Skip to navigation | Skip to main content | Skip to footer
Menu
Search the University of Manchester siteSearch Menu StaffNet

Greater Manchester Universities launch refreshed civic mission

27 Oct 2025

We’ve come together with our fellow Greater Manchester universities to refresh our shared civic priorities, continuing our commitment to improving lives across the city-region.

Greater Manchester Universities launch refreshed civic mission

At a recent event hosted by the Royal Northern College of Music, we joined civic leaders, university partners and members of the Greater Manchester Citizens’ Panel to launch the updated priorities. These are part of the Greater Manchester Civic University Agreement (CUA), a partnership that brings together five universities and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority to align our strengths with the needs of our communities.

The refreshed priorities were shaped with input from the Citizens’ Panel and focus on four key areas where we can make the biggest difference:

  • Opportunity and Prosperity: widening access to education, supporting lifelong learning, encouraging innovation and helping people into good jobs.
  • Health and Wellbeing: training future healthcare professionals, supporting mental health, tackling inequalities and promoting prevention.
  • Culture: celebrating Greater Manchester’s cultural life, making the arts accessible and nurturing creative talent.
  • Environment: supporting the region’s journey to net zero through sustainable research, education and green skills development.

Together, our universities already contribute over £4 billion to the local economy each year, educate more than 100,000 students and welcome millions of residents to concerts, lectures and public events. They also train the region’s future workforce, including an estimated 9,500 nurses, 3,500 doctors, and 8,500 teachers between 2022 and 2027.

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham said: “Greater Manchester’s universities make a massive contribution to our city region, one that goes far beyond educating students. These refreshed civic priorities reflect the breadth of our universities’ impact across our society and economy, from creating jobs and supporting business innovation to enriching our culture. We recently set out our vision for Greater Manchester’s next decade of growth and we know our universities have a vital role to play in our continued success.”

This renewed commitment reflects our belief that we’re not separate from the city-region—we’re part of its fabric. By refreshing our priorities, we have renewed our pledge to work with civic partners and communities to make Greater Manchester a place where everyone can thrive.