President's weekly update
10 October 2019
We celebrated Foundation Day - my tenth since becoming President and Vice-Chancellor - in our Whitworth Hall. The event was attended by three of our Founders, Professor John Garside, Professor Sir Martin Harris and Dr Roger Pannone, who were key to the establishment of the University in 2004, many civic guests, alumni, staff, students and members of our Global Leadership Board, North American Foundation and Hong Kong Foundation.
The Foundation Day lecture: ‘The Future of Work’ was delivered by Sherry Coutu, a very successful investor and expert on ‘scale-up companies’, who also received an honorary doctorate. She talked about what the recent changes in the UK economy and society mean for the role of universities, governments and businesses which must all play a part in helping citizens to adjust so that we can secure future prosperity.
I gave an update on our University, including some of the challenges we face and a selection of the many successes we have celebrated over the past year, then showed a film. Our Chancellor, Lemn Sissay, then conferred honorary doctorates on Sherry, Professor Dame Elizabeth Anionwu (who wore a perfect ‘University purple’ suit) who has had a prestigious career in health, Vincent Kompany, former captain of Manchester City Football Club, who is also an MBA graduate of ours, and Lord Jim O’Neill, the acclaimed economist and holder of an honorary chair with us. Unfortunately, at very short notice, Christopher Ecclestone was unable to attend to receive his honorary doctorate so we are looking to reschedule his award. It is well worth watching for the speeches, some of which are very funny.
The national Industrial Strategy Council (ISC), of which I am a member, held one of its meetings in our National Graphene Institute (NGI). In the morning we heard from John Holden, Head of strategy at the Greater Manchester (GM) Combined Authority, on the development of the GM Local Industrial Strategy and discussed with local leaders how we enhance productivity and prosperity across regions such as GM.
ISC members had a tour of NGI then held the Council meeting, chaired by Andy Haldane, Chief Economist at the Bank of England.
Senior staff and I met with officers of the Students’ Union to discuss a wide range of topics, including active bystander training and the Speak Up Stand Up campaign and Welcome Week. We also discussed how we encourage students to register to vote in elections and referenda and EU students to consider applying for UK settled status, the provision of free menstrual products for students, arrival times for international students and student involvement in the next stages of our future strategic plan.
I met Juergen Maier, who holds an honorary chair with us and is a fellow member of the GM Local Enterprise Partnership. Juergen will stand down as CEO of Siemens UK at the end of the year and is keen to do more to support Manchester and our University.
After huge efforts from many we submitted a major bid to the government’s Strength in Places Fund on smart diagnostics with key partners across GM and Cheshire East.
The 2020 call for nominations for the Distinguished Achievement Awards has now opened. The Faculties will be co-ordinating the Researcher, Teacher, Undergraduate and Postgraduate Research student categories but nominations for the PS and Cultural Institutions’ and General Distinguished Achievement awards can be submitted directly to my office.
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor