President's weekly update
11 April 2019
We held our biennial celebration to recognise and thank many of our donors. A number of events were held across the University for the many visitors. I hosted an event in the Martin Harris Centre where we heard music from students as part of the ‘Fantastic Beats’. Professor James Thompson, Vice-President for Social Responsibility, held an ‘in conversation’ with four of our amazing Manchester Access Programme and Equity and Merit supported students who were truly inspirational and so supportive of how we and our donors have helpd them.
The day ended in the Whitworth Hall where we held a formal ceremony to recognise new and past members of the President’s Beyer and Langworthy Circles of Philanthropy which are reserved for our most generous donors. These donors transform the opportunities for our students, our research and our environment.
We had a reception to formally welcome the new Chinese Consul, General Zheng Xiyuan. I spoke about our many partnerships with China and our growing number of Chinese students. The Consul General gave a very generous speech noting the University’s support for students from China then met a number of staff from across the University who are involved in international research, education and business engagement.
The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS pension of which many of our staff are members) has replied to the employers in the scheme, represented by Universities UK (UUK), to say that they want further information on UUK's proposed ‘contingent contributions’. These were proposed as potential additional payments to stand behind the extra risk which the USS Trustee believes the scheme would take on by keeping contributions to employers and scheme members lower than they might otherwise be. The higher ‘contingent contributions’ could then be activated should there be a significant deterioration in the scheme’s funding.
The Trustee has noted that the Pension Regulator, which has the responsibility for protecting and regulating all UK workplace pension schemes, has asked for more information on the strength of the employers' covenant. The covenant is the employer's legal obligation and financial ability to support the USS defined benefit scheme now and in the future.
I spoke at an event for about 70 of our emeritus professors, many of whom told me that they are still very involved in our University. I talked of the challenges to the higher education sector but also of the opportunities for us and our many successes over the past year. I finished in describing the emerging plans for Innovation District Manchester (ID Manchester - our North Campus).
I was interviewed by the Financial Times about our aspirations for ID Manchester, our close relationship with the city, the wider growth of the city-region and the extensive interest in ID Manchester from potential partners.
Senior colleagues and I had a tour of the annexe to the Schuster Building. This was developed mainly to increase teaching spaces (including teaching laboratories) and student study places for the School of Physics and Astronomy and received significant external funding. Our tour, led by Professor Sean Freeman, Head of the School, was quite early in the morning, though there were already a number of students working. By the time we left a few hours later it was extremely busy.
I visited the University’s Public Engagement (PE) Team and Champions from across the University to discuss their activities and support, real or perceived barriers to public engagement (eg time pressures, levels of support for events and a feeling that these activities might not count in promotion) and testing new models of engagement. We hold the first and only ‘Gold Watermark’ for PE and are very anxious to keep it and attain platinum.
At our Awards and Honours Group, which I chair, we considered the many amazing nominations for honorary doctorates and University Medal of Honour awards. If you wish to nominate someone who you believe has made an outstanding contribution, please contact Deborah.black@manchester.ac.uk who is in my office, for advice on the process and timetable.
While uncertainty continues over Brexit, the government’s announcement of a new ‘Discovery Fund’ in the event that researchers no longer have access to Horizon funding has been generally welcomed. The EU settlement scheme is opening again. Our staff in Human Resources are supporting staff without access to Android devices.
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor