Durham University Business School
Since opening our doors to students attending our first taught programmes in 1965, our Business School has grown into one of the UK’s leading institutions, consistently recognised for academic rigour, a global outlook, and a commitment to responsible business. Over six decades, we have empowered generations of students to become influential leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers worldwide. The Business School has recently welcomed Professor Kieran Fernandes as Executive Dean, following the retirement of Professor Cathy Cassell. Kieran has been instrumental in securing and extending the Business School’s links to both local and international industry, creating the means for students to learn directly from industry, for CEOs and entrepreneurs to benefit from faculty expertise and to boost innovation and business creation to support wider society. Alongside his role as Executive Dean, Professor Fernandes also serves as Executive Director of the North East Local Enterprise Partnership (NELEP) Innovation Observatory, further strengthening ties with business and policy leaders.
Our 60th anniversary is a moment to celebrate the people and values that have shaped our School – academic excellence, global thinking, and a deep responsibility to society. As we reflect on our journey, we also look forward with confidence to an exciting future of innovation, collaboration, and impact.”
Professor Kieran Fernandes
A transformative step: The Waterside
In April 2025, Paul Polman – a global business leader, environmentalist and author – officially opened the Waterside building, our new Business School location. With exceptional facilities, Waterside positions the School as a dynamic hub for entrepreneurship, innovation, and knowledge exchange. It is also fittingly home to the School’s Executive Education provision, which includes short courses along with the MBA and DBA programmes. It has already proven to be an attractive conference venue, hosting the inaugural MBA Alumni Conference.
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Van Mildert College
At Van Mildert College, we are enjoying celebrating our 60th year in 2025 with current and past students, staff and supporters.
Launching our year of celebration in London
The year of celebration was off to a flying start in January with a drinks and nibbles reception in London, hosted at Killik Stockbrokers in Mayfair. It was great to welcome many of our South East-based alumni, as well as some that had travelled from further afield.
Celebrating at the Norman Tower at Windsor Castle
The second major event in the calendar took place in the splendid setting of the Norman Tower at Windsor Castle, hosted by Lieutenant General Philip Jones, Governor of Windsor Castle and Van Mildert alumnus Mr Graham Barker. The evening provided an opportunity for alumni, friends and supporters of the College to strengthen and renew connections in a stunning and historic setting. During the evening, guests were invited to take a tour of St George’s Chapel and were entertained by world-class dulcimer player and alumnus Dan Evans.
A Gala Reunion Weekend in the Summer
In July, the traditional alumni reunion weekend in Durham is planned to be a glittering gala occasion. There will be a formal dinner in College, where alumnus and Olympian, Jonathan Edwards, will be speaking. There will be student bands, musicians and entertainers from throughout the last 60 fabulous years, as well as lots more activities. To mark the anniversary, there will be a photographic exhibition in College for the Gala Reunion to inspire memories from your time in College – and even the reconstruction of a student bedroom from 1965 – a real trip down Memory Lane for some!
We know that Mildertians have a special place in their hearts for the College. They hold cherished memories of their time here and have made connections for life. We look forward to welcoming them back, celebrating with them, sharing our plans and aspirations for the future, and most of all, having some fun.”
Professor Tom Mole, College Principal
Wrapping up and marking the anniversary pre-Christmas
The year will wrap up with pre-Christmas drinks and nibbles in London, and a “Carols in the Bar” event at the Betjemen Arms at St Pancras, London.
60 years of history
Named after William Van Mildert, the last Prince Bishop of Durham, who was instrumental in founding the University in 1832, Van Mildert College opened its doors in 1965 to 350 male students. Following the expansion of university education in the 1950s and 1960s, and with Durham’s growth boosted even further by its separation from Newcastle University in 1963, four new colleges were added to the existing eight. Along with Van Mildert the other new Colleges were Grey, Trevelyan and Collingwood. In the early 1970s, Van Mildert was the first Durham college to admit female students; with the first formal intake in October 1972; the other colleges soon followed suit. Today, the College is home to almost 1,600 students, with over 500 living-in. The College motto is that of William Van Mildert – sic vos non vobis (“Not for yourselves”) – and in line with this ethos, the students are renowned for their outreach and volunteering activities, and strong community spirit: within and beyond our own walls.
Looking to the future
As we celebrate our first sixty years of transforming lives, we also look ahead to the second sixty. We’ve consulted with current students and alumni to identify four jubilee projects: exciting, ambitious and deliverable plans for improving the student experience. All four focus on creating the sense of belonging that makes Mildert so special.
Our Jubilee Projects
- Student Experience Funding to remove financial barriers and make sure all our students get the most out of their college life, regardless of their background, interests, and financial situation.
- Common Room Space to give our students a place to gather, work, socialise and daydream over coffee. This space will bring livers-out back into college, improve students’ mental health, and be a hub for our ‘Critical Conversations’, which foster and model open, frank and respectful discussion.
- A new Boat House to allow more people to try rowing for the first time and foster a renewed sense of community within the Boat Club. Rather than simply replacing the one destroyed in an arson attack in 2021, we want to create a better facility for both novice and competitive rowers.
- Upgrades to the Ann Dobson Dining Hall to enrich the cultural life of College and upskill our student technical crews, allowing us to deliver more and better events like fashion shows, plays, concerts and formal dinners. We will renew the acoustic panels and install theatrical lighting and sound equipment.
We are extremely grateful to our alumni and supporters for their ongoing support.
To keep up to date with our plans as they unfold, visit the Van Mildert 60 page on our website, follow our socials or contact the College office on vm.development@durham.ac.uk
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