

If you are interested in finding out more about the project, please contact worktribe.project@durham.ac.uk or visit www.durham.ac.uk/research.innovation/local/systems/worktribe

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EPSRC

BOOSTING DIVERSITY IN ENGINEERING AND PHYSICAL SCIENCES A consortium – led by Durham University – of nine universities and six companies has received nearly £600,000 for a new research project aimed at boosting the representation of women, disabled and LGBT+ people, and people from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds in Engineering and Physical Sciences in the North of England.

Researchers hope that creating a more inclusive culture in the sector will lead to a more diverse talent pool and, ultimately, better science and engineering with which to address pressing global challenges.

“Addressing entrenched under-representation” The partnership includes: Durham University, Lancaster University, Leeds Beckett University, Newcastle University, Northumbria University, Teesside University, University of Huddersfield, University of Hull, and University of Leeds. Industrial partner organisations include: Atom Bank, Stanley Black and Decker, GTN Limited, IBM, Northumbrian Water Ltd., and SAGE. The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council has generously provided funding for the project, which is part of a wider £5.5m national initiative.

The two year project includes six activities – undertaken across the 15 organisations – that are designed to help address the problem of entrenched under-representation. These include: • Shared characteristic mentoring: establishing a cross-organisational mentoring programme to match junior staff members from underrepresented backgrounds with more senior colleagues who share characteristics, identities, and experiences.

• Reverse mentoring: setting up a programme in which staff from under-represented groups in engineering and physical sciences mentor senior staff about the challenges they face and, in return, are coached on their career development.

• Collaboration with industry: identifying good practice within and among the project’s industrial partners, facilitating networking opportunities such as placements and industry visits, and conducting research workshops and outreach activities.

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Researchers hope the project will help boost diversity in engineering and science Barriers to diversity Engineering and the Physical Sciences contribute hundreds of billions of pounds to the UK economy each year, but people from Black and Minority Ethnic backgrounds, women, LGBT+ and disabled people remain poorly represented across these sectors.

Research reveals women engineers and physical scientists are underrepresented in all grades, especially in senior academic posts. In engineering, the gender gap is particularly striking – just 7.5 per cent of women had gained their current position by way of a formal promotion, compared with 15.6 per cent of men.

Unequal opportunities, a paucity of role models from under-represented groups, and a lack of understanding among senior leaders as to the barriers these groups face all serve to compound and sustain a lack of diversity.

A more inclusive culture means better science and engineering Reacting to the news of the announcement, Dr Beth Bromley, who lectures in the Department of Physics, said: “As a member of an under-represented group in STEM, it’s possible to feel a little isolated, as though you are on the outside looking in.

“This new resource from the EPSRC, and the successful consortium bid, offer an exciting new opportunity to begin to develop some of the missing voices in our research community and to create a wider more inclusive model of research excellence in the North of England.”

Professor Emma Flynn, Programme Director and Associate Provost, said: “Engineering and physical sciences are vital industries. Yet, for too long there have been sections of our society that aren’t represented sufficiently within these sectors.

“This scarcity has serious consequences: not only is it bad for equality; it limits our collective ability to tackle some of the most pressing and complicated issues facing our world today.

“We hope this project, and the activities within it, will make a bold step towards a more inclusive culture in these regional sectors, a more diverse pool of talent and creative minds, and, ultimately, better science and engineering that will benefit us all.”

Engineering and Physical Sciences at Durham Durham University ranks in the World Top 50 for Earth Sciences, and in the World Top 100 for Chemistry and Physics. Across the broad subject area of Natural Science, Durham is ranked 59th in the world.

(All rankings from the QS World University Subject Rankings 2018)

News for Durham University Staff & Students

MAIDEN CASTLE

Investing in a state-of-the-art sports facility Work has begun on a major new sports and wellbeing facility at the Maiden Castle site. £31 million facility The £31 million project includes: • a new indoor cricket hall • a 12 court multi-use sports hall, suitable for international and national competitions • a martial arts dojo • a fitness suite; purpose-built recovery facilities; and • high performance weights rooms.

Once the new facility is completed, the existing sports centre will be dramatically refurbished – increasing the facilities available for fitness classes and building a specialist sports laboratory.

strongly believe that investing in sport is an investment in the quality of our future graduates who then go on to help change the world.”

development programmes, including the Durham County Institute of Sport – an initiative supporting around 100 of the County’s most promising young athletes.

The University has a strong roster of successful sporting alumni, including Andrew Strauss, Nasser Hussain, and Sophie Hosking.

Owen Adams continued: “We believe in the extraordinary power of sport and physical activity to bring together people of all backgrounds and abilities – whether they are students, staff, or members of the community.

The new site will leave the institution in an ever better position to host major sporting events and competitions. The construction work will build upon that carried out last year and which led to a new rubber crumb sports pitch, upgraded hockey pitches, and improved car parking facilities.

Benefits to the community The existing centre is already popular with local residents and sports groups – hosting 15 community clubs and engaging more than 2,000 local residents each week.

The University runs a number of junior sports

“Our existing Maiden Castle centre is already very popular with local residents and all of the new facilities will be accessible to the local community on a daily basis. We think this development can be transformative for sport in the city and the surrounding area.”

The commitment to build a large-scale and integrated sports park at Maiden Castle is embedded in the University’s Strategy 2017-2027 and is part of the ‘Estates Masterplan’ programme for developing the Durham estate over the long-term.

The improvement works include the construction of a fitness and wellbeing trail from the local Racecourse to the Maiden Castle site.

The new facility is expected to be ready in August 2019, at which point the existing Maiden Castle building will be refurbished and ready for use again in winter 2019.

One of the UK’s top sporting universities Durham is one of the UK’s top sporting universities. Over three quarters of our students participate in some form of sport – making it one of the most active Higher Education institutions in the country.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Colleges and Student Experience), Owen Adams, said: “Sport can build character and shape personal growth. We

Sep | Oct 2018

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IAS

Change at the Institute of Advanced Study The Institute of Advanced Study (IAS) brings together leading researchers from around the world to work with our scholars on meaningful, interdisciplinary projects. Through it, our University can create and conduct ambitious research, strengthen connections between academics, and build our global reach and reputation.

Since its establishment in 2006, the institute’s yearly programme of work centred on a single theme, such as ‘light’ or ‘evidence’. Twelve years later, and we’re changing the way we do things at IAS, to focus on our strengths in supporting interdisciplinary research, starting now.

A new way of doing things Each year from 2018/19 the institute will support four bold integrative projects addressing major research questions. The shift will mean a more ‘bottom-up’ approach: instead of an overarching theme, our colleagues can now pitch their ideas to the IAS and actively shape what we do and how.

The institute will announce a ‘call’ for future projects each autumn. The ideal project should be interdisciplinary, innovative, and challenging – with clear short and long term objectives. Successful applicants will be supported significantly – receiving funding for both the project itself as well as for the year before it commences, and also one-to-one support from an IAS Director. Up to five fellows can be nominated to collaborate on the project here at Durham.

Interested? Staff wishing to discuss any aspect of the IAS’s new framework can either contact or pop into Cosin’s Hall to discuss over coffee.

The year ahead: projects and fellowships This year’s activities will focus on the following four research projects: • An Abolitionist Industrial Complex: patterns of anti-trafficking / antislavery policy and practice in the 21st century. Principal Investigators (PIs): Dr Siobhán McGrath (Geography) and Dr Alison Jobe (Sociology).

• Masculinities in Martial Sports: East, West and Global South. PIs: Professor Kay Schiller (History) and Dr Lynda Boothroyd (Psychology).

• Who are “We the People”? Community beyond the state. PIs: Dr Amy Russell (Classics and Ancient History).

• Dynamic Interactions at Cell Membrane Interfaces. PI: Dr Kislon Voïtchovsky (Physics).

Further details of these projects and those planned for 2019-20, can be found here www.durham.ac.uk/ias/201819projects and www.durham.ac.uk/ias/1920projects

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Get involved We encourage all colleagues to consider participating in these projects by attending associated events and contributing to discussions. IASsponsored projects are often still in development and so benefit from a diversity of intellectual input, the involvement of new participants, and the emergence of fresh ideas.

And finally…

The IAS will continue to proactively identify areas and opportunities for collaborative projects. We are working with Research & Innovation Services to explore research subjects and to develop our networks.

This autumn, colleagues from all faculties will gather to discuss how shifts towards ‘meta-research’ and the need to investigate research practices and processes themselves might affect our work here at Durham. If you would be keen to attend please contact eleanor.glenton@durham.ac.uk.

News for Durham University Staff & Students

GREENSPACE

Travel on Arriva Bus Services for £1 per day and changes to the inter-campus bus service With effect from 30 September 2018, the Arriva unlimited £1 day ticket bus travel zone will be expanded to include the full Arriva Durham District Zone for all staff and students, using their valid campus ID card. In addition, there will no longer be an intercampus bus service and therefore result in no free travel on any Arriva bus service. Tickets can be purchased directly from the driver using either cash or a contactless card payment.

The new arrangement allows for unlimited travel for £1 per day on any Arriva bus service within the zone incorporating the Coxhoe and Brandon ‘corridors’, Bishop Auckland, Sedgefield and other destinations - increasing greatly the area in which staff and students can travel at reduced rates. Students can also continue to enjoy discounted travel to Newcastle City Centre, and at £1 per day, this option will be cheaper than the cost of undertaking similar distances by private or other forms of public transport.

Full details available at www.durham.ac.uk/greenspace/travel/ public/bus/arrivadayticket

Environment Schedule The Environment Schedule for the academic year 2018/19 is designed to address a wide range of environmental issues in order to support environmental sustainability at Durham University.

These include annual awareness raising weeks for waste, water and energy, as well as a promotion for National Walking month, Earth Hour and World Environment Day and the University’s Environment Week. A copy of the schedule can now be found at www.durham.ac.uk/greenspace

Reducing Single-Sourced use of Paper Cups Durham University ‘Keep Cups’

Ring-Fenced Carbon Budget A ring-fenced £100k budget is available each year to help realise additional carbon savings in Departments and Colleges. Examples of funded projects for 2017/18 included replacement of inefficient fridges and freezers, old rotary vane vacuum pumps, old hand driers along with the introduction of waterless air condensers, to replace existing water condensers which massively reduce water wastage.

Additionally, the Ring-Fenced Carbon Budget was used to buy a replacement ICC-datastore (www.icc.durham.ac.uk) for the Institute of Computational Cosmology. The ICC uses the local COSMA supercomputer facility, whose purpose is to support theory research in astrophysics, cosmology, nuclear and particle physics, to model the universe and in the process generates large amount of data. This data remains valuable for researchers at the ICC and elsewhere for many years after its creation.

Visit www.durham.ac.uk/greenspace/cmp/projects for details about the carbon budget and projects.

MEDIUM £6 LARGE £7

FREE HOT DRINK WITH EVERY KEEPCUP PURCHASE

Did you know… if you purchase a Durham University reusable ‘keep cup’, the more sustainable way to enjoy your hot drink, you will get a free hot drink? And if you take your own mug to any Yum outlet you will get 20p off the price of a hot drink?

It takes 20 plastic cups and lids to make one 'keep cup'? So why not help to reduce plastic waste and purchase a 'keep cup' today. Since the introduction of this new initiative in October 2017, over 2,450 keep cups and over 24,990 discounted drinks were sold at the end of July 2018, proving this initiative is being well received by all.

Every small step leads to big change Sep | Oct 2018

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Major funding boost for University Strategy The University has successfully secured £225 million of borrowing through a private placement, it has been announced.

The funds will be used to support the delivery of our University Strategy, 2017-2027, specifically for estate developments and IT infrastructure.

They will be provided by one UK and five North American institutional investors.

The transaction was the University’s first capital markets issue and was heavily over-subscribed.

Professor Stuart Corbridge, Vice-Chancellor, said: “I warmly welcome the confidence in Durham University that investors have shown.

“The University is performing extremely well and will now further enhance its position as the number one UK university combining excellence in research, education and the wider student experience.

“The private placement will also help the University perform even better for Durham City and North East England.”

A private placement is a sale of promissory notes directly to a private investor.

Lloyds Bank and Santander UK acted as joint Placement Agents for the transaction.

Stephen Valvona, from Lloyds, said the transaction “reflects the strong interest and confidence from institutional investors” in the University, while Tony Fordham, from Santander, said there was “broad-based support for the Durham University credit story and its strategic plans going forward”.

Of the £225 million, Pension Insurance Corporation (PIC) has invested £145 million. The funding is very long-dated, with £70 million maturing in 2058 and £75 million maturing in 2067.

Elizabeth Cain, from PIC, said the long-term maturity “reflects the strength of the University, a high-quality institution with an outstanding reputation, as well as the long-term nature of our business”.

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Keep up to date with the delivery of the University Strategy at www.durham.ac.uk/strategy2027 Read about our estate developments projects at www.durham.ac.uk/estates-developments Find more information (staff and students only) on the private placement online at www.durham.ac.uk/strategy2027/local/ information/enablingstrategies News for Durham University Staff & Students

QUEEN'S CAMPUS

The moves represent a significant milestone towards the successful delivery of the University Strategy 2017-2027.

QUEEN’S CAMPUS TRANSITION

- COMPLETION OF DEPARTMENT AND COLLEGE MOVES After months of hard work and planning by colleagues across the University, the Queen’s Campus transition programme is nearing completion.

John Snow and Stephenson colleges, Primary Education, Applied Psychology, the ParentInfant Sleep Lab and Durham University Business School’s Accounting and Finance Programmes have all relocated over the summer. The Wolfson Research Institute will remain at Queen’s Campus for the 2018/19 academic year until appropriate space becomes available.

The moves represent a significant milestone towards the successful delivery of the University Strategy 2017-2027. The relocation programme will enable the University to

Sep/Oct 2018

increase student numbers and allow targeted departments and schools to reach the size needed to develop world-class education and research.

Everyone involved in the transition programme has shown great professionalism and dedication in helping to make the moves happen, making the programme the success it has been.

For more information about the Queen’s Campus transition project please visit: www.durham.ac.uk/queens-changes

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DCAD

Delivering ‘Education by Design’ The newly-formed Durham Centre for Academic Development (DCAD) has been established to deliver sector-leading programmes in learning and teaching, and enhance the educational provision available for both our students and staff.

To celebrate the launch, the DCAD team was invited to attend the official opening event which took place within the construction site of the Teaching and Learning Centre on Wednesday 1 August.

Professor Alan Houston, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education), said: “DCAD is a significant step for us, and will provide an important focus for developing learning and teaching skills, which are integral to all degree programmes.

DCAD will sit within the new Teaching and Learning Centre when it opens in October 2019. The new building will house state-of-theart facilities including an Education Laboratory which will serve as an experimentation space for teaching and learning practices.

“Everyone has different challenges, whether they are studying for an undergraduate degree, or trying to reach the top echelons of academia.

DCAD will provide a central point to address those challenges, and to support students and staff in reaching their full potential.

DCAD brings together the English Language Centre, the Foundation Centre, the Learning Technologies Team, the Academic Skills coordinator and part of the Centre for Academic, Researcher and Organisation Development.

“We are confident that in bringing together a number of our highly-skilled colleagues within one unit, DCAD will become far more than the sum of its parts; through skill-sharing, investment in learning technologies and through the drive to experiment and innovate.

This is what we mean by ‘Education by Design’.”

Creating a united centre under DCAD will further stream-line our approach to life-long learning, from pre-sessional students through to professorship.

For further information about DCAD and what it can offer you, please visit the new website: www.durham.ac.uk/dcad 16

Professor Nicola Whitton has recently been appointed as the Director of the Durham Centre for Academic Development. When starting her role in October, she will also join the School of Education as a Professor in Education, where she will be part of the teaching stream.

Nicola will come to Durham from Manchester Metropolitan University where she held the position of Professor of Professional Learning at the Education and Social Research Institute. Her research focuses on play in adulthood, in particular games and learning in the context of Higher Education, and the potential of play in teaching, research, and academic practice. She is chair of the Association for Learning Technology Special Interest Group on Playful Learning, and co-chair of the Playful Learning conference.

Professor Nicola Whitton said: “I am passionate about enhancing and rethinking learning in the context of higher education. To work at Durham – a University which aspires to be a world leader in teaching and learning practice, and with an ambitious strategy to achieve this – is an incredibly exciting opportunity for me.”

Professor Alan Houston, said: “Nicola will bring the perfect mix of experience, enthusiasm and creativity to the University. Her research interests are at the forefront of pedagogical developments, and perfectly complement the ethos of DCAD. We cannot wait to see where DCAD can go with Nicola at its helm.”

News for Durham University Staff & Students

Event Durham

EVENT DURHAM

Keen to host a conference?

Every year we host conferences attended by delegates from all over the world.

Event Durham offers a complete conference and event management service – removing the administrative burden from the organisers, allowing them to concentrate on the academic programme. Planning an event? We can manage the whole administrative project on your behalf or you can choose to work with us simply on specific aspects.

Our Event Management team has a strong track record of facilitating successful conferences – for a variety of departments – such as: • Our Uncommon Ground: Modern Languages and Cultures for the 21st Century – hosted by our School of Modern Languages and Cultures, 2018.

• Theories and Histories: Jewish Studies across Disciplines, The British Association for Jewish Studies Annual Conference 2018 – hosted by our Anthropology Department.

• Are AGN Special? The environmental dependence and global impact of AGN activity – hosted by our Department of Physics.

If you’d like to find out more about hosting a conference with Event Durham, please email conferenceadministration.service @durham.ac.uk or telephone 0191 334 2883 and speak to Daryl or Judith.

Event Durham, Durham University

Catering

Catering Team serves up a sizzling summer BBQ The University Catering Team picked a perfect weekend to host a staff recognition BBQ event at St Cuthbert’s College in July. More than 150 team members took part in a variety of fun team games whilst basking in the scorching summer temperatures. The team’s top chefs then showcased their talents by preparing a delicious feast including pulled pork, chargrilled halloumi and a healthy range of fresh salads. The event was a great success and raised money for the Tuberous Sclerosis Association.

Retail Our students benefit from being members for life of one of our sixteen residential Colleges, each of which offers a diverse and supportive community in which they can thrive and develop both personally and academically. The wealth of opportunities here at Durham – through our renowned drama, music, leadership, sport and volunteering programmes – ensure that our students enjoy an unrivalled student experience. With winter on the way, why not show the world you’re part of the Durham community? Visit https:// shop.dur.ac.uk for a wide range of University merchandise and memorabilia, including hoodies, jumpers, t-shirts, and more.

Follow us on social media for news and offers.

Durham University Retail Office

@DurhamUniRetail

durham_uni_merchandise

Sep | Oct 2018

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COMMUNITY FUND

HELPING LOCAL CHARITIES Thirteen good causes will be supported in the first year of a supported giving scheme, it has been announced.

The Durham University Community Fund (DUCF) was launched last October to provide grants to charities and non-profit organisations that University staff and students already support, including through volunteering.

In the first year of the project, donations from staff, either made through payroll giving or raised through fundraising events, will be matched by the University up to a maximum of £10,000.

Each cause will receive an equal share of the Fund total for 2018, which will be announced in October.

The causes that will benefit in the first year of the Fund, as decided by a vote of University staff, will be: Children and Young People category: 234 (City of Durham Squadron) Air Training Corps, Carers Trust Tyne and Wear, Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity.

Animal Welfare: Ark on the Edge, Newcastle Cat and Dog Shelter, Stray Aid. Health and Ageing: Bloodwise, Northumbria Blood Bikes, The Loop.

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Social: Durham Foodbank, A Way Out Charity, Single Homeless: Action Initiative Durham (SHAID), Veterans at Ease.

Professor Stuart Corbridge, the Vice-Chancellor, said: “We are very pleased to be match-funding staff donations up to £10,000 in the first year of the Fund.

“The causes that will benefit in the first year of the Fund have been chosen following a staff vote, and I congratulate all of them on being supported in this way.”

Kevin Howe, Chief Executive Officer of SHAID, said: “It’s great to hear that the University has recognised and voted for SHAID under the social banner of the Community Fund.”

Kelly Smith, Durham Foodbank Manager, said: “This means a lot to us. We are a charity reliant on the financial support we receive, so this is very gratefully received.”

For more information on how you can get involved, please visit www.durham.ac.uk/communityfund News for Durham University Staff & Students

COMMUNITY RELATIONS

A UNIVERSITY ROOTED IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES – COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT ROUND UP As a University, we do lots of great work to support our local communities. You can keep up to date with all the latest community news at www.durham.ac.uk/community where you can also sign up to receive our monthly Community Newsletter. Here's a selection of stories from recent weeks.

Local artists find a home at Durham University The University will support two local artists by welcoming them to work from The Assembly Rooms Theatre.

