President's weekly update
30 January 2020
At Senate, in addition to normal business, we had briefings on widening participation and the new Institute for Teaching and Learning and had a session on the new Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD). Professor Martin Schröder, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, explained the plans, the process for agreeing the design, the consultations and the governance of decisions. Edward Astle, Chair of our Board of Governors, attended as an observer.
Following the passing of the Withdrawal Agreement Act we will shortly enter the transition period during which the UK’s future relationship with the EU will be negotiated. I appreciate this uncertainty is unsettling for many of our staff and students. I can assure you The University of Manchester is, and will remain, not just a UK, but also a truly global university. We greatly value the intellectual and cultural contribution that EU students, members of staff and partners make to our international community. We will continue to provide updates on any developments.
This is demonstrated in the THE most international universities league table, where we are now 25th, up six places. We’ve also been named the most targeted university by the UK’s top 100 graduate employers for the third year in a row and our MBA is 5th in the UK as ranked by the Financial Times.
The Government has launched a new ‘global talent’ visa as a fast track route into the UK for researchers, which is greatly welcomed. This will be managed by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), which funds Government research, rather than the Home Office, to ensure suitable applicants are quickly assessed. The Government has also indicated it will remove the £30,000 minimum salary threshold for those seeking to enter the UK via the skilled work route.
A speech by Chris Skidmore, Minister for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation, made just a week after visiting us, made many references to additional research funding for the north and mentions of our research, and noted exciting plans for Innovation District Manchester. The minister also announced a new Civic University Network, which is an opportunity for us with the emphasis on this as one of our new strategic themes.
Supporting this agenda, Lord Bob Kerslake and some of his colleagues from the Civic University Commission visited us. Our meeting was joined by Professor Dame Janet Beer, Vice-Chancellor of Liverpool University. We considered how we step up plans for civic universities to contribute to economic growth and prosperity in their surrounding regions and the opportunities offered by the Government’s aims to ‘level up’ the north and the south of the country.
I began my regular visits to Schools in the University. In the new School of Natural Sciences students asked about embedding climate change into our curriculum, praised our Foundation year, commented on the cost of FoodonCampus, wanted support for outreach activities and better temperature control in buildings. Staff raised student:staff ratios and workloads, technical training, delays in supply of routine IT equipment, restructures, streamlining University forms and processes and coronavirus infection.
In the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, students asked about industrial action, climate change and what actions we are taking, availability of academic staff to ask questions and spaces to play music (for non-music students). Staff raised dedicated time for research, asked about central versus local decision-making and an update on industrial action. We also talked about the many opportunities and activities in the School for digital, AI, virtual reality, arts and health and interactions between linguistics and computer science. Just after that I gave a talk at the launch of Digital Collections, an amazing new resource which will showcase the University’s spectacular special collections to the world.
Staff who attended a ‘drop-in session’ with me raised environmental challenges and climate change and suggested training in carbon literacy. They also raised Innovation District Manchester, how we assess our performance and our annual Stocktake Report and grading for Professional Services staff.
At a regular meeting with officers of the Students’ Union we discussed encouraging students to declare mental health issues on their application to study, climate change, tree planting, academic advising, library access and payment of students for open days, acting as ambassadors, calling alumni and prospective students etc. This is the main form of ‘casual work’ (where we do not promise specific work and students are not obliged to take it). They were extremely supportive of this type of work.
You may wish to see my more detailed message on employee relations and industrial relations and our regular updates on the coronavirus infection in China which is a matter of major concern. We are now repatriating students and staff from China.
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor