President's weekly update
24 January 2019
I had further meetings with staff this week where I asked them to tell me what is good and what is not so good at our University. Colleagues had many positive things to say including how they value our social responsibility goal, our cultural institutions and the recently launched Creative Manchester. The opportunities presented by Manchester’s designation as a UNESCO City of Literature were recognised. On a related point we have just appointed a new Professor of Public History, David Olusoga OBE and Jodrell Bank is shortlisted for a UNESCO World Heritage site. The staff I met also valued our global reputation and how this is combined with a clear civic role and our campus developments. They felt that many of our processes are too slow and cumbersome and we are too risk averse. They were concerned about our environmental impact and also about the mental health of some of our students but valued the new support we are putting in place which will be dedicated to students’ wellbeing.
At an Inspiring Leaders Programme (ILP) discussion with senior colleagues, which I attended with Patrick Hackett our Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, we were asked what worries us most. Obviously we replied Brexit, the Augar review and pensions - not least the possibility that all three might coincide this year. They also asked about the reasons behind ILP, which are to better engage with staff in all leadership roles, help them to become more confident and empowered leaders and learn from each other as much as from the programme itself. They told us (quite fairly) that we need to be better at communicating drivers for change and the benefits that will result, or the potential consequences of not changing.
Andy Haldane, Chief Economist at the Bank of England and chair of the Industrial Strategy Council which I have just joined, visited the University to discuss the work of the Council. I gave him a quick tour of the campus to show our main developments, then we discussed the key priorities for future work of the Council.
I chaired a meeting of the Corridor Manchester Board which is made up of the major organisations around Oxford Road. We considered great progress on our health and wellbeing initiative, how to deliver activities for our local neighbouring communities and the financial position of Corridor Manchester, which is quite healthy.
At our External Relations Strategy Group, which I chair, we reviewed recent meetings with senior politicians and our Greater Manchester ‘anchor institutions’ dinner’. We considered our position in the World 100 Universities’ reputational tracker - which is very strong and how we can improve our global reputation. We also received an update on the approach to our biennial external stakeholder survey which takes place later this year.
I met with staff from our Clinical Trials Unit (CTU) together with Professor Kevin O’Brien who leads the CTU and Professor Kay Marshall, Head of the School of Health Sciences, where the unit is now based. The CTU has transferred from The Christie into the University and now oversees trials for potential new diagnostics, medicines and medical devices, so offers great opportunities for our clinical researchers across the University and hospitals.
I had an extended meeting with Edward Astle, the Chair of our Board of Governors, to catch up on the many activities externally and within our University. Not surprisingly we spent much of the time discussing how to respond to the many known and possible changes and challenges to all universities and how we best make use of opportunities.
I met David and Winnie Chiu and colleagues from Hong Kong who lead the Far East Consortium Ltd which is investing heavily in Manchester with Gavin Taylor, one of our alumni who is general manager of their company in Manchester. We found much in common given our strong alumni base and Hong Kong Foundation which has been very supportive of our University.
There has been little progress on agreement on Brexit, but we continue to make representations about the very negative impacts of leaving the EU without an agreed deal. This week we have published our contingency planning for a no deal Brexit. You may have also noted that the government has abolished the £65 fee for EU citizens applying for settlement in the UK following Brexit. Our University was already funding this fee. If you need to apply for settlement status you can find more information on StaffNet and colleagues in HR are ready and able to help you apply.
I filmed a message to our Chinese students, staff and alumni wishing them a very happy Chinese New Year - the year of the pig. The two students who accompanied the film crew brought me two very cute stuffed toy pigs.
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor