Cattle grazing at a nature reserve in the Yorkshire Dales has increased plant diversity by over 40% according to research by the University of Leeds. Allowing native cattle breeds to roam large areas of the landscape at Ingleborough has also led to a five-fold increase in the number of butterflies.

Big tech and finance are driving inequality while right wing populism threatens women's rights in the 21st century, according to a trailblazing trade unionist who will speak at the University. Frances O'Grady, the former general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), will deliver the 2026 Alice Bacon Lecture at the University's Great Hall on Thursday, March 12.

Leeds alumni, staff and former staff member have been elected as inaugural Fellows of the Academy for the Mathematical Sciences. Three alumni were among members of the Leeds community formally appointed as Fellows of a national body that focuses on applying mathematics to public life and policymaking.

The University has joined forces with over 30 local organisations to develop an online course for volunteers - which is now available absolutely free. Essential Skills for Volunteers is an open access course aimed at existing volunteers and anyone who may be considering volunteering but doesn't know where to start.

A University of Leeds alum has secured £260,000 funding to propel their AI study assistant business. Dragos Popa, who studied a BSc Computer Science at the University of Leeds, co-founded Plato during his third year with help from SPARK , the University's business start-up support service.

A Leeds MP heard how the University of Leeds is playing a crucial role in driving regional economic growth. Mark Sewards, MP for Leeds South West and Morley, visited the University's innovation hub, Nexus, to discuss growth opportunities at a round table with civic partners.

The University of Leeds has achieved a Bronze Race Equality Charter award from Advance HE, recognising the depth and integrity to understand and commit to address racial inequalities. The Race Equality Charter provides a national framework for universities to examine institutional and cultural barriers affecting staff and students from racially minoritised ethnic backgrounds and to develop clear, measurable action plans to remove them.

Tropical forests help to generate vast amounts of rainfall each year, adding weight to arguments for protecting them as water and climate pressures increase, say researchers. A new study led by the University of Leeds has put a monetary value on one of forests' least recognised services as a source of rainfall to surrounding regions, finding that each hectare generates 2.4 million litres of rain each year - enough to fill an Olympic-sized swimming pool.