Durham University, founded in 1832, has a worldwide reputation in all areas of the arts, humanities, natural and social sciences. The University is currently ranked 4th in the UK Complete University Guide (2011), 6th in the Times Good University Guide and is in the Top 100 Universities in the world as ranked by Times Higher Education and QS (2010).  The University has 15,000 students (of whom 4,500 are postgraduates and 3,000 international students from over 120 countries) and employs over 3,000 staff. Its academic teaching and research programmes are delivered through 26 academic departments contained within three faculties: Arts and Humanities, Science, and Social Sciences and Health as well as eight cross-disciplinary Research Institutes. The University is engaged in a full range of higher educational activities, including high-quality teaching and learning at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, advanced research and scholarship, partnerships with businesses and other private and public sector bodies, and partnerships and initiatives with community and voluntary sector organisations. The School of Education has a strong post-graduate programme at masters and doctoral levels, with a large number of international students. Durham University is one of the top universities in the UK.

The School of Education is one of the leading departments for education in the UK, recognised for the quality of its teaching, research and for its high levels of student satisfaction. It has been recognised as a leading centre of research of world-class and international quality in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise. Staff, along with our postgraduate research student community, are involved in a wide variety of educational research areas, including intercultural education, assessment, evaluation and school effectiveness, science and mathematics education, arts, drama and music education, curriculum practice, international educational development, and critical and philosophical approaches to education. The School has a strong record in attracting Research Councils funding. A recent Ofsted inspection has resulted in an ‘Outstanding' grading for all aspects of its initial teacher training provision, demonstrating the strengths that a research-intensive university like Durham has in the vital work of preparing new teachers.

The partners in Durham have expertise in international and intercultural education as both teachers and researchers in the discipline. The leader has international experience in teaching international students (in Italy, China, Hong Kong, and New Zealand). Her PhD research specifically focused on international students’ intercultural communication issues. Her publications and research contracts address the intercultural communication and learning experiences of international students, and their relationships with people in the host institution. The co-investigator has expertise in the European dimension of intercultural education, and identity construction in European intercultural settings. Durham University is actively strengthening and promoting internationalisation with Erasmus student programmes being an important part of creating and sustaining an international communication of students. Thus, it is receptive to ensuring the best possible preparation and delivery of training programmes for intercultural education and experience for both incoming and outgoing Erasmus students.

Accordingly with its profile, Durham University will lead WP4. Nevertheless Durham will contribute to all the implementation and transversal WPs.