Partnerships with USA and Canada
Durham University has strong ties with North America. We have a long and exciting history of collaboration with the University of Notre Dame (since 2012) where we signed a first MoU between the institutions in 2014. In 2023, we signed a monumental MoU with the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of American History, a collaboration designed to co-create world-leading research, exchange, and training opportunities for students and academic and professional staff. Within the Matariki Network of Universities (MNU), we work closely with Queen’s University in Canada.
Our academics collaborate in world-leading research with their North American colleagues. Projects range from cyber security with Dartmouth College, to galaxy and black hole studies with the Universities of Waterloo & Queen's and a collections-based research exchange programme with the Huntington Library in California. The past 5 years sees our top co-publishing partners in the US to be CIT and Harvard and in Canada Toronto and UBC, mostly focused in the area of Physical Sciences.
The US-born journalist and author, Bill Bryson, served as Durham University's 11th Chancellor, and formal head of the University, from April 2005 to 31st December 2011.
Durham University’s 13th and current Chancellor, Dr. Fiona Hill, was born in County Durham and has her own ties to North America. She is an acclaimed foreign affairs specialist, author, and former presidential advisor to three US Presidents.
Explore a snapshot of our collaborative work with our partners in North America
We have established a presence in key world cities, to enhance engagement with our growing alumni including in North America and unlock the opportunities for new innovative collaborative programmes.
We welcome several hundred North American students annually. US Scholarships opportunities such as Marshall & Fulbright have brought high quality students & distinguished scholars to Durham to experience British academia and culture. We support internships in Canada funded through the Mitacs scheme.
Devoting the first year of my postgraduate studies to research among cosmology's brightest minds at Durham is a true luxury. The Fulbright scholarship has enabled me to work on a project that will make an immediate contribution to one of the world's largest dark energy experiments.
We have a long-standing partnership with the US-UK Fulbright Commission and support a number of collaborative initiatives, including co-funding one Scholar Award and one PGT Student Award each academic year.
We are Britain's top Team Sport University (ranked Number 1 in the UK by BUCS). We're pleased to offer scholarships for exceptional sportsmen and women. International students are all eligible for a sport scholarship at Durham and US candidates can also access Federal Aid from the US loans system.
I chose Durham University because I knew I would get world-recognized education and top-tier level of play (BUCS and NVL) while on Team Durham. This once in a lifetime international experience will separate me from my peers back in the US.
We have collaborated with a wide range of prestigious institutions across the region and we are always interested in new partnerships opportunities in North America. Our Canadian & USA partnerships, programmes & projects strongly align with our strategic plans.