President's Weekly Update
16 June 2016
It was a pleasure to formally open the Stoller Biomarker Centre, which is an £18m, state-of-the-art facility for analysing clinical samples to identify ‘biomarkers’. These are critical in identifying disease very early and determining if patients are responding to treatments. The event included a two-day scientific symposium with major speakers. I was involved in the official opening of the Centre and thanking Sir Norman and Lady Sheila Stoller and the trustees of the Stoller Charitable Trust for their very generous early support. This has been critical in leveraging subsequent investment from the Medical Research Council and the company SCIEX - which was also represented by Dan Daniel, Executive Vice President of parent company Danaher Corporation.
ESOF (EuroScience Open Forum) is really taking shape. We heard this week that GlaxoSmithKline will be another top sponsor. At our local organising committee we heard of progress in the final programme, sponsorship, exhibitions, registrations, press, fringe and social events and visits, for example to some of our facilities on campus.
It’s now time to register to attend! Please go to:
I hope you will also take part in the many ‘Science in the City’ public events involving our local communities that will take place as part of Manchester’s designation of European City of Science, including what looks like a fantastic event at Jodrell Bank, the ‘Blue Dot Festival’. For details, see:
I spoke to participants in our Headstart programme, which is for staff who want to take up leadership positions, about my own thoughts on leadership. I began by trying to answer the often posed question “Are leaders born or made? I answered “Both.”
At Finance Sub-Committee this week, we reviewed progress in ‘unlocking’ some of our endowment funds, discussed the huge complexities of how we report our financial position under the new UK regulations (new SORP) and considered our current financial position, which is just about on budget for the current year, but behind on research grant income (in part but not entirely due to delays from some funders) and with major challenges ahead.
I attended the ceremony and dinner for the installation of Lord Peter Mandelson as Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University at Manchester Town Hall. The ceremony was a very nice event and at the much smaller dinner we considered the future of universities in Manchester and the areas of potentially valuable partnership.
At the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology (CST), of which I am co-chair, we welcomed a new member, Sir John Kingman, who will be the first, interim chair of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) board - which will include all current research Councils, Innovate UK and the research funding component that is currently awarded to universities through HEFCE. I also met John before the CST to discuss UKRI.
Professor Ian Greer, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, and I met with the vice-chancellors of Manchester Metropolitan and Salford universities to further our discussions on collaboration in the wide area of health research and education.
In other meetings, I met the Chief Executive of The Medicines Company, a large US-based firm with an office in Manchester, discussed how we ‘brand’ the region of the city where we are based - known as ‘Corridor Manchester’ - and considered the next steps in preparing our Science and Innovation Audit, which describes the strengths and opportunities in Greater Manchester and Cheshire East to Government.
Whatever our views, can I urge you to vote in the forthcoming EU referendum. This is an incredibly important decision for the UK. I am personally very firmly committed to the UK’s remaining in the European Union, but as a University and a charity, we can take no position. You must make your own choice - but please do vote.
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor
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