President's weekly update
18 May 2023
Celebrating our positive wider impacts
It has been a week with several celebratory events which have all been fantastic.
We held our annual Cockcroft Rutherford lecture, the biggest alumni event of the year, with around 600 people attending and many more watching online. This year’s fantastic lecture was given by Professor Tony Redmond on ‘Medical Humanitarianism: reflections on a lifetime on the frontline’. Tony spoke about his incredible medical activities in some of the most challenging parts of the world and his founding of UK-Med which now resides in our Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI). You can watch the event.
We held our annual Making a Difference awards ceremony in the Whitworth Hall, hosted by our Chancellor Nazir Afzal. We recognised the many very impressive activities of our staff, students, alumni and partners. You can watch the whole event.
In yet another ceremony we honoured three remarkable individuals with the award of our Medal of Honour. Clare Bottle was recognised for her commitment to the cause of equality for women; Professor Aneez Esmail for his contributions to public health, his challenges to racism in the medical profession and his significant contributions to the senior leadership of The University of Manchester; and Russell Meehan for his sustained contribution to the cultural life of the city of Manchester, and also the Northwest region.
Talking with the School of Medical Sciences
As part of our regular series of visits and discussions with Schools, students in SMS asked about feedback opportunities, fitness to practice which applies to medical and dental students and opportunities for study and electives in other parts of the University. With staff we discussed the potential impact of the marking and assessment boycott, research culture and the decline of staff interactions since COVID, difficulties with PGR admissions given the numbers now applying, and with study spaces, particularly in Stopford Building which has limited spaces for student study, interactions and catering.
Welcoming international visitors
I spoke to a visiting group of North American counsellors who advise students on their choice of University. They had an extended tour of the University including student accommodation, cultural institutions and the city. North America is a key target for us for student recruitment.
I met a delegation from Saudi Arabia, including Dr Amal Shuqair, Deputy Minister for Scholarships, Ministry of Education, to discuss recruitment of Saudi students to the University and research links.
Building on our engagement in Greater Manchester
Together with other Greater Manchester Vice-Chancellors, I met with a group of Principals of Further Education Colleges to discuss how we can work more closely together. Topics of discussion included support for teaching maths, mental health and wellbeing, continuing professional development for their staff and support in areas where they have great difficulty in recruiting staff, notably engineering.
At a meeting with senior staff at Bruntwood, including the CEO, Chris Oglesby, we talked about the strategic plans for each of our institutions, including our partnership with Bruntwood and Legal & General on Innovation District Manchester, innovation, urban development, environmental sustainability, health equity and creative endeavours.
Further Government discussions
I chaired a Russell Group discussion with Chloe Smith, the interim Secretary of State for Science, Innovation and Technology. We discussed the value and roles of universities, the importance of association with Horizon Europe and of extending the funding guarantee beyond the end of June, and the role of the new Department for Science, Technology and Innovation. At present negotiations on Horizon association are ongoing.
In another meeting with Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the Minister responsible for China and Northeast Asia, Russell Group colleagues and I discussed security issues, government delays in approval of international students and staff who are moving to UK universities and the importance of international students to universities and the wider economy. A recent report showed that they bring £42bn per annum into the country.
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor