President's Weekly Update
24 May 2018
Our Board discussed the outcome of the Accountability and Planning conference in March, received an update on potential plans for our North Campus when engineering moves to the new Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD), were presented with an updated strategy for UMI3 (our commercialisation subsidiary) and considered data on comparisons of our research and teaching outcomes with other UK universities. Changes to the structure of the Faculty of Science and Engineering were approved. They also discussed the risks UK universities are facing, including the pension issue, global competition and the review of financing post-18 education.
Prior to the formal meeting, governors attended an informal briefing on outcomes of our Staff Survey and subsequent actions, including staff development and support and the ongoing Inspiring Leaders Programme (ILP). Jonathan Winter, Head of Staff Learning and Development, spoke about current leadership development programmes. Jonathan had sung in one of the choirs in Albert Square the night before in memory of the victims of the Manchester bomb. We also heard from several staff who have attended ILP and all were very positive, including some who had been quite doubtful at the outset.
The latter was timely as I attended sessions involving the last two cohorts of the current ILP programme. At each we considered a range of topics including: how we better engage and involve staff in the University; the need to be more agile and responsive to external changes; what we can stop doing to enable us to focus more and set aside time for creative thinking; and the need for further training, support and mentoring for staff across all roles in the University. We also discussed the importance of the great heritage of Manchester and our University and identified wide interest in stories of radicalism and change.
You may have seen that the Prime Minister, several other senior ministers and the Government Chief Scientific Advisor were all at Jodrell Bank earlier this week. This was in part to celebrate the major award from the Heritage Lottery Fund to develop a spectacular new gallery at the Discovery Centre called First Light at Jodrell Bank. The Prime Minister also gave a major speech on science and innovation in which she highlighted the four areas in the Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund: ‘clean energy’; mobility (including autonomous vehicles); ageing society and artificial intelligence (AI) particularly to support better health care. The Prime Minister also gave some very positive messages on the importance of attracting international talent and on the UK remaining part of EU research funding programmes. You can see her speech on StaffNet.
AI was the timely topic of a dinner held by the Greater Manchester Local Enterprise Partnership foresight group which I co-hosted with Chris Oglesby (Chief Executive of Bruntwood) at the Royal Society in London. The guest was Dr Mike Lynch, a member of the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology which I co-chair, who is an expert in digital, big data analysis and AI.
The full Board of BP, including the Chair and Chief Executive, were in Manchester for their annual general meeting and several staff and I were invited to their business reception where the Chair of their Board, Carl-Henric Svanberg, and the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, spoke. Both referred to the difficult anniversary of the Manchester bomb. Many of the Board members had watched the Great Manchester Run and had seen the very impressive ‘purple wave’ of University staff and students.
The following day they visited the National Graphene Institute and the BP International Centre for Advanced Materials (BP-ICAM), which is a major long term investment devoted to advancing the understanding and use of materials across a variety of energy and industrial applications. They heard about the success and future of the ICAM and the University’s plans in related areas notably the Royce Institute, the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre and MECD. They held their Board dinner in the Reading Room of our John Rylands Library, where I spoke about the history and current activities of the Library and they viewed some great exhibits.
I attended a Steering Board meeting for the new building that will replace the Paterson with senior representatives from the Christie and Cancer Research UK at which we considered the cost, fundraising plans, timing and external bids for support.
We have issued further messages for staff and students to update on developments relating to the UK leaving the EU.
I attended the Board of Health Innovation Manchester, the innovation arm of health devolution, where we discussed business developments, industry engagement, digital health, the re-designation of the Manchester Academic Health Science Network and future plans.
The Chair of the Joint Expert Group that will consider USS pension has been announced as Joanne Segars and the University and College Union's members of the group have also been announced – we await the announcement of the members of the panel nominated by Universities UK.
I hope you enjoy the forthcoming Bank Holiday and that the weather is as good as the last one. There will be no message from me next week because I will be away for a few days.
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor