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Thought Leadership

Bigger animals don’t always have the biggest brains relative to body size – new research

Scientists have long believed that big animals will tend to have big brains, but a new study involving Professor Robert Barton, from our Department of Anthropology, has found that may not be the case.
Three brains at different angles

Corruption hurts businesses but digital tools offer the hope of fighting it, say manufacturers in Ghana and Nigeria

Professor Joseph Amankwah-Amoah, from Durham University's Business School, has co-authored a study looking at how corruption can impact businesses in Nigeria and Ghana. Here his team explain what the study found and how those results can help influence policymakers.
A laptop screen and a mobile phone

Euro 2024: women need safer fan spaces at big football tournaments to stamp out hostility and abuse

With Euro 2024 in full-flow, Professor Stacey Pope, from our Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, looks at what more can be done to help women feel more safe when attending major football tournaments.
A female football fan wearing England face paint in front of an England flag

Euro 2024: whoever wins the football, the Turkish kebab takes the fast-food crown

A new poll has revealed that kebabs have been voted the favourite food of football supporters attending Euro 2024, but how have they become so popular in Germany? Professor Daniel Newman, from our School of Modern Languages and Cultures, has taken a look at the origin of kebabs.
Two kebabs rotating

Labour’s plan to tax private school fees has drawbacks – but it could be better for society

The Labour party has confirmed its intention to end this VAT exemption for private schools if elected to government. Professor Stephen Gorard, from our School of Education, has assessed the pros and cons of what this would mean for the British public if implemented.
Empty classroom desks and chairs in front of a notice board

Lib Dems are right to put arts education at the heart of their plans for culture

The Liberal Democrat political party has listed 'culture, media and sport' as a key priority in its manifesto ahead of the General Election. Professor Simon James, from our Department of English Studies, explores the significance of this in more detail.
Little boy drawing watermelon

Sierra Leone’s bushmeat markets pose serious health hazards – we studied two for six months to find solutions

Dr Jack Jenkins and Professor Hannah Brown from our Department of Anthropology look at solutions to the serious health hazards posed by Sierra Leone’s bushmeat markets, and how lessons learned can inform strategies for reducing zoonotic disease risks in similar settings around the world.
A bushmeat trader handles a pangolin in a market in Southern Province, Sierra Leone

Does the state of the UK economy inspire confidence? An expert crunches the numbers

With UK inflation figures recently released, Dr Michael Nower from Durham University Business School has taken a deeper look at what they mean for the current state of the economy.
Two hands holding fountain pens above a paper containing graphs with coins sitting on the table

Carlo Acutis: what the first ‘millennial saint’ says about the Catholic church’s future

With Pope Francis reportedly clearing the way for Carlo Acutis to become the Catholic church's first millennial saint, Dr Liam Temple from our Department of Theology and Religion looks at what the significance of bestowing such an honour will mean for the church's future.
A shrine dedicated to Carlo Acutis, a London-born, Italian-raised candidate for sainthood. Inside St Peter's, a Catholic church in Hove, England.

Infected blood scandal – what you need to know

The findings of the UK’s Infected Blood Inquiry have been reported. Over 3,000 people have died after receiving contaminated blood products in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Professor Emma Cave, of Durham Law School, and Professor Bobbie Farsides, of Brighton and Sussex Medical School, Co-Chairs of the Medical Ethics group for the Infected Blood Inquiry, set out the background to this scandal.
A clear blood bag with red blood in a clinical environment

From silent dialogues to vivid memories – here’s how the science of inner experience could transform gaming

Professor Charles Fernyhough from our Department of Psychology explains about his research on the inner experience and why he believes it has the power to transform the future of video games.
A man wearing a headset playing a video game

New faith schools in England could soon allocate all their places on religious grounds – here’s why that’s a bad idea

A proposed change to an admissions cap could see faith schools no longer having to offer 50% of their places to children from outside their religion. Professor Stephen Gorard, from our School of Education, explains why he believes such a move would be a bad decision.
A girl raises her hand next to a boy while learning in a classroom