University of Leeds Professor of Poetry Simon Armitage has been appointed the UK’s new Poet Laureate. He succeeds Dame Carol Ann Duffy in the 351-year-old role, becoming the 21st Poet Laureate for a fixed term of ten years.

New research from Leeds and UCL reveals clues to a crucial period of rapid evolution in complex animals that began roughly 540 million years ago. The research indicates that fluctuations in atmospheric oxygen levels corresponded with evolutionary surges and extinctions in animal biodiversity.

Analysis of water samples from the UK’s Humber estuary by Leeds scientists has revealed high levels of pharmaceuticals, with ibuprofen found at some of the highest concentrations ever reported across the globe.

Leeds Digital Festival runs from April 23 - May 3. Supported by the University, the 10 day event will see a packed programme of talks and workshops across the city. 

Catriona Macleod (International Business 2014) is the accessories buying admin assistant at luxury retailer Browns. Here she explains her roundabout route into fashion buying and her experiences of the industry. 

Leeds has been recognised as one of the world's most international universities. The Times Higher Education ranking shows that Leeds has risen for a second consecutive year, and is now in the top 40 in the world.  

Brian MacArthur (English 1961) has passed away. He was 79. Brian was of the longest serving journalists in Fleet Street, and founder editor of former national newspaper Today and the Times Higher Education Supplement.

Josefin Ekermann (Chinese 2014) sadly lost her life in the recent plane crash in Eithiopia. Josefin worked to human rights defenders and was on her way to Nairobi to meet East African partner organisations.

A free, family-friendly open day on Saturday 30 March will give an insight into some of the University’s most engaging research. There will be more than 40 stalls with a range of activities for all ages, including a children's sticker trail, for 5 to 12-year-olds. 

The University has announced 50 fully-funded PhD researcher places to unlock the potential of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in medical diagnosis and care.
A new centre for doctoral training (CDT) will be created, with a focus on the early detection, diagnosis, treatment and care of cancer.