Contents
Excellence in Research and Education
01 Foreword
Our five year university strategy 2005–10 has served us well. We are now building on this foundation, and Durham’s ranking by the 2010 Good University Guide as the third best broad subject university in the UK, with a strategy for the next decade and beyond.
03 Section One: Background 04 Shaped by the past 05 Creating the future 07 Section Two: Values 08 Core Values 11 Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020 12 A. Context and Ambitions 13 B. Summary 14 C. Aims and Objectives
The world is changing. There are now 138 universities in the UK and education and research are increasingly global. Our strategy recognises this, setting out the type of university we intend to be – defining the ‘Durham Difference’ – and building on what is uniquely special about Durham University. Our priorities are simple – the highest levels of excellence in education and research, learning from and exemplifying the best in the world in research-led education for the most able students with the greatest potential, taught and mentored by some of the world’s leading researchers at the forefront of their field. All institutions in the UK are expecting a rocky ride, given the state of public finances, but as I have said before, Durham outlasts not only governments but political parties. Our current strengths, and a focus on excellence in everything we do, will serve us in good stead in weathering the downturn and emerging a stronger university, recognised world-wide as a university ‘shaped by the past – creating the future’.
Professor Christopher Higgins, Vice-Chancellor 01
Contents
Excellence in Research and Education
01 Foreword
Our five year university strategy 2005–10 has served us well. We are now building on this foundation, and Durham’s ranking by the 2010 Good University Guide as the third best broad subject university in the UK, with a strategy for the next decade and beyond.
03 Section One: Background 04 Shaped by the past 05 Creating the future 07 Section Two: Values 08 Core Values 11 Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020 12 A. Context and Ambitions 13 B. Summary 14 C. Aims and Objectives
The world is changing. There are now 138 universities in the UK and education and research are increasingly global. Our strategy recognises this, setting out the type of university we intend to be – defining the ‘Durham Difference’ – and building on what is uniquely special about Durham University. Our priorities are simple – the highest levels of excellence in education and research, learning from and exemplifying the best in the world in research-led education for the most able students with the greatest potential, taught and mentored by some of the world’s leading researchers at the forefront of their field. All institutions in the UK are expecting a rocky ride, given the state of public finances, but as I have said before, Durham outlasts not only governments but political parties. Our current strengths, and a focus on excellence in everything we do, will serve us in good stead in weathering the downturn and emerging a stronger university, recognised world-wide as a university ‘shaped by the past – creating the future’.
Professor Christopher Higgins, Vice-Chancellor 01
Section One: Background Shaped by the past – creating the future
02
03
Section One: Background Shaped by the past – creating the future
02
03
Section One: Background Shaped by the past – creating the future
Our research and scholarship affects every continent. We are proud to be a community of international scholars and have staff and students who reflect the values and ambitions of many cultures around the world. We promote individual participation in a scholarly community, providing a rounded education in which students gain both the academic and the personal skills required to succeed in life.
04
Shaped by the past. Durham University’s traditions reflect centuries of learning and scholarship in the North East of England. Bede – poet, scientist, historian and generally the greatest European scholar of the 8th century – is buried in Durham. From the 12th century Durham was one of Europe’s leading centres of scholarship and both Henry VIII and Oliver Cromwell proposed the establishment of a ‘University for the North’ here. In 1832, Bishop van Mildert endowed Durham University with its Castle, medieval buildings, libraries and estates, creating England’s third university. Durham has long been an innovative university. In 1895, Durham was one of the first universities to admit women. We were the first English university to establish overseas campuses in Barbados, in 1875, and Sierra Leone, in 1876. Durham University was a pioneer in supporting regional economic needs, awarding the first Civil and Mining Engineering degrees and is now a core partner in the North East’s most successful science park, NetPark. In 1992, the University established a significant presence at our Queen’s Campus in the heart of Teesside which is now breaking disciplinary boundaries to enhance public health and social wellbeing.
Innovative research and breaking boundaries has permeated Durham University’s ethos from the start. Arthur Holmes made one of the greatest 20th century contributions to Geology, plate tectonics, and George Rochester made the greatest discovery in Physics ‘not to win a Nobel Prize’ (Kaons, the first example of strange particles). Gordon Manley, through the Durham series of temperature measurements in the 1930s, laid the foundations of modern meteorology and understanding of climate change. Our Chancellor in the 1950s, G.M. Trevelyan, was an eminent historian and pioneer on environmental issues. This tradition of innovation continues to the present day.
Creating the future. Across the University our researchers continue to extend the boundaries of knowledge. We aim to innovate and promote intellectual distinction and challenge traditional disciplinary boundaries. This ethos is exemplified by our Institute of Advanced Study which brings together leading scholars from around the world to think, discuss and write about big ideas which open up new possibilities for today and, more importantly, for tomorrow. What else makes Durham University distinctive? While our university originated in a small medieval city, its reach is now global. As the University has grown, our departments and colleges have remained on a human scale – at a size in which staff and students can work together and support each other. This offers our students and staff exceptional opportunities, both as individuals and as part of an interdisciplinary and multicultural community. Consequently, we are home to many of the most able students and staff from around the world.
Our 16 colleges enable students and staff from all disciplines to live, eat, study and relax together. They provide support and opportunities to excel and develop qualities such as leadership, open-mindedness, curiosity and social responsibility, preparing students to make a difference in whatever sphere of life they choose. Each college is distinctive, defined by its buildings, traditions and people. The oldest, University College, is based in the 11th century Durham Castle, while the modern masterpiece, St Aidan’s, was designed by Sir Basil Spence in 1966. St John’s is an independent Christian foundation but welcomes students of all faiths or none. But Durham is more than the sum of its parts. A combination of tradition and modernity, of people and community, and of social responsibility helps our graduates to make a difference in whatever they do and enables our research to make a contribution to people’s futures around the world.
‘‘
Durham, I have come to realise, has a capacity to astound out of all proportion to its size. I don’t know any place that manages to be more intimate and infinite at once.
‘‘
Durham University is distinctive – a collegiate university with long traditions and modern values. We seek the highest distinction in research and scholarship and are committed to excellence in all aspects of education and transmission of knowledge.
Bill Bryson, World-renowned author and Chancellor of Durham University
We are not a traditional campus university, but have evolved over time with our departments and colleges embedded within our local communities in Durham and Stockton-on-Tees. At the heart of our University is the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site which we share with Durham Cathedral, complemented by scholarly collections and outstanding buildings from every century from the 11th to the 21st, brought to life by the staff and students who live and work in them.
05
Section One: Background Shaped by the past – creating the future
Our research and scholarship affects every continent. We are proud to be a community of international scholars and have staff and students who reflect the values and ambitions of many cultures around the world. We promote individual participation in a scholarly community, providing a rounded education in which students gain both the academic and the personal skills required to succeed in life.
04
Shaped by the past. Durham University’s traditions reflect centuries of learning and scholarship in the North East of England. Bede – poet, scientist, historian and generally the greatest European scholar of the 8th century – is buried in Durham. From the 12th century Durham was one of Europe’s leading centres of scholarship and both Henry VIII and Oliver Cromwell proposed the establishment of a ‘University for the North’ here. In 1832, Bishop van Mildert endowed Durham University with its Castle, medieval buildings, libraries and estates, creating England’s third university. Durham has long been an innovative university. In 1895, Durham was one of the first universities to admit women. We were the first English university to establish overseas campuses in Barbados, in 1875, and Sierra Leone, in 1876. Durham University was a pioneer in supporting regional economic needs, awarding the first Civil and Mining Engineering degrees and is now a core partner in the North East’s most successful science park, NetPark. In 1992, the University established a significant presence at our Queen’s Campus in the heart of Teesside which is now breaking disciplinary boundaries to enhance public health and social wellbeing.
Innovative research and breaking boundaries has permeated Durham University’s ethos from the start. Arthur Holmes made one of the greatest 20th century contributions to Geology, plate tectonics, and George Rochester made the greatest discovery in Physics ‘not to win a Nobel Prize’ (Kaons, the first example of strange particles). Gordon Manley, through the Durham series of temperature measurements in the 1930s, laid the foundations of modern meteorology and understanding of climate change. Our Chancellor in the 1950s, G.M. Trevelyan, was an eminent historian and pioneer on environmental issues. This tradition of innovation continues to the present day.
Creating the future. Across the University our researchers continue to extend the boundaries of knowledge. We aim to innovate and promote intellectual distinction and challenge traditional disciplinary boundaries. This ethos is exemplified by our Institute of Advanced Study which brings together leading scholars from around the world to think, discuss and write about big ideas which open up new possibilities for today and, more importantly, for tomorrow. What else makes Durham University distinctive? While our university originated in a small medieval city, its reach is now global. As the University has grown, our departments and colleges have remained on a human scale – at a size in which staff and students can work together and support each other. This offers our students and staff exceptional opportunities, both as individuals and as part of an interdisciplinary and multicultural community. Consequently, we are home to many of the most able students and staff from around the world.
Our 16 colleges enable students and staff from all disciplines to live, eat, study and relax together. They provide support and opportunities to excel and develop qualities such as leadership, open-mindedness, curiosity and social responsibility, preparing students to make a difference in whatever sphere of life they choose. Each college is distinctive, defined by its buildings, traditions and people. The oldest, University College, is based in the 11th century Durham Castle, while the modern masterpiece, St Aidan’s, was designed by Sir Basil Spence in 1966. St John’s is an independent Christian foundation but welcomes students of all faiths or none. But Durham is more than the sum of its parts. A combination of tradition and modernity, of people and community, and of social responsibility helps our graduates to make a difference in whatever they do and enables our research to make a contribution to people’s futures around the world.
‘‘
Durham, I have come to realise, has a capacity to astound out of all proportion to its size. I don’t know any place that manages to be more intimate and infinite at once.
‘‘
Durham University is distinctive – a collegiate university with long traditions and modern values. We seek the highest distinction in research and scholarship and are committed to excellence in all aspects of education and transmission of knowledge.
Bill Bryson, World-renowned author and Chancellor of Durham University
We are not a traditional campus university, but have evolved over time with our departments and colleges embedded within our local communities in Durham and Stockton-on-Tees. At the heart of our University is the magnificent UNESCO World Heritage Site which we share with Durham Cathedral, complemented by scholarly collections and outstanding buildings from every century from the 11th to the 21st, brought to life by the staff and students who live and work in them.
05
Section Two: Values
06
07
Section Two: Values
06
07
Section Two: Values
Durham University is committed to the following core values:
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to communicate our knowledge and learning for the benefit of all
{
} {
}
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to promote diversity, respect for others and equality of opportunity
to defend freedom of thought and to cherish intellectual debate and new ideas
to value knowledge and learning for their own sake, and for their ethical, cultural, social and economic benefits
08
to create communities in which critical thinking and creativity are combined with opportunities for personal growth and development, so that all can realise their full potential
to foster cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural thinking and working
} {
}
} {
}
to strive for excellence in everything we do, as a single and purposeful organisation
to measure all we do against the standards of an ethical and sustainable world
09
Section Two: Values
Durham University is committed to the following core values:
{
} {
}
{
to communicate our knowledge and learning for the benefit of all
{
} {
}
{
to promote diversity, respect for others and equality of opportunity
to defend freedom of thought and to cherish intellectual debate and new ideas
to value knowledge and learning for their own sake, and for their ethical, cultural, social and economic benefits
08
to create communities in which critical thinking and creativity are combined with opportunities for personal growth and development, so that all can realise their full potential
to foster cross-disciplinary and cross-cultural thinking and working
} {
}
} {
}
to strive for excellence in everything we do, as a single and purposeful organisation
to measure all we do against the standards of an ethical and sustainable world
09
Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education
10
11
Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education
10
11
Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education
A. CONTEXT AND AMBITIONS Durham University’s excellence in research and education places it among the top fullsubject universities in the UK (Complete University and Good University Guides, 2010). However, Durham University has yet to reach its full potential. We provide our students with a distinctive, collegiate and research-led education but need to ensure that this is better understood by potential students. In several areas of research across the sciences, social sciences and the humanities, Durham is recognised as among the top handful of institutions in the world; we now need to achieve similar recognition across all our disciplines. Perhaps because of our relative size and location we have not been as visible internationally as some of our peers. While exceptionally well regarded in the UK, Durham University has yet to reach its full potential on the world stage.
B. SUMMARY The educational world has changed and expanded rapidly over the past few years, and it will continue to do so, and we will see increasing competition for students, staff and resources both within the UK and from overseas. In particular, Higher Education in the United Kingdom is entering a time of political and financial uncertainty, with significant cuts in public spending likely, uncertainty about Government contributions to student fees and increasingly fierce competition for research funding. This poses a number of significant challenges. Only through excellence in research and education across all its areas of activity will Durham University continue to compete successfully for the best staff and students, and provide the resources necessary for all to study and work effectively.
Our new strategy is therefore ambitious, aimed at ensuring that Durham University is recognised as an international exemplar of the best in research and research-led education. We aim to be widely recognised as one of the top 5 universities in the UK and the top 50 in the world. To achieve this we will build on what already makes Durham University distinctive: the human scale of our university communities – our departments and colleges. It is not through size that we seek to make an impact, but rather by achieving the highest standards of excellence in all we do. A true world university is one which is recognised as a place where leading students and scholars both reside and wish to visit from around the globe, and one which educates and sends leaders around the world. Our strategy ‘2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education’ aims to deliver this ambition.
I. RESEARCH We will be recognised internationally for creative thought and transformative research of the highest calibre across a broad subject base of sciences, social sciences and the humanities. Our research and scholarship will benefit from and help to shape national and international agendas. We will foster new subject-specific, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary ideas. Our research will generate outcomes which enhance social and human well-being, or have the potential to do so through shaping academic disciplines. We aim to be a place where the most motivated postgraduate students and leading researchers choose to work and visit.
II.EDUCATION We will achieve the highest standards in research-led education for both undergraduates and postgraduates, linking research and education in creative ways. We will provide a stimulating environment that empowers all to learn and develop to their full potential. We will foster enjoyment and esteem of independent learning, both formal and informal. We will welcome the most able and motivated students, whatever their background.
Durham students will be challenged by the biggest issues in their academic discipline while at the same time developing and honing skills such as teamwork, creativity and leadership. They will receive opportunities to excel outside their formal learning environment, particularly through sport, culture and community engagement, and will be exceptionally well prepared for their future lives and employment.
Durham University is its communities of staff, students and alumni, shaped by the places in which we live, study and work. We will work to maintain and enhance the University, its local environments and its communities as places in which all can realise their full potential, working in partnership with others as appropriate.
Durham’s research and education are underpinned by three ideals:
V. SUSTAINABILITY – OUR LONG-TERM FINANCIAL, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES
III. A WORLD UNIVERSITY Internationalisation at Durham means recognising the benefits of individual and cultural diversity in all our activities. We will learn from and embed best international practice in everything we do. We will work, wherever is appropriate, on major world issues and develop international partnerships that benefit from, and contribute to, national and international agendas. We will bring leading students and scholars to Durham University from around the world, and educate leaders for the world.
IV. COMMUNITY AND PLACE
We will use our strengths in scholarship, research and education to achieve progressive social, environmental and economic benefits, locally and nationally. We will generate, invest and manage resources to deliver a sustainable and longterm future for the University community, and excellence in research and education.
A Durham University education will build on our traditional and distinctive approach to academic and personal development. Students will engage directly with worldleading scholars in our academic departments, supported by exceptional opportunities for personal development in our residential college communities.
12
13
Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education
A. CONTEXT AND AMBITIONS Durham University’s excellence in research and education places it among the top fullsubject universities in the UK (Complete University and Good University Guides, 2010). However, Durham University has yet to reach its full potential. We provide our students with a distinctive, collegiate and research-led education but need to ensure that this is better understood by potential students. In several areas of research across the sciences, social sciences and the humanities, Durham is recognised as among the top handful of institutions in the world; we now need to achieve similar recognition across all our disciplines. Perhaps because of our relative size and location we have not been as visible internationally as some of our peers. While exceptionally well regarded in the UK, Durham University has yet to reach its full potential on the world stage.
B. SUMMARY The educational world has changed and expanded rapidly over the past few years, and it will continue to do so, and we will see increasing competition for students, staff and resources both within the UK and from overseas. In particular, Higher Education in the United Kingdom is entering a time of political and financial uncertainty, with significant cuts in public spending likely, uncertainty about Government contributions to student fees and increasingly fierce competition for research funding. This poses a number of significant challenges. Only through excellence in research and education across all its areas of activity will Durham University continue to compete successfully for the best staff and students, and provide the resources necessary for all to study and work effectively.
Our new strategy is therefore ambitious, aimed at ensuring that Durham University is recognised as an international exemplar of the best in research and research-led education. We aim to be widely recognised as one of the top 5 universities in the UK and the top 50 in the world. To achieve this we will build on what already makes Durham University distinctive: the human scale of our university communities – our departments and colleges. It is not through size that we seek to make an impact, but rather by achieving the highest standards of excellence in all we do. A true world university is one which is recognised as a place where leading students and scholars both reside and wish to visit from around the globe, and one which educates and sends leaders around the world. Our strategy ‘2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education’ aims to deliver this ambition.
I. RESEARCH We will be recognised internationally for creative thought and transformative research of the highest calibre across a broad subject base of sciences, social sciences and the humanities. Our research and scholarship will benefit from and help to shape national and international agendas. We will foster new subject-specific, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary ideas. Our research will generate outcomes which enhance social and human well-being, or have the potential to do so through shaping academic disciplines. We aim to be a place where the most motivated postgraduate students and leading researchers choose to work and visit.
II.EDUCATION We will achieve the highest standards in research-led education for both undergraduates and postgraduates, linking research and education in creative ways. We will provide a stimulating environment that empowers all to learn and develop to their full potential. We will foster enjoyment and esteem of independent learning, both formal and informal. We will welcome the most able and motivated students, whatever their background.
Durham students will be challenged by the biggest issues in their academic discipline while at the same time developing and honing skills such as teamwork, creativity and leadership. They will receive opportunities to excel outside their formal learning environment, particularly through sport, culture and community engagement, and will be exceptionally well prepared for their future lives and employment.
Durham University is its communities of staff, students and alumni, shaped by the places in which we live, study and work. We will work to maintain and enhance the University, its local environments and its communities as places in which all can realise their full potential, working in partnership with others as appropriate.
Durham’s research and education are underpinned by three ideals:
V. SUSTAINABILITY – OUR LONG-TERM FINANCIAL, SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES
III. A WORLD UNIVERSITY Internationalisation at Durham means recognising the benefits of individual and cultural diversity in all our activities. We will learn from and embed best international practice in everything we do. We will work, wherever is appropriate, on major world issues and develop international partnerships that benefit from, and contribute to, national and international agendas. We will bring leading students and scholars to Durham University from around the world, and educate leaders for the world.
IV. COMMUNITY AND PLACE
We will use our strengths in scholarship, research and education to achieve progressive social, environmental and economic benefits, locally and nationally. We will generate, invest and manage resources to deliver a sustainable and longterm future for the University community, and excellence in research and education.
A Durham University education will build on our traditional and distinctive approach to academic and personal development. Students will engage directly with worldleading scholars in our academic departments, supported by exceptional opportunities for personal development in our residential college communities.
12
13
Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education
C. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES I. RESEARCH We will be recognised internationally for creative thought and transformative research of the highest calibre across a broad subject base of sciences, social sciences and the humanities. Our research and scholarship will benefit from and help to shape national and international agendas. We will foster new subject-specific, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary ideas. Our research will generate outcomes which enhance social and human well-being, or have the potential to do so through shaping academic disciplines. We aim to be a place where the most motivated postgraduate students and leading researchers choose to work and visit. Aim 1: To demonstrate international research excellence across our entire academic base and take a leading part in developing the academic agenda in each of our disciplines. Objective (i) To ensure that every member of academic staff (except those designated teaching-only) is publishing research which is internationally excellent or leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour (equivalent to 3* and 4* in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise). We will emphasise ambition of research questions and quality and impact of output.
14
Objective (ii) To recruit academic staff at the forefront of their discipline, from around the world, who enhance the research profile of their discipline and are producing internationally-leading outputs (lecturers must be judged to have the potential to achieve this within three years). We will significantly increase the numbers of independently-funded earlycareer Fellows – the eminent researchers of the future. Objective (iii) To deliver research in every discipline that addresses questions and issues with the potential to make significant impact on knowledge, people or the economy, or to enhance or change society for the better. Objective (iv) To develop a research strategy for each department which focuses research in areas in which we can excel and have the greatest future impact. Every department will be recognised as being amongst the top 10% in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework, and at least three in each Faculty will be in the top 3. Each discipline should have, or expect to develop, at least one area of activity in which it demonstrates genuine international research leadership (i.e. be recognised as one of the top handful of places in the world for that area of research). Institutes/centres must be judged as international leaders.
Objective (v) To develop new interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research programmes involving teams of academic staff. Our research will remain firmly grounded in strong disciplinespecific departments/schools which link research and teaching. However, the Durham model for institutes and centres, with staff based in departments working together to develop new research areas, will be used to create new interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams, and to stimulate new ideas. The IAS will play a key role in generating new ideas and bringing together leading academics both from within Durham and from around the world. Aim 2: To increase significantly the number and proportion of both postgraduate Masters and PhD students, and postdoctoral researchers, providing each with the best possible quality of experience. Objective (i) To develop a comprehensive Doctoral Training Centre structure across our Graduate School to be innovative in postgraduate (Masters and PhD) recruitment, support, education and development. Objective (ii) To develop the Graduate School to embed opportunities for continuing professional development for postdoctoral researchers equivalent to those for postgraduate research students.
Objective (iii) To ensure facilities, financial support, training and mentorship for all our postgraduate students are amongst the best in the UK.
Aim 4: To raise Durham University’s research profile nationally and internationally by effectively disseminating our research successes and outcomes.
Aim 3: To shape and respond to international, national and local research agendas.
Objective (i) To promote individual research success internally and externally.
> To be in the top 10% in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework for every one of our disciplines, with at least three disciplines in each faculty in the top 3 departments in the UK
Objective (ii) To communicate research outcomes through the appropriate external media and a leading website.
> To ensure that all our research institutes/centres produce research which is internationally-leading
Aim 5: To establish a culture of prioritising support for research by all communities across the University, enhancing external research funding and embedding policies which protect research time.
> To achieve a ratio of postgraduate research students per member of academic staff that places us within the top 5 for each of our disciplines
Objective (i) To create and lead future research programmes that break new ground. These may be discipline-specific through our departments/schools or multidisciplinary through research institutes and centres. Objective (ii) To increase significantly our influence on high-level policy through representation on key decision-making and grant-awarding bodies. Objective (iii) To develop creative research partnerships with influential national and international businesses, research councils, spin-out companies, nongovernmental organisations and publicsector bodies with mutually beneficial research agendas.
Objective (i) To increase and diversify sources of research income, prioritising substantial, multidisciplinary grants which support larger teams. Objective (ii) To ensure that the policies and practice of all our professional services and administration fully support research needs and maximise academic staff time for research.
Key Targets:
> To increase the ratio of postgraduate taught students per member of academic staff to the mean value of our traditional comparator group > To increase research income per member of academic staff so that we are within the top 5 in each of our disciplines.
Objective (iii) To ensure that our libraries, collections and research equipment are appropriately prioritised to support our research ambitions. Objective (iv) To ensure that colleges play an increasing role in the support of research activities, in the development of the Graduate School and in linking research and education.
15
Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education
C. AIMS AND OBJECTIVES I. RESEARCH We will be recognised internationally for creative thought and transformative research of the highest calibre across a broad subject base of sciences, social sciences and the humanities. Our research and scholarship will benefit from and help to shape national and international agendas. We will foster new subject-specific, interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary ideas. Our research will generate outcomes which enhance social and human well-being, or have the potential to do so through shaping academic disciplines. We aim to be a place where the most motivated postgraduate students and leading researchers choose to work and visit. Aim 1: To demonstrate international research excellence across our entire academic base and take a leading part in developing the academic agenda in each of our disciplines. Objective (i) To ensure that every member of academic staff (except those designated teaching-only) is publishing research which is internationally excellent or leading in terms of originality, significance and rigour (equivalent to 3* and 4* in the 2008 Research Assessment Exercise). We will emphasise ambition of research questions and quality and impact of output.
14
Objective (ii) To recruit academic staff at the forefront of their discipline, from around the world, who enhance the research profile of their discipline and are producing internationally-leading outputs (lecturers must be judged to have the potential to achieve this within three years). We will significantly increase the numbers of independently-funded earlycareer Fellows – the eminent researchers of the future. Objective (iii) To deliver research in every discipline that addresses questions and issues with the potential to make significant impact on knowledge, people or the economy, or to enhance or change society for the better. Objective (iv) To develop a research strategy for each department which focuses research in areas in which we can excel and have the greatest future impact. Every department will be recognised as being amongst the top 10% in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework, and at least three in each Faculty will be in the top 3. Each discipline should have, or expect to develop, at least one area of activity in which it demonstrates genuine international research leadership (i.e. be recognised as one of the top handful of places in the world for that area of research). Institutes/centres must be judged as international leaders.
Objective (v) To develop new interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary research programmes involving teams of academic staff. Our research will remain firmly grounded in strong disciplinespecific departments/schools which link research and teaching. However, the Durham model for institutes and centres, with staff based in departments working together to develop new research areas, will be used to create new interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary teams, and to stimulate new ideas. The IAS will play a key role in generating new ideas and bringing together leading academics both from within Durham and from around the world. Aim 2: To increase significantly the number and proportion of both postgraduate Masters and PhD students, and postdoctoral researchers, providing each with the best possible quality of experience. Objective (i) To develop a comprehensive Doctoral Training Centre structure across our Graduate School to be innovative in postgraduate (Masters and PhD) recruitment, support, education and development. Objective (ii) To develop the Graduate School to embed opportunities for continuing professional development for postdoctoral researchers equivalent to those for postgraduate research students.
Objective (iii) To ensure facilities, financial support, training and mentorship for all our postgraduate students are amongst the best in the UK.
Aim 4: To raise Durham University’s research profile nationally and internationally by effectively disseminating our research successes and outcomes.
Aim 3: To shape and respond to international, national and local research agendas.
Objective (i) To promote individual research success internally and externally.
> To be in the top 10% in the UK in the Research Excellence Framework for every one of our disciplines, with at least three disciplines in each faculty in the top 3 departments in the UK
Objective (ii) To communicate research outcomes through the appropriate external media and a leading website.
> To ensure that all our research institutes/centres produce research which is internationally-leading
Aim 5: To establish a culture of prioritising support for research by all communities across the University, enhancing external research funding and embedding policies which protect research time.
> To achieve a ratio of postgraduate research students per member of academic staff that places us within the top 5 for each of our disciplines
Objective (i) To create and lead future research programmes that break new ground. These may be discipline-specific through our departments/schools or multidisciplinary through research institutes and centres. Objective (ii) To increase significantly our influence on high-level policy through representation on key decision-making and grant-awarding bodies. Objective (iii) To develop creative research partnerships with influential national and international businesses, research councils, spin-out companies, nongovernmental organisations and publicsector bodies with mutually beneficial research agendas.
Objective (i) To increase and diversify sources of research income, prioritising substantial, multidisciplinary grants which support larger teams. Objective (ii) To ensure that the policies and practice of all our professional services and administration fully support research needs and maximise academic staff time for research.
Key Targets:
> To increase the ratio of postgraduate taught students per member of academic staff to the mean value of our traditional comparator group > To increase research income per member of academic staff so that we are within the top 5 in each of our disciplines.
Objective (iii) To ensure that our libraries, collections and research equipment are appropriately prioritised to support our research ambitions. Objective (iv) To ensure that colleges play an increasing role in the support of research activities, in the development of the Graduate School and in linking research and education.
15
Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education
II. EDUCATION We will achieve the highest standards in research-led education for both undergraduates and postgraduates, linking research and education in creative ways. We will provide a stimulating environment that empowers all to learn and develop to their full potential. We will foster enjoyment and esteem of independent learning, both formal and informal. We will welcome the most able and motivated students, whatever their background. A Durham University education will build on our traditional and distinctive approach to academic and personal development. Students will engage directly with world-leading scholars in our academic departments, supported by exceptional opportunities for personal development in our residential college communities. Durham students will be challenged by the biggest issues in their academic discipline while at the same time developing and honing skills such as teamwork, creativity and leadership. They will receive opportunities to excel outside their formal learning environment, particularly through sport, culture and community engagement and they will be exceptionally well prepared for their future lives and employment.
16
Aim 1: To provide an academic education that is research-led and transformative, a curriculum underpinned by excellence in teaching facilities and a culture of reflective practice. Objective (i) To link learning and teaching to our research at all levels, providing an educational environment which is research-led, research-oriented and research-based, and our students with the opportunity to engage actively in problem solving, question forming, critical analysis and debate. This requires personal interaction of our students with world-class researchers in the forefront of their disciplines and time spent as residents within our communities. Objective (ii) To innovate and to enhance our learning and teaching by bringing together the professional expertise of those delivering and supporting learning and teaching with the views expressed by our students. Objective (iii) To invest in world-class learning and teaching facilities. Objective (iv) To attract and admit the most able and motivated students with the greatest potential to contribute to, and to benefit from, the education we provide, irrespective of their background.
Aim 2: To provide our students with outstanding and distinctive opportunities for personal development, ensuring future success and employability. Objective (i) To develop in all our students a range of personal skills that will place them in high demand for future employment or study. These include questioning and influencing, communication, motivation, leadership and planning, enterprise and creativity and a sense of citizenship and social responsibility. Strong links between our colleges and academic departments will enable Durham to offer an integrated approach to the intellectual and personal development of our students.
Aim 3: To ensure a diverse and international student experience. Objective (i) To recruit the most able and motivated students from around the world, enabling us to benefit from global talent and the diversity this brings.
Key Targets: > To be ranked in the top 5 universities in the UK in major league tables > To be in the top 5 UK multi-subject universities for student satisfaction, undergraduate qualifications on entry and undergraduate completion rates
Objective (ii) To learn from best international practice in our undergraduate and postgraduate education, to incorporate it into our learning and teaching and to ensure that our programmes and teaching methods recognise global diversity.
> Each subject taught to be in the top 5 UK multi-subject universities for proportion of leavers in graduatelevel jobs or further study
Objective (iii) To increase inward and outward exchanges, placements and overseas volunteering amongst students.
> To increase the proportion of international students to at least 20% of the total.
Objective (ii) To promote excellence in sport, culture and voluntary activities, and the opportunities they provide for stimulating personal development and the well-being of the community. We will establish mechanisms for co-ordinating sporting, cultural and outreach activities across the University. Objective (iii) To provide exceptional pastoral care for all our students through their college communities and best practice from professional support services.
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Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education
II. EDUCATION We will achieve the highest standards in research-led education for both undergraduates and postgraduates, linking research and education in creative ways. We will provide a stimulating environment that empowers all to learn and develop to their full potential. We will foster enjoyment and esteem of independent learning, both formal and informal. We will welcome the most able and motivated students, whatever their background. A Durham University education will build on our traditional and distinctive approach to academic and personal development. Students will engage directly with world-leading scholars in our academic departments, supported by exceptional opportunities for personal development in our residential college communities. Durham students will be challenged by the biggest issues in their academic discipline while at the same time developing and honing skills such as teamwork, creativity and leadership. They will receive opportunities to excel outside their formal learning environment, particularly through sport, culture and community engagement and they will be exceptionally well prepared for their future lives and employment.
16
Aim 1: To provide an academic education that is research-led and transformative, a curriculum underpinned by excellence in teaching facilities and a culture of reflective practice. Objective (i) To link learning and teaching to our research at all levels, providing an educational environment which is research-led, research-oriented and research-based, and our students with the opportunity to engage actively in problem solving, question forming, critical analysis and debate. This requires personal interaction of our students with world-class researchers in the forefront of their disciplines and time spent as residents within our communities. Objective (ii) To innovate and to enhance our learning and teaching by bringing together the professional expertise of those delivering and supporting learning and teaching with the views expressed by our students. Objective (iii) To invest in world-class learning and teaching facilities. Objective (iv) To attract and admit the most able and motivated students with the greatest potential to contribute to, and to benefit from, the education we provide, irrespective of their background.
Aim 2: To provide our students with outstanding and distinctive opportunities for personal development, ensuring future success and employability. Objective (i) To develop in all our students a range of personal skills that will place them in high demand for future employment or study. These include questioning and influencing, communication, motivation, leadership and planning, enterprise and creativity and a sense of citizenship and social responsibility. Strong links between our colleges and academic departments will enable Durham to offer an integrated approach to the intellectual and personal development of our students.
Aim 3: To ensure a diverse and international student experience. Objective (i) To recruit the most able and motivated students from around the world, enabling us to benefit from global talent and the diversity this brings.
Key Targets: > To be ranked in the top 5 universities in the UK in major league tables > To be in the top 5 UK multi-subject universities for student satisfaction, undergraduate qualifications on entry and undergraduate completion rates
Objective (ii) To learn from best international practice in our undergraduate and postgraduate education, to incorporate it into our learning and teaching and to ensure that our programmes and teaching methods recognise global diversity.
> Each subject taught to be in the top 5 UK multi-subject universities for proportion of leavers in graduatelevel jobs or further study
Objective (iii) To increase inward and outward exchanges, placements and overseas volunteering amongst students.
> To increase the proportion of international students to at least 20% of the total.
Objective (ii) To promote excellence in sport, culture and voluntary activities, and the opportunities they provide for stimulating personal development and the well-being of the community. We will establish mechanisms for co-ordinating sporting, cultural and outreach activities across the University. Objective (iii) To provide exceptional pastoral care for all our students through their college communities and best practice from professional support services.
17
Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education
Durham’s research and education are underpinned by three ideals, a World University, Community and Place and Sustainability – Financial, Social and Environmental Responsibilities III. A WORLD UNIVERSITY Internationalisation at Durham means recognising the benefits of individual and cultural diversity in all our activities. We will learn from and embed best international practice in everything we do. We will work, wherever is appropriate, on major world issues and develop international partnerships that benefit from, and contribute to, national and international agendas. We will bring leading students and scholars to Durham University from around the world and educate leaders for the world. Aim 1: To provide a welcoming and supportive environment for people of all creeds, cultures and nationalities, recognising the importance of diversity in ideas and education while respecting our traditional strengths.
Aim 2: To develop high-quality international partnerships, networks and collaborations in all our areas of activity. Objective (i) To align research, educational and humanitarian projects for both staff and students towards common goals and with specific institutions/regions. Objective (ii) To engage our alumni communities around the world as international ambassadors for the University. Objective (iii) To take a strategic and proactive approach to the development of high-quality collaborative programme provision at all levels of study.
Key Targets: > To be in the top 50 universities in the Times Higher Education World Rankings by 2020.
IV. COMMUNITY AND PLACE Durham University is its communities of staff, students and alumni, shaped by the places in which we live, study and work. We will work to maintain and enhance the University, its local environments and its communities as places in which all can realise their full potential, working in partnership with others as appropriate. Aim 1: To provide an equitable and supportive working environment which ensures that all our staff and students contribute effectively to our communities, that excellence is valued and in which a collegial ethos enables everyone to realise their full potential. Objective (i) To be recognised as an excellent employer through enabling each individual to reach their full potential as part of a flexible, high-performing and motivated workforce. We will ensure that the working environment enables and encourages all staff to pursue opportunities for career progression and provide highquality induction, leadership and staff development programmes. Objective (ii) To align reward and recognition with excellence, leadership and the achievement of more efficient and effective working practices. Objective (iii) To facilitate communication, sharing and partnership between our departments, colleges and professional services, ensuring that the University is greater than the sum of its parts.
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Objective (iv) To ensure a strong student voice as part of our university community, through a distinctive and active student union (including Durham Students’ Union, the Junior Common Rooms and other student-led organisations). Aim 2: To provide leadership, in partnership with local and regional bodies, in order to ensure that Durham University and its environs continue to develop as places where the best staff and students want to come to live, work and study. Objective (i) To be seen as an organisation which plays a significant leadership role locally and regionally. We will effectively engage with and partner key local politicians and regional bodies (such as local councillors, the Regional Development Agency, Chamber of Commerce, charities, community and residents groups) in order to share insights, professional expertise and values. Objective (ii) To ensure the World Heritage Site and surrounding peninsula is maintained and enhanced as a place to live and work, for staff, students and visitors alike. Objective (iii) To develop our University estate in a way which is sensitive to the local environment and community, while providing exemplars of high-quality design and architecture in terms of the buildings themselves and their surrounding areas.
Objective (iv) To increase opportunities for staff, students, individuals and organisations from outside the University to have access to our University estate, attractions and cultural events. Objective (v) To purchase from local producers, services and businesses wherever possible and where it provides value for money. Aim 3: To ensure that each of our sites is fully integrated and part of the whole, equivalent in excellence and ethos and fit for its particular purpose. Objective (i) To develop our multiple sites in Durham and Stockton-on-Tees so they provide distinctive opportunities for research, education and community engagement.
V. SUSTAINABILITY – OUR LONG-TERM SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES We will use our strengths in scholarship, research and education to achieve progressive social, environmental and economic benefits, locally and nationally. We will generate, invest and manage resources to deliver a sustainable and longterm future for the University community and excellence in research and education. Aim 1: To be a socially-responsible institution, working with partners to enhance economic and social development internationally, nationally and locally. Objective (i) To contribute effectively to economic and social development through knowledge exchange, enterprise and entrepreneurship. Objective (ii) To establish partnerships with local, national and international businesses, social enterprises and public sector organisations which facilitate translation of our knowledge and understanding to wider benefit. Objective (iii) To raise educational aspirations through our work and leadership in schools and academies, with an emphasis on our locality and region. Objective (iv) To promote volunteering and community engagement as a means of using our expertise to contribute to social well-being, locally, nationally and internationally.
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Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education
Durham’s research and education are underpinned by three ideals, a World University, Community and Place and Sustainability – Financial, Social and Environmental Responsibilities III. A WORLD UNIVERSITY Internationalisation at Durham means recognising the benefits of individual and cultural diversity in all our activities. We will learn from and embed best international practice in everything we do. We will work, wherever is appropriate, on major world issues and develop international partnerships that benefit from, and contribute to, national and international agendas. We will bring leading students and scholars to Durham University from around the world and educate leaders for the world. Aim 1: To provide a welcoming and supportive environment for people of all creeds, cultures and nationalities, recognising the importance of diversity in ideas and education while respecting our traditional strengths.
Aim 2: To develop high-quality international partnerships, networks and collaborations in all our areas of activity. Objective (i) To align research, educational and humanitarian projects for both staff and students towards common goals and with specific institutions/regions. Objective (ii) To engage our alumni communities around the world as international ambassadors for the University. Objective (iii) To take a strategic and proactive approach to the development of high-quality collaborative programme provision at all levels of study.
Key Targets: > To be in the top 50 universities in the Times Higher Education World Rankings by 2020.
IV. COMMUNITY AND PLACE Durham University is its communities of staff, students and alumni, shaped by the places in which we live, study and work. We will work to maintain and enhance the University, its local environments and its communities as places in which all can realise their full potential, working in partnership with others as appropriate. Aim 1: To provide an equitable and supportive working environment which ensures that all our staff and students contribute effectively to our communities, that excellence is valued and in which a collegial ethos enables everyone to realise their full potential. Objective (i) To be recognised as an excellent employer through enabling each individual to reach their full potential as part of a flexible, high-performing and motivated workforce. We will ensure that the working environment enables and encourages all staff to pursue opportunities for career progression and provide highquality induction, leadership and staff development programmes. Objective (ii) To align reward and recognition with excellence, leadership and the achievement of more efficient and effective working practices. Objective (iii) To facilitate communication, sharing and partnership between our departments, colleges and professional services, ensuring that the University is greater than the sum of its parts.
18
Objective (iv) To ensure a strong student voice as part of our university community, through a distinctive and active student union (including Durham Students’ Union, the Junior Common Rooms and other student-led organisations). Aim 2: To provide leadership, in partnership with local and regional bodies, in order to ensure that Durham University and its environs continue to develop as places where the best staff and students want to come to live, work and study. Objective (i) To be seen as an organisation which plays a significant leadership role locally and regionally. We will effectively engage with and partner key local politicians and regional bodies (such as local councillors, the Regional Development Agency, Chamber of Commerce, charities, community and residents groups) in order to share insights, professional expertise and values. Objective (ii) To ensure the World Heritage Site and surrounding peninsula is maintained and enhanced as a place to live and work, for staff, students and visitors alike. Objective (iii) To develop our University estate in a way which is sensitive to the local environment and community, while providing exemplars of high-quality design and architecture in terms of the buildings themselves and their surrounding areas.
Objective (iv) To increase opportunities for staff, students, individuals and organisations from outside the University to have access to our University estate, attractions and cultural events. Objective (v) To purchase from local producers, services and businesses wherever possible and where it provides value for money. Aim 3: To ensure that each of our sites is fully integrated and part of the whole, equivalent in excellence and ethos and fit for its particular purpose. Objective (i) To develop our multiple sites in Durham and Stockton-on-Tees so they provide distinctive opportunities for research, education and community engagement.
V. SUSTAINABILITY – OUR LONG-TERM SOCIAL, ENVIRONMENTAL AND FINANCIAL RESPONSIBILITIES We will use our strengths in scholarship, research and education to achieve progressive social, environmental and economic benefits, locally and nationally. We will generate, invest and manage resources to deliver a sustainable and longterm future for the University community and excellence in research and education. Aim 1: To be a socially-responsible institution, working with partners to enhance economic and social development internationally, nationally and locally. Objective (i) To contribute effectively to economic and social development through knowledge exchange, enterprise and entrepreneurship. Objective (ii) To establish partnerships with local, national and international businesses, social enterprises and public sector organisations which facilitate translation of our knowledge and understanding to wider benefit. Objective (iii) To raise educational aspirations through our work and leadership in schools and academies, with an emphasis on our locality and region. Objective (iv) To promote volunteering and community engagement as a means of using our expertise to contribute to social well-being, locally, nationally and internationally.
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Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education
Aim 2: To be an environmentally responsible organisation, minimising our environmental impact and promoting environmental sustainability throughout the University. Objective (i) To quantify and reduce the environmental impact of all our activities. Objective (ii) To ensure that our buildings are constructed and maintained to high environmental standards and that renewable energy is used wherever possible. Objective (iii) To reduce our environmental footprint through responsible utilities and waste management and by developing and implementing a green communication and travel policy. Aim 3: To ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the University. Objective (i) To diversify our sources of income, gaining greater freedom from public funding and enhancing the unit of resource per student and member of academic staff. To maximise the University’s income by aligning strengths to funding opportunities, based on market/competitor analysis and informed by an understanding of risk. Objective (ii) To embed transparent financial and budgetary practices which promote and reward success and which focus resources to our core academic activities and front-line services.
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Objective (iii) To manage costs so that the University remains financially strong in an uncertain financial climate. To evaluate all investment decisions on a value-for-money basis and to include post-implementation assessment of major investment decisions. Objective (iv) To improve information systems in order to facilitate streamlined working practices across functions which are supported by a resilient and cohesive information-technology infrastructure. Objective (v) To continue to achieve an operating surplus allowing us to reinvest in a financially-sustainable estate and in facilities aligned with the long-term strategic priorities of the University and with stakeholder expectations. Objective (vi) To take a balanced approach to risk and not be too risk-averse, and to ensure swift decision-making at an appropriate level in the organisation. Objective (vii) To ensure that capacity in departments, colleges and professional support services not required for academic and academic-related activities is used to maximise net income through commercial activities.
Key Targets: > To be widely regarded as a university at the forefront of environmental sustainability > To significantly improve the unit of resource per academic staff member and per student > To achieve an annual operating surplus for reinvestment at the level determined by the University’s Council.
Section Three: Durham University Strategy 2010–2020: Excellence in Research and Education
Aim 2: To be an environmentally responsible organisation, minimising our environmental impact and promoting environmental sustainability throughout the University. Objective (i) To quantify and reduce the environmental impact of all our activities. Objective (ii) To ensure that our buildings are constructed and maintained to high environmental standards and that renewable energy is used wherever possible. Objective (iii) To reduce our environmental footprint through responsible utilities and waste management and by developing and implementing a green communication and travel policy. Aim 3: To ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the University. Objective (i) To diversify our sources of income, gaining greater freedom from public funding and enhancing the unit of resource per student and member of academic staff. To maximise the University’s income by aligning strengths to funding opportunities, based on market/competitor analysis and informed by an understanding of risk. Objective (ii) To embed transparent financial and budgetary practices which promote and reward success and which focus resources to our core academic activities and front-line services.
20
Objective (iii) To manage costs so that the University remains financially strong in an uncertain financial climate. To evaluate all investment decisions on a value-for-money basis and to include post-implementation assessment of major investment decisions. Objective (iv) To improve information systems in order to facilitate streamlined working practices across functions which are supported by a resilient and cohesive information-technology infrastructure. Objective (v) To continue to achieve an operating surplus allowing us to reinvest in a financially-sustainable estate and in facilities aligned with the long-term strategic priorities of the University and with stakeholder expectations. Objective (vi) To take a balanced approach to risk and not be too risk-averse, and to ensure swift decision-making at an appropriate level in the organisation. Objective (vii) To ensure that capacity in departments, colleges and professional support services not required for academic and academic-related activities is used to maximise net income through commercial activities.
Key Targets: > To be widely regarded as a university at the forefront of environmental sustainability > To significantly improve the unit of resource per academic staff member and per student > To achieve an annual operating surplus for reinvestment at the level determined by the University’s Council.
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