The Durham Humanitarian Model for Internationalisation

Durham University has developed an innovative 'humanitarian model' for the internationalisation of universities; a model which is recognised by the HEFCE and the British Council as a ‘flagship' approach which has transferable outcomes to other institutions and other countries.

This is a model wherein a university recognises and responds to the needs of human society and grounds its intellectual endeavours in humanitarian objectives. This initiative began in Sri Lanka, in response to the tsunami disaster which decimated lives and livelihoods in December 2004. Since that time, 'Project Sri Lanka' has significantly developed into a complex programme of activities and partnerships which aim to support the sustainable development of Sri Lankan communities in need. It is being transferred to other locations beyond the tsunami coast of Sri Lanka, and internationally to Thailand.

The essential characteristics of the Durham Model for internationalisation are:

• It is grounded in the clearly identified needs of communities
• It is all-inclusive - involving undergraduate and post-graduate students; academic staff, support staff and Durham's local and regional communities
• It is intended to be long-term in nature
• It encompasses academic research and teaching alongside financial, emotional and 'human' support for communities
• It is conducted through a network of partnerships both in the UK and in the overseas location
• It contributes to the embedding of ‘internationalisation' within whole institutional culture.