News

Universities of Newcastle and Durham propose 'academic transfers'

(3 December 2003)

Two of the North’s leading universities are preparing plans to exchange two subject areas to reinforce their respective strengths.

Under the proposal the University of Durham is looking to transfer Linguistics to the University of Newcastle. At the same time, Newcastle plans to move its Religious Studies group to join Durham’s Department of Theology.

The proposal was backed by both universities’ Senates (academic ‘parliament’) on 2nd December, and will be considered by their Councils later this month.

Arrangements for existing students in both subjects to complete their degrees in their current university are being discussed, along with other aspects of the change.

All the departments involved in the move have achieved a leading Grade 5 rating for international-class research in the most recent national assessment. Newcastle has the larger Linguistics group while Durham’s Theology is the bigger of the two.

Between them the universities are already attracting a significant proportion of the available undergraduate applicants for these subjects, so they have decided that it makes sense to consolidate their respective strengths.

Durham’s Vice-Chancellor Sir Kenneth Calman said: “There is definite strength in numbers for academic departments in the changing financial climate for universities and our plans ensure that both subject areas are retained as an educational resource in this region.”

Professor Christopher Edwards, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne said: “This exchange of subjects will strengthen significantly religious studies at Durham and linguistics at Newcastle and hence strengthen the competitive position of both these subjects nationally.”

The universities are preparing a bid to the Higher Education Funding Council for England for financial support for the moves from its Strategic Development Fund.

3 December 2003