Skip to navigation | Skip to main content | Skip to footer
Menu
Search the Staffnet siteSearch StaffNet

President’s weekly message

27 November 2014

I spoke at an alumni event at the House of Commons, attended by over 100 graduates of the University. The event was oversubscribed and included those who had graduated last year and some who had left the University over 50 years ago. Prior to the dinner I met some London based members of our Global Leadership Board to update them on news from the University.

We held an event in the Whitworth Hall as part of the centenary commemoration to mark the contribution made by our staff and students during the First World War. This event forms part of a wider set of research and engagement activities over the next four years organised around the centenary of World War I, which you can find more about at:

It was a very moving event with remarkable music, composed and performed by our students, and a fantastic presentation on the social and cultural impact of World War I by Dr Ana Carden-Coyne from the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures and Co-Director of the Centre for the Cultural History of War (who curated the Sensory War 1914-2014 exhibition at the Manchester Art Gallery). There were also readings by some of our current students of letters sent from students fighting in the war to Professor Thomas Tout at the University, one of which was published in our University magazine in 1915. Our current Chancellor, Tom Bloxham, spoke about the massive impact of World War I on the University and Professor Rod Coombs (Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor) led a two minute silence. I read a message written in 1914 by Professor F E Weiss, who was the Vice-Chancellor of the University to his staff and students explaining the situation which the University was facing. This remarkable event had many contributors but was masterminded and led by the University Historian and Heritage Manager, Dr James Hopkins.

Also this week we held our annual lunch for emeritus professors of the University in the Whitworth Hall. About 75 emeritus professors attended, some of whom still play an active role in the University. I gave a presentation on our achievements and future ambitions and challenges, then took questions, many about our campus developments and compliments about our success!

I chaired a meeting of the Board of the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre in the place of Sir Howard Bernstein who was overseas. We heard about work on communications and marketing by Manchester Business School and updates on the many activities of MAHSC, then wished good luck to Professor Ian Jacobs (Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, and Chief Executive of MAHSC) and Peter Noble (Chief Operating Officer of MAHSC), both of whom will be moving to Sydney, Australia in early 2015.

Professor Julian Davis will become acting Vice-President and Dean of MHS before a successor to Ian is in post.  Ian and I met with the Executive Team from MHS to discuss operations and the main activities for the Faculty over the coming months.

I’m pleased to announce that Andy Westwood has been appointed as the University’s new Associate Vice-President for Public Affairs and will join us in February 2015. You can find out more about Andy and his role on StaffNet:

Lord Ian Livingston, Minister for Trade and Investment and several of his colleagues visited the University. Lord Livingstone is one of our graduates and we first met on a trip to China last year with the Prime Minister. After a short private meeting, we met with senior staff from the University and representatives from local companies to discuss engagement between the University and business. Just before I had to leave, one head of a successful local business rang the praises of the University and its transformation in how well it works with local companies.

In a visit to the School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (SEAS), I was very impressed by the refurbishment of the entrance to the Williamson Building. The small group of students was very upbeat and staff wanted to hear about the current position on pensions.

The University hosted a two day event called ‘Silicon Valley comes to the UK’ (SVC2UK) where successful entrepreneurs met with student and the leaders of small local businesses to give advice and encouragement. I hosted a dinner for nearly 50 of the participants in our John Rylands Library. Many were very impressive, having started numerous companies and were extremely keen to return and advise our students and start- up companies.

At a regular meeting between senior colleagues and members of The University of Manchester Students’ Union we talked about how we can further strengthen the partnership between the Students’ Union and the senior team at the University including a greater contribution to each other’s strategy and additional opportunities for engagement.

We held a working dinner for “Heads” of all the major parts of the University where we asked participants to answer questions about a wide range of strategic issues and priorities facing the University. These covered our research goals, the student experience, distinctiveness, our staff, and internationalisation. My senior colleagues and I now need to distil the many comments.

     

Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor

Feedback

Please send your comments to: