President's weekly update
7 February 2019
I made a short but packed and highly productive trip to Toronto, primarily to build our existing partnership with the University of Toronto (UoT) and develop new collaborations in health research. My main meeting was with the President of UoT, Professor Meric Gertler, whom I have met before. We discussed existing areas of collaboration in cities, culture, biomaterials and quantum technologies, which will form the basis of a future funding bid led by us and with the Universities of Toronto and Melbourne.
Professor Rob Bristow, our Professor of Cancer Studies and University lead for cancer, who is from Toronto, accompanied me and set up meetings with Dr Galareh Zadeh, Clinical Programme lead in neuro-oncology, Dr Bradly Wouters, Vice-President for Science and Research at UoT, and Dr David Jaffray, Executive Vice-President for Technology and Innovation at UoT Health Network and the Director of Medical Physics. We identified many areas of common interest in health research that we are following up on.
In Manchester I chaired the first Strategy Board for our Digital Futures initiative. This was attended by a number of external experts who were very excited by our plans to develop further our research, teaching and skills and external partnerships in digital and artificial intelligence. This will be a major theme for attracting innovative companies to North Campus.
Today we have reached an important milestone in our North Campus development plans as we have announced the next steps in finding an investor and development partner for the site which we are currently calling ID Manchester (Innovation District Manchester).
I attended part of the second annual external advisory board meeting for our Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) where four experts from overseas advised on our progress (which is very good) and future directions. They gave detailed feedback on areas of opportunity and where we can do even better.
Professors Clive Agnew, Vice-President for Teaching Learning and Students, Luke Georghiou, Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor, and I visited the School of Chemistry, where we discussed Brexit, the Augar review and pensions and also some of the great opportunities and successes in Chemistry. Clive commended them on many positive outcomes in teaching and the students who came to talk to us were also very complimentary about their experiences. We were asked about the move to two Schools in the Faculty later this year.
I met the new Chief Executive of the Henry Royce Institute, Professor David Knowles, with Professor Phil Withers, our Regius Professor of Materials and Chief Scientific Officer of the Royce. You may have seen that the windows are being installed in the new Royce building. The partnership with other universities in Royce is going well and there is real excitement about what it can deliver.
Professor James Thompson, Vice-President for Social Responsibility, Professor Sheena Cruickshank, our academic lead for Public Engagement, and I met Sally MacDonald, Director of the Science and Industry Museum (SIM) in Manchester. We already have strong collaborations with SIM and discussed how we could strengthen these through a joint Board and a wider open meeting of staff from both organisations. They are currently reviewing Manchester Science Week which will not take place in 2019 but will return in 2020.
I gave a talk to about 100 MBA students on the roles and responsibilities of a non-executive director, principally in private companies, large and small, but also in public bodies and the charitable sector as I have had experience of these types of boards. I particularly focussed on mergers and acquisitions which they are studying now. It was interesting how many different nationalities were represented in the room.
For me the week has been an important one as there have been some changes relating to the members of our senior leadership team. As you may have seen, Professor Clive Agnew, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students has decided to retire at the end of this calendar year, although he will retain a part-time role with us. Professor James Thompson, Vice-President for Social Responsibility, will also stand down from the senior leadership team at the end of this academic year because he wishes to return to his academic role. Both Clive and James have made a fantastic contribution to our University and I am sure will continue to do so. We will be seeking their replacements internally and externally in the very near future.
Professor Graham Lord has now joined us as the new Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Biology Medicine and Health from King’s College London. Graham has already met many staff and as you will see from his message to staff, was born and brought up in Manchester. Professor Peter Clayton, who has done an excellent job as interim Vice-President and Dean will become Deputy Vice-President and Deputy Dean for the Faculty.
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor