President's weekly update
17 July 2014
I formally signed an important international collaboration between the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC) and the Peking University Health Science Center (PUHSC) on genomics. It was a pleasure to welcome back a large team from Beijing, led by Professor Fang at an event held at Chancellors. I signed on behalf of the University and Sir Mike Deegan signed on behalf of the Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. Some of our visitors were very keen to attend one of our degree ceremonies, which was hastily arrange by Mike Gibbons, Director of Student Recruitment and International Development.
I also discussed collaborations with the President of New York University (NYU), Professor John Sexton. NYU is a great university with a number of things in common with ours and John, Professor Rod Coombs (Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor) and I have talked a few times about possible collaborations. They also now have a football team (that’s soccer in US terms).
We celebrated a further major award from Alliance Boots for our research on the prevention of skin ageing, led by Professor Chris Griffiths in the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences. The team from Alliance Boots told us of the great success of the project to date. This has led to many publications, patents, conference presentations, media coverage, staff training and exchanges, and Research Excellence Framework impact cases, as well as new and improved products for the company - a great example of how industrial partnerships can benefit all involved.
I am very happy that we have signed a deal which will see a hotel and executive education centre developed on campus. The landmark hotel development by Bruntwood, will provide an excellent facility for visitors to the Manchester Business School (MBS), the campus and the city, and the adjoining executive education centre will enable MBS, together with its many partners across the University, to expand the delivery of its increasingly popular corporate leadership and management courses to industry. I attended an event at the site to celebrate this announcement where many photos were taken using the large ‘MBS’ sign that is used for graduation.
You can find out more at:
I attended the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership meeting in the Town Hall. We celebrated the excellent outcome for Manchester in the recent Growth Deal from government and heard about plans to support and grow manufacturing in the region. Members were keen to hear more about Manchester as European City of Science and the big Science Festival (ESOF) to be held in 2016.
The University is launching a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education this autumn. It will be open to all staff: academic, relevant Professional Support Services and those who work within the cultural institutions, but is already oversubscribed. For more details visit:
I went to see Professor John Brooks, Vice-Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) to discuss common interests, particularly about our participation as partners in the ‘Oxford Road Corridor’ and as shareholders in Manchester Science Parks. John took me on a tour of their new building on the Birley Fields Campus which is due to open soon and is very impressive – you may have seen it with the huge MMU logo on the front.
Professor Clive Agnew (Vice-President for Teaching Learning and Students) and I met with Charlie Cook, who has recently taken up the role of General Secretary of the Manchester Students’ Union. Since taking up office, Charlie has had an extremely busy time. In her first week she has attended Teaching and Learning Group, Planning and Resources Committee and the Board of Governors, each with very lengthy papers. We assured that it would get easier as she becomes more familiar with how the University works.
We had a follow up to the event that several staff from the University organised with the Stroke Association on Science Stroke Art in May. It was held at the start of a whole month of stroke awareness activities with stroke survivors, their friends and family and the wider public including many events for children to learn about the brain and you can find out more about this project at:
On the website you’ll find a very moving blog and poem written by one of our staff members, Dr Esther Gomez-Sierra:
The weather has stayed pretty good for the degree ceremonies - fingers crossed for the remaining ones. There was much excitement at one of the ceremonies when the boyfriend of one of our graduating students attended – he is a member of the band One Direction, but he managed to sneak in unnoticed.
After the degree ceremonies, things usually quieten down in the University - but there’s no sign of this happening just yet I’m afraid!