President's weekly update
8 October 2015
Last week I chaired our Social Responsibility Governance Group. We considered plans for environmental sustainability across the University, particularly about how we ensure that people switch off lights, computers and other equipment which would save significant amounts of energy and money. We discussed the recent award of the Race Equality Charter Mark and how we can now improve diversity amongst our staff and students, and heard about recent Athena Swan awards, visit:
We also received reports on our ‘MOOCs’ (mass open, on-line courses). Five MOOCs have been launched and run by the University and with little publicity have attracted nearly 100,000 participants, 93% of whom rated them good or excellent. A further eight courses are in development and many of the current and planned MOOCs focus on topics relevant to social responsibility such as Global Health and Humanitarianism; Our Earth: Climate, History and Processes; Population Health, Water Supply and Sanitation; and Energy. For further details visit:
I’ve met several visitors to the University this week. I was pleased to welcome Peter Davies and his colleagues from Lansdowne Partners investment company who visited the National Graphene Institute (NGI) and discussed our research on advanced materials and health. Jo Johnson, Minister for Universities and Science, met Professor Colin Bailey (Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor) and I to discuss a whole range of issues about universities. He visited the School of Physics and Astronomy, to see students busy in class and hear about the planned building extension to provide additional new teaching space and was then taken around the NGI. His predecessor, David Willetts also came to talk about how universities can best seek funding and support and how we demonstrate our benefit to, and impact on, society.
Professor Ian Greer, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, and I attended an event at the former Granada Studios to discuss the Northern Powerhouse. Dr Maria Balshaw, Director of The Whitworth and lead for culture in the City, introduced the Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne, who emphasised that we are just at the beginning of the Northern Powerhouse, with much more yet to do. He referenced the University in his speech and, as you may have seen in the press, said that people in London are jealous of Manchester!
I gave the first annual lecture for the Leadership Foundation at The Whitworth on ‘Leadership in Higher Education’ to an audience of about 200, including quite a few of our own staff and a number of other Vice-Chancellors. There were many excellent, and some quite difficult, questions.
Our Board of Governors held the first meeting of the academic year and welcomed a number of new members. Major topics of discussion were: the year-end accounts (still subject to audit), registrations for new students, which look strong, a report on our fundraising (a great success story), our performance in league tables (which is disappointing) and the external financial and political climate (which poses a number of significant threats).
Senior staff and I discussed the forthcoming round of Annual Performance Reviews (APRs) in which we consider our progress against targets and future plans for each part of the University.
I opened a new exhibition at our Manchester Museum called ‘Gift for the Gods: Animal Mummies’. I was given a personal tour of this fascinating exhibition which combines some great research across the University, fascinating history, excellent examples of philanthropy and the key role that volunteers play in our Museum and many other activities. I had no idea that there are probably tens of millions of animal mummies. Do visit the exhibition:
I presented an award to Dr Nick Chilton from the School of Chemistry, who is the first of our President’s Doctoral Scholarship holders to be awarded a PhD (he graduated in July, less than three years after the start of his PhD). Nick is described as an outstanding talent who, I am delighted to say, has decided to take up a post-doctoral position in Manchester. We talked about careers in research, though he seemed to have his pretty well planned out!
At the University Graphene Strategy meeting we heard an update on the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre (GEIC) and about the increase in companies which are now engaging with us on graphene. Research income from business is increasing very quickly and we discussed how we need further engagement with staff in engineering and in health applications.
I recorded a short message for the Hong Kong Alliance Manchester Business School alumni event which is being held later this month. I met many of the alumni committee during my visit in September, when almost 200 alumni attended.
I hope many of you will join us in being a ‘life saver’ to learn about cardiac resuscitation and also help us to break a world record for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on Friday, 16 October – you can see how at:
And the BBC, in partnership with the 2015 Riba Stirling Prize for architecture, is inviting you to vote for one of six buildings. The Whitworth’s £15 million refurbishment and extension is one of the contenders, so do give your support:
Thank you to everyone who sent me birthday greetings last week!