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A sector first; our new collaboration with Microsoft

19 Jan 2026

65,000 colleagues and students will receive full Microsoft 365 Copilot access and training, making Manchester the world’s first university to deploy equitable access across its entire community.

Two men walk and talk

Today’s announcement builds on Manchester’s 76-year AI legacy – from Alan Turing to our ongoing expertise in AI with more than 1,600 researchers working across disciplines to understand and shape the technology.

Providing equitable AI access and training to our colleagues and students will give students future-ready skills and enable researchers to accelerate interdisciplinary discovery and analysis at scale. For academic and professional services colleagues, it will support more efficient ways of working and free up time for higher-value, strategic activity.

Why are we doing this?

Employers increasingly expect graduates to be confident users of AI technologies; through access to Microsoft 365 Copilot and training, Manchester graduates will be well prepared for the modern workplace.  Students will be able to use Microsoft 365 Copilot to support their studies in line with the University’s policies on the responsible use of AI.

Researchers will be able to use Microsoft 365 Copilot to reduce time spent on routine tasks and explore ideas beyond their immediate disciplines. It enhances evidence gathering by navigating wider and more diverse literature, strengthens understanding through fast and accurate synthesis, and accelerates data analysis to unlock insights sooner. Manchester researchers are already using AI to advance breast cancer treatment and improve menopause care, transform crop productivity, and reduce waste in the fashion industry.

This is a significant move towards addressing the emerging digital divide by ensuring that all students can benefit from advanced assistive and productivity tools, regardless of personal means.

This is a key example of From Manchester for the world in action. Our strategy places digital transformation at the centre of our future and this strategic collaboration will embed AI into everyday tools in a safe, consistent way within a secure environment – protecting University data and intellectual property.

The rollout will be delivered in partnership with the Students’ Union, trade unions and staff networks. We are working closely with Microsoft and the University’s Environmental Sustainability Group to ensure transparency around environmental and wider impacts, and to promote best practice in responsible and sustainable AI adoption. Microsoft’s long-standing commitments to sustainability were an important consideration for us in partnering with them. These include being committed to becoming carbon negative, water positive and zero waste by 2030.

Professor Duncan Ivison, our President and Vice-Chancellor, said: “AI is now part of everyday life. Our responsibility is not only to make these tools available to all our students and colleagues on an equitable basis, but to use the depth of expertise across our university to shape how AI is developed and applied for public good. 

“By embracing the AI transformation early, we are working with students, colleagues and partners to maximise the benefits and manage risks responsibly. The great universities of the 21st century will be digitally enabled – this collaboration represents a significant step on that journey for Manchester.” 

Professor Jenn Hallam, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students, said: “Every student deserves access to the best AI tools to enable them to thrive in their studies – no matter their circumstances or background. AI is an enabler for teaching and learning, not a replacement. It’s not just supportive in the classroom, but in wider productivity and future life skills and we’re giving students the tools and training to use it in the right way, ethically and appropriately. We’re not just preparing graduates who can go out and get good jobs, we’re preparing the next generation of citizens. That’s the mission of Manchester – you'll get a great degree, but we’ll also prepare you for a fast-changing world.”

Amrit Dhillon, Faculty of Science and Engineering Executive Officer for the University's Students' Union, said: “Having access to this free, equitable AI platform from a sector-leading company will be an amazing aid to revision and translation. It will help students thrive.”

But she also acknowledged the need for appropriate use policies and training support to ensure that students use AI “ethically and responsibly”.

Patrick Parkinson, Head of Research for the University of Manchester’s School of Natural Sciences, said: “To meet the major challenges of the 21st Century, we’re increasingly going to be doing interdisciplinary research. This means being on top of lots and lots of different fields all at the same time.

“As a researcher in photonic materials, M365 Copilot’s really going to make a difference, enabling me to stay on top of the huge flow of information coming from fields in materials, photonics, physics and engineering applications to meet some of the greatest challenges when building large, interdisciplinary teams.”

Vicki Woodward, Director of AI Innovation at Unit M, said: “I’m incredibly excited to share the news of the new collaboration. AI is transforming higher education and we want to be ahead of these developments so that our students have the tools and skills they need to thrive, our colleagues can use their time in the most effective ways and to free more time for researchers to develop and publish ground-breaking research.”

PJ Hemmaway, Chief Information Officer, added: “This partnership with Microsoft is a game-changer for our University. It will put cutting-edge AI tools like Microsoft 365 Copilot into the hands of our staff and students, helping them work smarter, learn faster and innovate more. We are committed to giving our community the best digital resources and skills, and this collaboration will open exciting opportunities for research, teaching and service excellence.”

What’s next?

The rollout of licenses will be phased and implementation planning is now underway. This is moving at pace and further details, and next steps, will be released in the coming weeks.

In the meantime: