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Thought Leadership

Disney wrongful death legal case exposes potential pitfalls of automatically clicking ‘I agree’

Disney has made international headlines after it performed a U-turn on using terms of service to dismiss a wrongful death lawsuit. Dr Stergios Aidinlis, from our Law School, explores the potential consequences of completing a user agreement without reading the fine print.
The building at Disneyland Paris

Corruption holds small businesses back: Ghana study reveals two strategies to avoid the traps

Corruption is one of the biggest challenges small business owners face in Ghana. Professor Joseph Amankwah-Amoah, from our Business School, explores the best strategies business owners in the African country can deploy to mitigate the adverse effects corruption carries.
Men working at a Ghanaian fishing port

Offering insights into global electoral integrity

Dr Juraj Medzihorsky is an Assistant Professor in our School of Government and International Affairs and part of the Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) project. The V-Dem project compiles and analyses data to offer a deeper insight into global democracy and the integrity of the election process.
A range of hand posting votes into a voting box

After teachers in England receive pay award – here’s what else needs to be done to keep them in schools

After the UK's Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson accepted recommendations to give teachers in England a 5.5% pay rise, Professor Stephen Gorard from our School of Education and Beng Huat See from the University of Birmingham explore what else can be done to keep teachers in the profession.
Female teacher smiles at a class of children with their arms raised

Is Britain on track for a zero-carbon power sector in six years?

The new government has created Great British Energy as part of its pledge to try and achieve zero-carbon electricity production by 2030. Professor Jon Gluyas and Dr Andrew Crossland, from the Durham Energy Institute as well as working in the Departments of Earth Sciences and Engineering respectively, assess whether that ambition is realistic.
Solar panels on a roof surrounded by a sunny sky.

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