Manchester 2035: what we heard in phase two and what’s next

The next step is the drafting phase. We’ll begin writing the new strategy in June, and we're currently thinking hard about how we best reflect the views, ideas and concerns we've heard throughout this process, from the whole university community. 

You can now explore a summary of all the feedback submitted:

• Feedback submitted at the in-person Ideas Lab
• Feedback in the digital Ideas Lab

You told us you were excited about bold ideas – and raised important questions about how they’ll work in practice.

Many people told us they want to see the University get better – though they expressed that in different ways, with different priorities and levels of confidence. What stood out was a shared desire to protect what makes Manchester distinctive, while being open to thoughtful and ambitious change. 

Across all five leaps, we heard strong support for the ambition to be one of the world’s great universities by 2035 by building on ourstrengths, and our values. 

Here’s a snapshot of what we heard: 

Flexible, personalised, and digitally enabled learning 

• You and our students were excited about prospect of greater personalisation, more support for our students and about service learning to connect study with real-world challenges. 
• You want to be more involved in how we can diversify our blend of on campus, online, partner-based teaching to ensure we consider the ethical and environmental implications of AI where we use it to enhance the student experience. 

Digital inside and out 

• You backed the ambition to reduce admin and enable collaboration through better digital tools. Strong support came for the idea of freeing up time to focus on what matters most – students, teaching, research and partnership. 
• But you highlighted foundational issues that need fixing first. Questions were raised about whether digital-first approaches truly reflect day-to-day experience, and you flagged the risk in prioritising technology over people and the challenges of prioritisation and affordability.

Accelerating the path from research excellence to impact 

• You were excited about potential for more interdisciplinary research, stronger research culture, and focused investment in people and ideas.  
• But you flagged concerns around recognition for impact that isn’t easily measured, and the need for better support for collaboration across boundaries. 

A powerhouse of innovation 

• You welcomed the emphasis on entrepreneurship and innovation – particularly where it delivers local benefit and social value. Many were in favour of stronger support for early-stage spinouts and called for better connections with external partners. 
• But you asked for careful thought about who we collaborate with and how these partnerships reflect our values.  

The university to partner with 

• You welcomed the dual focus on our civic responsibility and international connections. There was strong support for making the University more open, accessible, and embedded in its communities. 
• But you reminded us that there are a range of conditions need to be in place if we are truly to make a leap to be the university to partner with.  

What happens next 

We’re now moving into the drafting phase of the strategy. This is where we take what we’ve heard to shape a clear, purposeful direction. We’ll also be mining your feedback for continuous improvement – especially the steady stream of smart ideas (small and large) that could make a big difference. We have also gathered a lot of input into how the strategy should be delivered, which we will use to help inform our thinking on implementation.  

We’ll share an early preview of the direction of travel with colleagues at the September staff townhall, ahead of the final strategy launch in October. 

What to expect from the strategy 

The strategy will set our ambition and direction. It won’t be a detailed delivery plan, and it won’t include alot of fine-grained operational detail. That will come in due course. Instead, it will provide a shared framework – giving us the clarity and confidence to work together on the choices and challenges ahead. 

Drawing on everything we’ve heard through the engagement process so far, it will reflect our shared purpose: to be a university with a strong sense of place, but also with global aspirations – combining academic excellence with genuine societal impact. It will guide how we accelerate discovery, connect across disciplines, and better support our students and staff to thrive in a changing world. 

We also want to be clear that the launch is just the start. The implementation phase will be purposeful, structured and inclusive – and we’ll continue to engage with you throughout.  

Thank you 

Whether you submitted feedback online, came to the Ideas Lab, spoke with colleagues, or simply took the time to reflect – thank you. It’s been a remarkable experience for me to hear from literally thousands of you throughout the process so far. My intention is to ensure we can keep listening and learning from each other as we set the course for our next century. There are big challenges ahead – but exciting times too.  

Best wishes,  

Duncan

More information

• Manchester 2035 webpage