Following a visit to Australia and New Zealand, Professor Janet Stewart, Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, has laid the groundwork for new research collaborations under Durham University's Transformative Humanities work.
Professor Stewart met with academic leaders at Monash University, the University of Melbourne, the University of Sydney, the University of New South Wales (UNSW), Monash University, Australian Catholic University and the University of Auckland. These discussions focused on championing an interdisciplinary approach that places the arts and humanities at the heart of solving complex global challenges.
Leading global research
During these visits, Professor Stewart showcased how Durham is pioneering Transformative Humanities to address the most pressing challenges of our time.
- Durham researchers are leading the Climate Mobilities Working Group to understand the moral and political landscapes of climate-driven human migration.
- Our Heritage 360 Strategic Research Platform is developing innovative interdisciplinary and inter-sector methodologies on cultural and natural heritage.
- Our Leverhulme Centre for Algorithmic Life is transforming how we understand and study the relationship between human life and artificial intelligence algorithms.
- And our Wellcome Trust-funded Institute for Medical Humanitiesis conducting the ReaderBank study, the world's most ambitious project investigating the links between reading, imagination, and mental wellbeing.
Professor Stewart also met with Louise Cantillon, British Consul General in Sydney, Sophie Warner-Fog, British Consul General in Auckland, and Natasha Beckerman, British Council Director in New Zealand. These discussions highlighted the role of the humanities in fostering international knowledge exchange and supporting cultural diplomacy between the UK and its global partners.
Knowledge Networks
Professor Stewart's visit coincided with a wider faculty delegation
to Japan and South Korea, which saw the launch of the inaugural Durham-Kyushu Transformative Humanities Workshop. Hosted by fellow RENKEI member Kyushu University, the workshop marked the launch of ThinkNet - the Transformative Humanities International Knowledge Network - a global, values-led initiative to reimagine and reinvigorate the humanities as a force for intellectual innovation and societal transformation ThinkNet is a practical, partnership-based way to connect serious humanistic inquiry to shared global problems, while strengthening the standing, confidence, and public intelligibility of humanities work.
The delegation subsequently visited Seoul National University and Sungkyunkwan University in South Korea to identify further opportunities for collaborative research.
Professor Janet Stewart said: "These recent visits represent a significant step in internationalising Transformative Humanities and establishing a network of partners committed to interdisciplinary research excellence. By sharing the Transformative Humanities framework with overseas partners, Durham continues to demonstrate how the humanities can lead the way in addressing the most pressing issues of the 21st century - from technological ethics to social cohesion - through collaborative, cross-border research that creates real-world impact."
