President's Weekly Update
9 February 2017
One of our discussions at Senate was about student recruitment. The Higher Education sector has seen a fall in overall applications for undergraduate study in this admissions round. Our applications from UK students are level with last year, but applications from the European Union are about 4% lower. However, this masks some significant reductions in a few areas where we will need to work hard on conversion. Applications from international (non-EU) students are down by about 2% for undergraduate study. We also had a discussion about the ongoing review of the structure of the Faculty of Science and Engineering and involvement of Senate.
I chaired a meeting of the Board of Corridor Manchester at which we considered the future identity that we wish to portray of the partnership, including a potential change of name. We also discussed progress with the Enterprise Zone, the Spatial Framework plans and international links, most notably with European innovation districts.
Senior staff and I had a meeting to follow up on discussions with colleagues at Harvard about a partnership, following our recent visit there. We are aiming to partner on health devolution, public health and health inequalities, community engagement and health data analytics.
At our Board of Governors’ Audit committee, we reviewed a range of internal audits, had a presentation on the high level income and costs (the HEFCE's Transparent Approach to Costing - TRAC) of our core activities and reviewed the main risks to the University - which are quite significant and uncertain at the present time given the external environment.
Steve Lamey, Chief Executive Officer of the Student Loans Company, visited us to learn about the University and tell us about the current position of students’ loans and the potential impact of leaving the EU.
Professors Colin Bailey (Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor), Clive Agnew (Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students) and I visited the School of Health Sciences in the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. While some activities are still ‘bedding down’, the School seems to be doing very well, given that it is less than six months old. The students we met were very positive about their programmes, staff and support, particularly on-line resources. They had some concerns about bursaries. Staff asked how we make strategic decisions on whether to support small programmes, particularly at PGT level where we may not be able to cover the costs with fees. Such decisions are made locally in Faculties and Schools and, of course, any ‘loss making activity’ must be subsidised by other activities.
I was interviewed by Professor Cathy Jackson, Head of Health at the University of Central Lancashire, for a research project she is undertaking on women in leadership, about the career paths, choices and challenges I have faced. She knew that I attended Penwortham Girls’ Grammar School near Preston and commented on how unusual it was that that two in my year were now scientists and Dames. Dame Sue Ion, who is a member of our Board and chair of our Audit committee, was in the same class as me studying Maths, Physics and Chemistry (though not Art, which I also studied).
I spent a day in London at the Science and Technology Honours Committee, then I met Pauline Karpidas, a very generous donor to the University for widening participation students and our Whitworth Art Gallery.
We were visited by two senior advisors to the Prime Minister to learn about our links with business, spin -out companies and our research and development of graphene and other two-dimensional materials. After discussions with Professor Luke Georghiou (Vice-President for Research and Innovation) and I, they had a tour of our National Graphene Institute (NGI) and met Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov and James Baker (who leads on business engagement for NGI and the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre).
I also met Ian Harvey, an expert in intellectual property strategy who formerly ran the British Technology Group with Luke and Clive Rowland, Chief Executive of UMI3 (our exploitation, innovation and incubator subsidiary company), to discuss our progress, strategy and plans on intellectual property and patents on graphene and related two-dimensional materials. It was pleasing to hear Ian’s strong endorsement for what we have achieved to date and of our strategy and approach for the future.
I spoke to senior colleagues at the University of Melbourne, including their Vice-Chancellor, Professor Glyn Davis, about a conference they are planning in September on ‘engagement’, ie communication and partnership beyond universities. I am advising on the conference and will chair a session, so we were planning speakers and topics.
I attended a dinner hosted by our former Chancellor, Tom Bloxham, at his amazing new housing development ‘hoUSe’ in New Islington with several leaders from the region, including the incoming Chief Executive of Manchester City Council, Joanne Roney and Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov. Fascinating to hear how so many combined science and engineering with creative arts as interests or careers!
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor
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