I'm a Student Journalist at Durham University, currently on their study abroad year in Amsterdam.

From leading seminars to marking first-year essays, Postgraduate Researchers (PGRs) form the backbone of Durham University’s teaching provision. Even though they face the additional challenge of balancing their teaching duties with a full-time degree, many PGRs are extraordinarily passionate about their work, and without them the University would likely cease to function.

However, a recent Palatinate investigation has uncovered a series of issues surrounding the working conditions of PGRs. Over

‘Oxbridge reject’ is one of Durham’s most recurrent stereotypes. Due to Durham’s relatively high rankings in the UK university league tables, coupled with its college system and traditional quirks that replicate that of Oxford and Cambridge, for those not quite lucky enough to get an offer at either of the more famous universities, Durham is seen by many as the natural second-best alternative.

However, the perception that Durham is overrun with ‘Oxbridge rejects’ appears somewhat unwarranted.

Alyona Fedulova, a third-year Collingwood student reading French and Arabic, was visiting her native Ukraine to sort out a work visa, receive a booster shot and visit her grandparents, whom she hadn’t seen for over a year.

She arrived in Kyiv on 23rd February, and described how hours later, “I could see the smoke and the scattering of orange from the window” of her apartment in Obolon: “it was very, very close to us”. The war had begun.

“It was very scary. The scariest part was hearing civilia

At around noon on Thursday, the House of Commons was doing what it does best. The benches were packed, the exchanges were combative. The place was full of the sound and fury of adversarial politics. On all sides, MPs were engaged, not least because what was being discussed was so crucial to the lives of the millions of families they represent.

The new prime minister, Liz Truss, was just two days into the job. But that counted for nothing. The Speaker, Lindsay Hoyle, conscious that few policy st

For the first time since 2019, students are able to enjoy an Easter term without Covid-19 restrictions, and that means one thing – summer balls are back. Colleges and societies alike are going all out to entice students to part with their cash in exchange for a night (or more) of fancy meals and entertainment. Except 2022 is being marred by a cost-of-living crisis that most students have never faced before, so the rising prices of balls are under close scrutiny.

One swoop of Durfess explains the general mood – for many, balls are simply too expensive. College balls in particular have been attacked over their prices, most of which are set at around £70 or more per ticket. Josephine Butler College has received a disproportionate number of comments about the price of its summer ball (£75 for JCR members), which is perhaps understandable given its reputation of being the college for “working-class” students. However, I feel that all colleges must be held accountable for their extortionate ball prices given the current economic climate.

Blue light from artificial sources is on the rise, which may have negative consequences for human health and the wider environment, according to a study.

Academics at the University of Exeter have identified a shift in the kind of lighting technologies European countries are using at night to brighten streets and buildings. Using images produced by the International Space Station (ISS), they have found that the orange-coloured emissions from older sodium lights are rapidly being replaced by whi