HUNDREDS of students have held a protest at their university's plans to close departments and axe courses.

About 200 students gathered on the steps of Old Shire Hall as Durham University's senate approved an £8.7m investment plan that will see money channelled into popular subjects that attract national praise and research funding.

The move will lead to the university closing its East Asian Studies and Linguistics and English Language departments, and phasing out degrees in European studies and sport, health and exercise, along with some undergraduate courses in its Institute for Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies.

The university says Japanese, Chinese and Arabic language tuition will be carried on through other departments.

It said its plans will allow more investment in key areas including chemistry, law and geological sciences.

The move would affect up to 40 teaching and back-up staff, some of whom could be made redundant.

Hana Alhivsa, who is studying Arabic and Middle Eastern politics, said it was wrong.

She said: "People like us are needed to educate the rest of us''

Linguistics lecturer Mike Davenport said: "We contribute to the university in terms of finance and diversity of the student body because we attract overseas, non-European students.

"They pay about £7,900-a-year, so any argument about our financial situation seems ill-founded.

"The university has problems, no doubt, but are we sacrificial lambs for problems we didn't cause?"

A university spokesman said the shake-up would mean phasing out relatively low-demand subjects.

He said back-up staff might be redeployed, but any losses in teaching posts could be offset by the creation of 40 more in the areas receiving investment.