President's Weekly Update
12 February 2015
At the first Board of Governors meeting of the New Year, we had a presentation from Professor Luke Georghiou, Vice-President for Research and Innovation, on the results of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) and the likely implications. I presented on uncertainties around the forthcoming general election, and gave more details about the Sir Henry Royce Institute for Materials Research, the development of our ‘Student Village’ in Fallowfield, and current applications from students for study in 2015.
At a Board dinner, we discussed the respective roles of the executive (i.e. our senior staff, including me) and our Governors in the running of the University. We talked about so many issues from governance and accountability, hearing students’ opinions and the quality of our papers and processes (which they praised) to our Campus Masterplan, devolution for Greater Manchester, distinctiveness of our University and how we better promote our strengths.
The University is electing a new Chancellor this year. The Chancellor is the ceremonial head of the University, our figurehead and ambassador who works with the President and Vice-Chancellor and other senior officers to promote the University’s achievements regionally, nationally and internationally. We will launch the election on Monday, 23 February 2015. For more details see:
Professor Phil Nelson, Chief Executive of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and Dr Neil Viner (Associate Director) visited us to discuss EPSRC’s future plans and priorities. After meeting with me and other senior staff they held an open meeting to seek the views of staff.
I joined a panel at an open meeting to discuss ‘The Future of Cities’ at Manchester's Town Hall. The other members were Professor Sir Mark Walport (the Prime Minister’s Chief Scientific Advisor), Professor Sir Alan Wilson who is leading a Foresight review on Future Cities, Jon Lamonte, Chief Executive of Transport for Greater Manchester and Mike Emmerich, Chief Executive of the City of Manchester’s New Economy. I painted a picture of the University in 2065, when rather than 40,000 students, we might have 400,000, many of whom may spend little, if any time, in Manchester.
Professors Colin Bailey (Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor), Clive Agnew (Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students) and I visited Manchester Business School. The students we met asked us about fees for international students and exam timetables and praised their teachers and the international and friendly nature of MBS, the University and Manchester. In a very crowded open staff meeting we answered questions on pensions, the REF outcome and likely future finances of the University.
Clive and I also visited the School of Materials, where with staff we talked about REF, student satisfaction and the significant challenges of ‘decanting’ staff and facilities while we build our new ‘Manchester Engineering Campus’. As I often have to remind people, the cost of this new build is huge - but about the same as the money we would need to invest just to maintain buildings on the North Campus without solving any of the issues the buildings present. Students asked about additional courses they could take to widen their experience, exposure to research and even presenting research at international conferences.
Professor Luke Georghiou and I met staff and students in the Institute of Inflammation and Repair in the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences and answered questions from staff on funding for the University, how best to attract young academic staff and on the review of Life Sciences. As a Research Institute, we met only PhD students - but there were plenty of them and they were pretty happy talking about good support and training – there were a few minor issues, including the lack of windows in the Stopford Building!
In yet another visit, this time to the School of Social Sciences, Colin Bailey, Richard Reece (Associate Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students) and I, had the usual lively discussion with students on University investment policy, bursaries and the Post-crash Economics Society. With staff we talked about what seem to be ever increasing work-loads and demands, pensions and post-REF analyses and actions. I was also asked if I was happy with my Desert Island Discs broadcast!
At a small lunch I hosted with staff from across the University we talked about a range of issues including interdisciplinary research, the University’s finance, our relationship with the City of Manchester, central versus devolved activities, the UK situation of funding for universities, the value of our cultural assets and sustainable travel and car parks.
Our Planning and Resources Committee meeting had a vast amount of paperwork to consider - but most was for sign off, such as the setting of student fees, the return to HEFCE of various documents, the reports of Finance, Human Resources and Capital Planning sub-committees and discussion of governance for IT projects.
I had one of my regular meetings with Juergen Maier who is Chief Executive of Siemens UK. He also leads the North West Business Leadership Team (of which we are members) and like me, is a member of the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership. Local and regional research strengths and opportunities, national funding and the implications of devolution, were all topics of discussion.
I received several updates on ESOF (EuroScience Open Forum, July 2016), which is going really well -many individuals and organisations are expressing interest and the call for proposals for sessions at the conference is now open at:
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor
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