Faith & Globalisation Programme Durham University


Message from the Pro-Vice Chancellor (Research)


Professor Tom McLeish Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research)


Launching a programme like Faith and Globalisation requires people willing to take risks and invest in all sorts of ways. We are grateful to the Tony Blair Faith Foundation for planting the seed with us yet without prescribing the nature of the fruit.


The essential requirements of an effective programme of research and higher education in "Faith and Globalisation" are manifest in Durham: firstly the extraordinary depth and breadth of learning here,secondly the easy and generous way in which Durham academics from different disciplines work together to address the pressing and essentially cross-disciplinary agendas of our time, and thirdly the global reach and connectivity of their collaborations and partnerships. Given these qualities the suggestion by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation that Durham take the UK lead in the topical international network becomes natural. Initial expressions of interest went well beyond the core disciplines of Government and international affairs and Theology and Religious Studies to Modern Languages and Cultures, Archaeology, Anthropology, Business, Law, Geography and Physics.


Some of the planning discussions were challenging, taking us into the realms of legislation for conflict resolution, the role of information technology in defining new ways of connecting and defining communities, the developing meanings of communicated visual symbols, mythological narratives describing our responsibilities to and relation with the earth


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itself, and the possibility of modelling the likelihood of religiously-motivated terrorist activity. These and other research questions driving the development of an imaginative masters-level curriculum is an exciting prospect. Co-working with partners from government, international organisations and faith communities in realising both the teaching and research arms of the programme is another strength and I look forward to seeing these innovative collaborations develop.


We are especially indebted to Martin and Judith St. Quinton, both Durham alumni, for generously supporting the Director's post and for taking such a personal interest in the development of this project. Their generosity made possible the appointment of Dr. Joanildo Burity who, apart from possessing an academic CV unsurpassable even in imagination in its suitability and profile to the project, has galvanised and delighted us in equal measure since arriving in 2009.


Our invitation to you is to join in, as a student, researcher, partner, commentator, supporter, so that together we can bring both experience and thinking to bear on the vital work of understanding our times, and realising our human responsibilities in a changing world.


Professor Tom McLeish Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research)


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