President's Weekly Update
25 June 2015
In addition to the usual business, some changes to policies on teaching and discussion of our new internationalisation strategy, Senate discussed and endorsed the recommendations and principles outlined in the final report of the extensive Review of life sciences and cognate disciplines at the University.
The key recommendation, which received strong backing from Senate, is that the University should be reconstituted so that all academic activity is organised around three Faculties, moving different component parts of the current Faculty of Life Sciences into two other Faculties: the Faculty of Medical, Biological and Human Sciences and the Faculty of Science and Engineering (working titles). This is likely to require reconstitution and reorganisation of the current Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, and expansion of two of the Schools in the current Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences. This, and further recommendations, will now be discussed by the University’s Board of Governors at a meeting on 8 July, where final approval will be sought. You can find out more at:
The results of the election for the University’s next Chancellor were announced on Monday. The acclaimed Manchester poet, Lemn Sissay will be our new Chancellor and will be formally ‘installed’ at our Foundation Day on 14 October. I spoke to Lemn and he was delighted and honoured to have been elected. The other candidates, Sir Mark Elder and Lord Peter Mandelson are keen to work further with the University.
At General Assembly this week, I gave an update on the current position of the University and the many opportunities and challenges we face. Diana Hampson, Director of Estates and Facilities gave an update on our Campus MasterPlan. We then took numerous questions.
This was the last meeting to be chaired by our current Chancellor, Tom Bloxham, so we held a dinner in the Whitworth Gallery to thank him for his fantastic contribution over the past seven years. Tom was joined by his wife Jo, several friends and his parents who were also celebrating their 54th wedding anniversary! We gave Tom a signed, limited edition print by Cornelia Parker and a purple hat - which he wore all evening. The evening greatly livened up by ‘Magic Matt’ who provided great entertainment, managed to remove the watches of several at the dinner (unknown to them) and taught Tom to successfully snatch a table cloth from under a full bottle of wine.
I spent a couple of days in London at the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology where we discussed our many ongoing and new projects, considered changes which may result from the new government and the likely outcomes of the forthcoming budget in July and the Comprehensive Spending Review in the autumn.
While in London it was a pleasure to meet Dr Gerald Chan again. Gerald has visited our campus and is particularly interested in new approaches to health and start-up companies. He was fascinated to hear about ‘Devo Manc’ and the opportunities it presents. Gerald lives mainly in the US but knows several members of our Hong Kong Foundation and has many activities in the UK.
This week was ‘Graphene Week’ which saw about 600 scientists on our campus to discuss research on graphene and related materials. We also held separate events for many companies and expect about 5,000 children and members of the public to come to learn about graphene at public events this weekend. I gave a welcome address at the Town Hall, following a welcome by the Lord Mayor, then I introduced the composer-in-residence at the National Graphene Institute, Sara Lowes, who introduced a piece of music she has composed to explore the relationship between science and music. Sara and musicians from the ensemble ‘Brighter Sounds’ then performed two movements from her composition.
This week I attended meetings of our Finance and Audit committees of our Board of Governors. We heard detailed updates on our Campus Masterplan, discussed our current financial position, the agreed budget for next year and the likely future funding challenges.
At one of our regular ‘Heads’ meetings, we asked Heads of School, Professional Support Services and of other parts of the University to consider a series of questions about the University, our future and achieving our Manchester 2020 goals. As expected, we received some fascinating suggestions!
I went to Salford University to meet the new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Helen Marshall. We discussed opportunities to work together particularly on ‘Devo Manc’, the Northern Powerhouse and how I can best represent the interests of all Greater Manchester universities on the Local Enterprise Partnership. We agreed that we, together with Professor Malcolm Press, the new Vice-Chancellor of MMU, should meet on a regular basis.
I met Claire Lowe, Partnership Manager of the Corridor Manchester, of which I have just become Chair. We discussed the main topics and discussions that will take place at the next Board meeting.
I visited the Dalton Nuclear Institute’s Manufacturing Technology Research Laboratory in the Sackville Street Building hosted by Professor Michael Preuss, Dr Neil Irvine and Jacqui Grant. It was quite amazing and very impressive - fascinating lasers, welding and autoclaves in a huge space where they work with many companies and other universities. I was given a fabulous momento which is now on my desk!
I am delighted that my friend and colleague, Professor Pippa Tyrrell, Director of Stroke Services at Salford Royal Foundation Trust is being honoured by the Stroke Association with the ‘Special Recognition Life after Stroke Award’. Pippa has done so much for stroke patients - not just in her clinical duties and in her research, but also well beyond. Sadly I couldn’t be at the awards ceremony, but I and many others recorded messages for her on film. See further details at:
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor
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