Over 4,500 students from 100 countries worldwide celebrated the completion of their studies, reflecting on their time spent at the University and in Durham. Twenty-three ceremonies took place in the magnificent setting of Durham Cathedral from Thursday 29 June. 

We would like to welcome the Class of 2023 to our alumni community. Read more about the benefits of keeping in touch and getting involved.

Prior to her official installation, Dr Fiona Hill attended the Chancellor’s Circle Dinner on Thursday 25 May at Drapers’ Hall in London, marking a significant moment as she begins her tenure as incoming Chancellor.  

Pictured (left to right): Dr Fiona Hill, alumna Beth Henderson (English Literature, Josephine Butler College, 2017-20) and Professor Karen O’Brien. 

Our telephone campaign wrapped up on Sunday 2 July and we're grateful for the overwhelmingly positive response. We raised a total of £159,738 for the Durham Future Fund.  

Thanks to your support, we can provide personal development grants, hardship funding and scholarships to students like Dilan (pictured) who can make the most of their Durham education. 

With your help, we can ensure that all students, irrespective of background, can fulfil their potential.

Are you considering postgraduate study in the Arts & Humanities or Social Sciences & Health? Do you have a first-class undergraduate degree?

The brand-new Dean’s Scholarship could be for you! The scholarship is available to support high-achieving students from the UK looking to embark on a taught Master’s programme in academic year 2023/24. The scholarship is worth £2,500.

If you want to help inspire future Durham students but didn’t undertake postgraduate studies, there is another opportunity to consider! 

The University is participating in With Insight Education’s ‘Insight2Uni’ mentoring programme. A series of careers talks aimed at Black heritage year 12 school pupils is planned for August. With Insight Education are seeking Black heritage Durham alumni to share their career journeys. If you’re interested or want to know more, get in touch using the button below.

Alumni gathered in Delhi recently for the Delhi Alumni Chapter’s cocktail event. Delhi Alumni Chapter Lead Sahil Kumar (MBA, University College, 2019-20) said: 

"The alumni event started with a mellow vibe but soon became an absolute blast with memories, mouthwatering bites, and delicious cocktails. It was absolute fun getting to know our incredible fellow alumni from our Uni and making memories that'll last."

To connect with your local alumni chapter, use the button below.  

Mid-June at Ustinov saw our GCR Summer Ball at Beamish Hall, as well as our Annual Conference with several keynote speakers and postgraduate presenters. Our Annual Art Exhibition launched closely after, with a reception and tour of the art by Redcar based artist Wendy Lowrey. The exhibition runs until Friday 21 July.  

Early July was the turn of our signature Ustinov Day featuring fairground rides, a bouncy castle, live music and more to mark the summer holidays. 

Van Mildert alumni gathered in London in May for a ‘call my bluff’-style wine tasting. Participants tasted five wines from various countries, varieties, vintages and price points.  

A panel of experts comprising Martin Gamman (Zoology, 1981-84) from Joseph Perrier Champagne, Abigail Bennington (Combined Social Sciences, 1995-98) independent wines and spirits educator, and current Van Mildert student William Doble-Thompson each gave tasting notes, but only one was telling the truth!  

Participants voted for who they thought was truthfully describing the wine, with Chris Halliburton (1967-70) crowned overall winner. 

Congratulations to Dr Arlene Holmes-Henderson, our Associate Professor of Classics and Ancient History, who has been made an MBE by King Charles III for Services to Education. 

The honour, awarded in the King’s 2023 Birthday Honours, recognises Dr Holmes-Henderson’s work to make Classics more widely available in schools and helping young people develop their communications skills. 

A new English literature scholarship will launch this autumn to support undergraduate UK students of Black heritage at Durham, with applicants eligible to apply for the 2024/25 academic year. 

We’re delighted that this scholarship has been made possible by Durham alumnus, UK journalist and broadcaster Jeremy Vine (English, Hatfield College, 1983-86; Honorary Doctorate, 2012), who has generously donated £120,000. 

Pictured: Jeremy Vine (centre) with undergraduates Tessy Osagie-Iroguehi (left) and Sharon Behane (right) on Elvet Bridge, Durham. 

June’s Newswire featured the closing talk in the Ukrainian Talk Series for the 2022/23 academic year.  

Hosted by Dr Markian Prokopovych, Associate Professor at the Department of History, the discussion focused on the geo-security dimensions of the war in Ukraine. We were delighted to welcome panellists Bob Jensen and Mark Pfeifle, US security experts with significant governmental and crisis communications experience between them. 

Pictured (left to right): Prof Anoush Ehteshami, Bob Jensen, Dr Markian Prokopovych, Dr Igor Kotsiuba and Mark Pfeifle. 

Careers Adviser Stephen Nash has won the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) John Roberts Memorial Award 2023. 

Stephen is delighted with his achievement, which is awarded to the best student on the CEIGHE Postgraduate Diploma course. He is looking forward to putting his learning in to practice in his role, to the benefit of current students seeking career advice and direction. 

Pictured (left to right): Stephen Nash with Simon Brandwood (Director of Careers & Enterprise) 

The University’s Volunteering & Outreach team (DUVO) has won a prestigious International Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Excellence Gold Award.  

This accolade highlights the success of DUVO’s work and Durham’s commitment towards volunteering and community outreach. The team has won a number of awards in recent years, including the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service in 2020. 

Pictured (left to right): Stacy Porter and Jackie Lowes from the Volunteering & Outreach team