Durham University is a collegiate public research university in Durham, England, founded by Act of Parliament in 1832 and incorporated by royal charter in 1837. It was the first recognised university to open in England for more than 600 years after Oxford and Cambridge, making it the third-oldest university in England.
As a collegiate institution, Durham divides its functions between academic departments — which conduct research and teaching — and 17 colleges responsible for student welfare and domestic life. A member of the Russell Group, the university is also affiliated with the N8 Research Partnership, the Matariki Network and the Coimbra Group. Its estate includes 83 listed buildings, from the 11th-century Durham Castle to 1960s brutalist architecture, and it jointly manages the Durham World Heritage Site with Durham Cathedral. The university’s ownership of the site encompasses Durham Castle, Palace Green and the historic Cosin’s Library. Durham graduates traditionally use the Latin post-nominal Dunelm, derived from Dunelmensis — of, or belonging to, Durham.
Durham University appears in our Field Notes coverage of a rare crown and a squid in the dark.
