Collingwood Future

Collingwood Future is Collingwood College’s flagship initiative preparing students to lead in an age of artificial intelligence and rapid technological change. Launching in October 2026, it brings together leading voices from across Durham University, industry, government and public policy to equip students with the skills, insight and leadership needed to shape the future of the economy, public life and society.

Artificial intelligence and emerging technologies are reshaping economies, the law, public services and global power. Collingwood Future positions Durham at the forefront of preparing the next generation to lead in this transformation.

Based within Collingwood College, this initiaitve connects students directly with the ideas, people and institutions driving future technological change. Bringing together interdisciplinary expertise from across the University alongside leaders from government, industry and the creative economy, it offers a distinctive platform for understanding — and shaping — the future of innovation and leadership.

Collingwood Future is explicitly aligned with the UK’s ambition to be a global leader in safe, responsible AI and high-growth innovation. It will contribute to strengthening the national skills pipeline by equipping students with the knowledge, adaptability and leadership required for an AI-enabled economy, while fostering the critical capacity to guide technological change in the public interest.

At its core is a simple aim: ensuring students are not passive observers of disruption, but active participants in shaping economic growth, public policy and societal outcomes. The initiative will host a major annual lecture alongside a high-profile events series in a new Programme on AI, Ethics and Leadership.

Alongside this, Collingwood Future will develop visiting fellowships, practitioner engagement and professional development opportunities with plans for future short courses, annual conference and an international summer school. These will create direct pathways between students and leaders across sectors, supporting careers at the forefront of innovation and public life.

Directed by the Principal, Professor Thom Brooks, Collingwood Future reflects Collingwood College’s commitment to advancing national priorities in growth, skills and innovation while equipping our students to lead with confidence in a rapidly changing world.