Welcome, Professor Duncan Ivison
01 Aug 2024
Meet our new President and Vice-Chancellor
Dear All,
Today marks my first day as President &Vice-Chancellor at The University of Manchester. It is deeply humbling and a profound privilege to join this remarkable institution.
I am grateful for the warm welcome that so many of you – staff, students, alumni, supporters and friends of the University - have shown me, and my partner Di, since we arrived in Manchester a few weeks ago. I want to thank Nancy, especially, for her gracious and generous support since my appointment was announced. I have hugely enjoyed working with her over the past few months, and I intend to do all I can to build on the extraordinary legacy she leaves our University.
Since arriving in Manchester, I have been reflecting on how I got here! My studies and career, up to this point, have taken me across three continents. Originally from Montréal, Canada, I completed my BA (Hons) in Political Science and Philosophy at McGill University. I then completed my M.Sc. and PhD at the London School of Economics and Political Science, followed by appointments in Australia, the UK (at York University) and in Canada (at the University of Toronto). For the past two decades, I've been at the University of Sydney, most recently as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research). This experience has reinforced my belief in the power of diverse perspectives and global collaboration – values that I see reflected in everything we do at Manchester.
Why Manchester?
Many of you have been asking me about my vision for the University. Let me say at the outset that this is something we need to construct together, reflecting on our shared values, but also on our ambitions for the future.
One of the reasons I’ve come to Manchester is because I think you already embrace a powerful set of ideas that I am excited for us to build on: a deep, place-based commitment to the well-being of communities we serve; an aspiration for excellence in teaching and research; and a distinctive sense of social responsibility in all that we do. Many universities talk about these ideals: few combine their commitment to them in the way Manchester does.
What role can universities play in shaping our world?
But we live in interesting times. A new government. A higher education sector under stress. And a world facing ever greater challenges — a deepening climate crisis, persistent inequalities, and societal and technological changes which all demand innovative responses from institutions like ours.
What does it mean to be a great university in these circumstances? How should we write the next chapter of the University’s remarkable history as it begins its third century? How do we ensure we are making choices that matter to us, and our future, as opposed to being made for us?
What’s next?
We’ll have a chance to address some of these questions, together, over the coming months — about which I’ll have more to say soon.
For now, I am looking forward to meeting as many of you as I possibly can, getting to know this wonderful campus, and re-acquainting myself with Manchester and the region.
Get in touch
I would also like to warmly invite you to an open meeting on Tuesday, 6 August. I hope many of you can join.
On 7 August, I will be taking over the University’s Instagram together with our student content creators for a Q&A – it’s a chance for you to ask me anything, so keep an eye out on your feed.
Please don’t hesitate to stop and say hello if you see me around campus, or get in touch through email, X (@DuncanIvison), LinkedIn, or at the many events we have planned over the coming months.
I am truly thrilled to be joining the University of Manchester community.
Best wishes, D