SALC External Relations update
27 Mar 2018
Professor Ana Carden-Coyne gives a reflection on her 3 years as Director of External Relations
External Relations. What’s that?
How we engage with the world outside the University, through internationalisation; cultural and business partnerships; social responsibility; communications; validating partner degrees.
During my term, validation underwent a set of demanding reviews resulting in sweeping changes. Dr Jackie Suthren Hirst (R&T), Ashton Bamfield, Fiona Cooper, Morag Guilfoyle and all the CAAs in AHVS/RT have worked tirelessly behind the scenes and must be applauded.
External Relations is also about building bridges. Together the AD Social Responsibility (Pierre Fuller) and AD Impact team (Yaron Matras; Lucy Stone) ensure that our research benefits communities and empowers audiences.
We created several new funding streams for academics and students to support activities that unite SR with our cultural and language expertise.
ER sustains our partnerships with significant external cultural institutions (Home; BBC; Oldham Coliseum, Manchester Art Gallery), and through schools, exhibitions, concerts, festivals, charities, media, co-produced research and cross-School projects (MIF; the UNESCO bid, Refugee Week are highlights).
We have made our presence felt in the Culture Forum North, N8 and in the devolution agenda. Some great SALC projects have come out of business engagement with the creative industries digital SME sector in the city.
The launch of the SALC magazine, underwritten by the enthusiasm and commitment of the Comms team (Anne-Marie Nugnes) and the External Relations Manager, Mark Woolstencroft, crafted a compelling story for the world beyond our doors and desks.
The Arts and Environment initiative provides a new platform for research and advocacy. Working with our Research Director (Roy Gibson) on internationalisation, the collaboration with Melbourne University fostered grants, special editions, exhibitions, and PGR exchange.
Despite the stark times we are faced with, the spirits of creativity and community in our School, which I have been fortunate in supporting through this role, are forces of imagination and change outside the University.
Now all we need to realize is the 6th Beacon. And I thought WW1 was tricky!
Professor Ana Carden-Coyne