Residency programmes are operated from The Assembly Rooms Theatre, in Durham City, so that artists and writers have a base from which to develop their work and skills. Currently, there are two theatre companies in residence: Durham Student Theatre and Elysium Theatre Company.

From September, the programme was extended to writer Victoria Gimby and theatre company Grim Up North Productions.

As The Assembly Rooms is currently undergoing a £2.4m refurbishment, the residency will begin with the University offering its two new partners marketing and box office support.

They will then work from the theatre once it reopens in summer 2019.

Ustinov College celebrates first year at Sheraton Park

600 children enjoy sixth annual Team Durham summer camps

Ustinov College is celebrating one year since it moved to a new home at Sheraton Park.

Over 600 young people aged four to 18 have enjoyed holiday camps run by Team Durham.

It was September 2017 when Ustinov, the University’s postgraduate College, relocated from the Howlands site to Sheraton Park, in Neville’s Cross, Durham City.

Young participants on the Team Durham Summer Holiday Camps 2018 have been able to choose between mini- and multi-sports camps, sportspecific programmes, adventure camps, dance and performing arts, and Learn to Row and Performance Sculling courses.

Since then, strong links and good relations have been developed with the local community at Sheraton Park. The College has welcomed local families for events including a Halloween party, a Christmas party and an Easter egg hunt. A community painting day saw staff, students and local residents work together on works of art which are now on display in the Ustinov café. The café is open to the public and regularly hosts a local knitting group, amongst other groups.

Sep | Oct 2018

The sports offered during the camps, which were held at Maiden Castle Sports Centre, have included favourites such as tennis, netball and cricket, and more niche pursuits such as fencing and archery.

The adventure camps, for children aged 11 to 14, included climbing, trampolining, surfing, canoeing, raft building, taekwondo and more.

Details of the next holiday camps, during the October half-term break, will be announced shortly.

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HR AND OD NEWS

ACADEMIC RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN 2018/2019 The annual Academic Recruitment Campaign, now entering its third year, is underway for 2018/19. Our objectives remain to ensure the best possible international hires come to Durham, while taking steps to overcome under-representation in the University.

Each year the campaign has gone from strength to strength and in this round we will be hiring up to 121 new colleagues across all of our faculties. The first posts went out to advert in August and will continue to be placed in the coming months.

Feedback was sought throughout the previous campaigns and we have made some incremental improvements. This year, rather than one launch date and prescribed recruitment windows, we are being directed by departments as to how best they think their timeline will work, often taking learnings from previous rounds and how best candidates have engaged through the process.

Departments have drafted their own adverts and we are increasing our advertising outlets (to sit alongside the proactive search activity for each hire). As well as THES, the Chronicle for Higher Education and jobs.ac.uk, we are also placing adverts in Higher Ed Jobs in the US (including EDI targeted activity) and on Vercida (an EDI focused website). In addition, we are assisting many departments in placing adverts in discipline

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focused media. We continue to place and track activity across social media and we are making increased use of LinkedIn on a trial basis.

Departments will be provided with data to analyse candidate traffic. We welcome all further feedback/suggestions about where best to get the message out to potential candidates.

The processes and paperwork have also been streamlined, with less sign offs and more user friendly provision of application documents (including papers to read), in collaboration with a new external partner to support the application process.

We have updated the supporting microsite and new recruitment videos will shortly go live (for which we are hugely grateful to the colleagues who gave up their time to be filmed). Finally, we have added information to assist the partners of our new colleagues with any local job searches and we are actively looking at additional support outlets. Please do have a look and make suggestions of any additional content www.durham.ac.uk/jobs/recruitment

News for Durham University Staff & Students

Meet the Officers

DURHAM SU

Meg Haskins

David Evans

George Walker

Saul Cahill

Charlie Walker

Welfare and Liberation

Postgraduate Academic

President

UG Academic Officer

Opportunities Officer

I’m a yellow loving, sunflower and postcard fan from Yorkshire who enjoys a chat over a pot of tea. This year my priorities will be focusing on student safety, student housing and student support across Durham.

I’m a PhD Mathematics student, keen cyclist and whisky sampler. I want to make positive changes for postgraduates who teach in the University, the provision of office/study space and the best practice by academic supervisors and others.

I studied politics, I originate from Yorkshire and I like to chat over a pint, when I’m not listening to live music. I’m interested in strengthening our ties with the local community, improving financial support for Durham students and student workers.

I’m Saul, a recovering PPE student from just down the road in Washington.

My role basically covers anything to do with your studies. Whether that’s the curriculum, the space, or your relationship with the people that teach you, I’m here to represent you and your concerns.

I’m a gin-drinking lad from Leicestershire. I believe every student should be able to afford and access the outstanding student experience Durham offers. I want to work with the SU to lead the way in supporting students using their talents to make an impact in the local community.

Got more questions for Meg? Email her on su.welflib@durham.ac.uk

Got a question for David? Email him on su.pgacademic@durham.ac.uk

DURHAM SU HAS REBRANDED! This last year Durham Students’ Union embarked on a project to create an ambitious four year plan that is student focused, student facing, and engaging. The new strategy marks a shift in focus and seeks to clarify our organisation’s identity within Durham University’s unique collegiate environment.

Got a question for George? Email him on su.president@durham.ac.uk

Got a question for Saul? Email him on su.ugacademic@durham.ac.uk

The Union’s fundamental aim is to ensure every student has the power and opportunity to transform their time at Durham. We worked with 'everything different' to find out what was most important to our members.Our new identity has developed from an awareness campaign involving focus groups, surveys, and students’ choice on the final design.

George Walker, 2018/19 Durham SU President, said: “The rebrand is very important as it allows us to clearly communicate to students our values as a Union and our plans to help them get the most out of their time in Durham.

“Our brand is how we act, how we sound, how we look and ultimately how we live our principles – we champion students, we’re proud of Durham and we make the future better.

“We’re a students’ rights organisation – our members are vital to the way we run and what

Sep | Oct 2018

Got a question for Charlie? Email him on su.opportunities@durham.ac.uk

we do. We know how important it is to listen to our members and really understand how we can work and communicate with them on their terms. Both the new brand and strategy come after a concerted period of listening, and I really feel they reflect what we heard and learned. I hope that the launch of the new branding and strategy will set us on a path to collaborating with students more on the things that matter to them over the course of the next academic year. I would invite all Durham students to explore our newly revamped website and take a look at the work we’ve been doing.

“I’d also like to say a big thank you to all of the students who helped in the development of the original concepts for the brand and for the over 1000 students who voted on which of the final three design concepts to proceed with. We’re really confident you made a good choice, and chose a brand that will lead us towards a positive future.”

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CIS NEWS

3

THE

BIG

NETWORK HOSTING

STORAGE

CIS is embarking on a UEC-backed programme of investment in IT infrastructure. The Big 3 will build on the foundations delivered by the New World Programme, introducing network, hosting and storage technologies that are more responsive to future requirements.

NETWORK The roll-out of a new, more resilient network began as part of the New World Programme, which concluded in 2017. The Big 3 will see the completion of civils work to install modern fibre optic cabling in some of the most complex geographic locations in Durham City Centre, as well as ‘cutting over’ the whole University’s user base and services to the new network.

This ongoing investment in the University’s IT network will minimise disruption to education and research by removing single points of failure and replacing equipment that is close to its recommended lifespan. We’ll gain significant efficiencies and an improvement in service by running one faster, more resilient network, rather than maintaining two networks, old and new, side by side.

STORAGE The Big 3 will provide a tiered storage solution for applications, teaching, professional support services and research. The University will appoint a partner to provide state-of-the-art storage technologies and users will be presented with a range of cost appropriate options based on the type of data they need to store and how long they need to keep it for.

The University’s requirements for storage far outweigh the amount we currently have available, and our current storage offering cannot offer the required expansion. Not only will we provide additional storage, we will follow best practice by providing tiered options rather than always providing the highest level of storage even when it’s not required. These options can be considered as part of research bid designs and will meet the basic provision that research councils expect without needing to be costed into grant applications.

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HOSTING

We’ll also implement industry best practice to deliver a stable, effective hosting platform, supporting the University’s applications within our private cloud environment.

On completion we will have a simpler environment to manage with a team appropriately resourced and skilled to effectively manage it.

End of life equipment will be decommissioned and the risk to services significantly reduced.

The Big 3 will run from summer 2018 – autumn 2020. While we introduce these improvements and transition to the new environment we will work closely with stakeholders across the University to let you know about periods of disruption to the services you use at the moment.

We will also regularly update our webpages at www.durham.ac.uk/cis/big3 so do take a look.

News for Durham University Staff & Students

What’s your favourite film?

Pride.

Any nicknames?

None that people use to my face.

What’s the worst job you’ve ever done?

I once worked the VIP at Glastonbury and it was full of unpleasant, annoying people. And the drinks were bloody expensive.

NAME: Gareth Hughes JOB TITLE: Chief Executive DEPARTMENT: Durham Students’ Union

Tell me a secret: I’m pathetically scared of snails.

Where will you be going for your next holiday?

Aberystwyth.

What skill or talent would you most like to acquire?

I’d love to speak Danish.

On a scale of 1-10, how much do you care what other people think of you?

About a 3, given an average day.

What’s your greatest vice?

Biscuits.

What’s your favourite place in the world?

Copenhagen.

What luxury item would you take to a desert island?

Potatoes, and the means to cook them in all of their wonderful ways.

What’s your greatest indulgence?

I buy unnecessarily posh tonic water for gin.

Give me a picture of your ideal day?

Very strong black coffee in bed with the cat and a walk down to the beach with my partner (we live in Whitley Bay), fish and chips and sitting around reading, then some form of comedian with a few beers.

Pass the buck: who would you like to see interviewed next? Professor Graham Towl, Psychology.

What achievement are you most proud of?

I ran my first 5k last year, and really need to get around to managing a 10k.

Have you got any pets?

A cat called Liz What are you reading at the moment?

‘The seven deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle’.

Absolutely as weird as it sounds.

Which historical figure would you most like to be?

Robin Cook.

What was the first record you bought?

Road Rage by Catatonia What did you want to be when you were a child?

A librarian.

What was your best subject?

Spanish.

Sep | Oct 2018

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what’s on at the University

september

/durhamuniversity

@Durham_Uni

DurhamUniversity

DurhamUniversity

HAUNTING HALLOWEEN VENUE: Botanic Garden DATE: Wednesday 24 October

ASK AN ARCHAEOLOGIST VENUE: Palace Green Library DATE: Saturday 29 September & Saturday 6 October TIME: 1pm - 3pm Visitors to the ‘Bodies of Evidence’ exhibition will be able to have their questions answered by one of our fantastic undergraduate or postgraduate students. They will be on hand to answer all things archaeological.

october

TIME: 1pm - 3pm Visit the Botanic Garden this half-term for the ever-popular spooky mask making session and make a mask from the craft materials provided and by collecting items from the Garden.

november CELEBRATE DIWALI VENUE: Oriental Museum DATE: Friday 9 November

DURHAM BOOK FESTIVAL 2018 VENUE: Venues across Durham DATE: Friday 5 October - Sunday 14 October The annual literary event will feature a huge range of inspiring talks, readings and performances from some of the most talented contemporary writers, artists and thinkers.

Durham University is once again proud to sponsor the Festival Laureateship. This year’s Laureate, Jacob Polley, is regarded as one of the leading talents of the new generation of British poets.

CELEBRATE SCIENCE 2018 VENUE: Celebrate Science Marquee, Palace Green DATE: Tuesday 23 October - Thursday 25 October TIME: 10am - 4pm The FREE, family-friendly science festival returns this October half-term.

Now in its ninth year, Celebrate Science will once again bring science to life, with amazing activities and exciting experiments showing younger children how science shapes their world.

TIME: 6pm - 8pm Celebrate the much loved Hindu festival of Diwali, Festival of Lights at the Oriental Museum with this special late night opening.

Visitors can enjoy a spectacular shadow puppet show, traditional puja prayers to the goddess Lakshmi, food tasting, games, dancing and much more.

The Museum will be decorated in spectacular style with diyas, flowers and lanterns made by the community, and the first 100 children will receive a free flower garland. Charges apply.

REMEMBRANCE DAY SERVICE VENUE: Durham Cathedral DATE: Sunday 11 November TIME: 10.15am - 12pm University staff are invited to attend the Remembrance Service which is held annually in Durham Cathedral to remember those killed in both world wars and later conflicts.

This year commemorates the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

For more information on University events go to www.durham.ac.uk/whatson