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President's weekly update

8 April 2020

We are all adapting to the changes brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic, although I recognise that some of our colleagues and students may be struggling. It is impressive how hard our staff have worked to get teaching online and I’m very grateful to those who have ‘buddied up’ with colleagues to help them adapt to our new approaches.

Our research into Covid-19 continues to expand, embracing testing and treatment; understanding disease mechanisms and managing responses to disease; and changes in our everyday lives such as the impact on our mental health. A new national testing centre is now open at Alderley Park, led by Chris Molloy, who holds an honorary chair with us. We have been in continuous close contact with Chris to support this testing centre. Last week I talked to Kath McKay, Managing Director of Alderley Park, about how we can strengthen our collaborations across biomedicine and related disciplines.

The new Nightingale North West hospital at the Manchester Central conference centre will be led by Tony Redmond, our own Professor of International Emergency Medicine. Tony has had a remarkable career leading teams across the world to support natural disasters such as earthquakes, Ebola and conflicts. I cannot imagine anyone better suited to lead this important new hospital. We wish Tony and all of our staff working on frontline medical and healthcare support the very best in their critically important endeavour. This has just been supplemented by our final year medical, nursing and healthcare students many of whom have graduated early and will soon be working in the NHS. Our staff and students continue to volunteer in a number of different ways.

I’ve had weekly calls with the other Vice-Chancellors in Greater Manchester (GM) to see how we can best coordinate our responses to Covid-19. We wrote to Manchester Student Homes asking them to contact private landlords to ask if they will release students from rent payments if they have left their accommodation, as we have done for students who have left our residences. This was supported by our Students’ Unions.

I’ve also taken part in regular calls with Universities UK and the Russell Group, with the GM Local Enterprise Partnership and with senior government staff. The latter has focussed on the huge challenges universities now face and specifically on those researchers and postgraduate research students who are unable to continue with their work at this time.

Our University management committees have continued to meet via Zoom even more frequently than usual. I have chaired meetings of our Planning and Resources Committee and additional meetings of Finance Sub-Committee and Capital Planning Sub-Committee.

Senior colleagues and I had a Zoom meeting with all Heads of School to update them and seek their input and views, especially on how our staff and students are managing. We are planning more regular meetings to brief Senate (the next one will be on 16 April) and plan to hold an open staff meeting via Zoom after the Easter break.

Our Board of Governors met on Zoom and I updated members on the many ongoing activities to deal with immediate impacts of the pandemic and social isolation as well as considering the longer term challenges we will face, particularly in the recruitment of international students.

We have decided, with great regret, that it is right to postpone our July graduation ceremonies. It’s not known at the present time if gatherings such as these will be possible by July but we don’t want students and staff to incur costs through booking travel and accommodation. We are considering how we celebrate the great achievements of our graduating students, both in July and at a formal ceremony at a later date.

It’s important that we celebrate good news, so it is wonderful to hear that Greater Manchester was successful in its re-designation as an Academic Health Science Centre - this reflects the strength of the partnership between our universities and healthcare providers. I was pleased to have attended the interview and hear the strength of our centre.

We announced two extra days holiday to extend the Easter break, so I hope that you can all take a much earned rest. I won’t send a message next week but will do so the week after.

Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor

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