President's weekly update
10 September 2020
It’s nice to start my message this week with a celebration of one of our achievements. Earlier in the year our Manchester Institute for Biotechnology (MIB) was honoured with a Queen’s Anniversary Prize for its outstanding work supporting the UK’s leading position in biotechnology and bio-manufacturing. Before lockdown, Edward Astle (Chair of our Board), Professors Nigel Scrutton (former director of MIB), Rob Field (current Director), Martin Schröder (Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering), PhD students in MIB and I went to Buckingham Palace to receive the award from the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall. This week we celebrated the award, albeit via video with many staff, students, friends and supporters and the Lord Lieutenant of Greater Manchester, Sir Warren Smith.
Unfortunately, the latest news on the USS pension scheme is not good. Based on the proposals put forward for consultation, the fund’s deficit at 31 March 2020 could range from £9.8bn to £17.9bn. The illustrative cost of continuing to offer the current benefits (the ‘future service cost’) ranges from 29.4% to 37.6% of payroll. When the cost of repairing the deficit is considered, the total contributions illustrated range from 40.8% to 67.9% of payroll. USS has issued a consultation.
We held an additional meeting of our Board of Governors where I updated on student recruitment of home and EU undergraduates, our voluntary severance scheme and the return to campus. Kwame Kwarteng, General Secretary of the Students’ Union, presented a report on activities over the past year and plans for the future and we discussed the latest risk register for the University – which has rather more red items, notably on finance and student recruitment, than usual due to the uncertainties and challenges posed by Covid-19.
At the Board, and also at a meeting for leaders across the University, Professor Nalin Thakkar, Vice-President for Social Responsibility, who is leading on our return to campus, gave an update on the many measures we are taking to allow a safe return. The government’s SAGE committee and the Department for Education have issued guidelines on actions that universities should take to limit the spread of Covid-19 infection. We are already putting these in place. Many parts of Greater Manchester (GM) have additional restrictions imposed due to a rise in infections over recent weeks. We have issued a joint statement with other universities in the region as part of our preparations for the new academic year.
We conducted a ‘pulse survey’ of more than 2,000 staff to test views on how we have responded to the pandemic. The results are extremely positive about our communications and our response. Many staff are nervous about returning to campus, though the survey was undertaken before we sent out details of the COVID safety measures we are taking.
At our Board Finance Committee, Robert Fraser, our Finance Director, reported a somewhat improved expected financial position for the current year, albeit still with a very significant projected deficit. The improvements are due to savings on voluntary severance, a national freeze on pay and our own freeze on most staff recruitment. We may also see a slightly better position on residences income. However, the main factor driving our financial position remains the recruitment of PGT and international students, which will not be confirmed until early November.
I had a video meeting with the Chinese Consul General who was optimistic that Chinese students would come to Manchester, provided that they are able to secure visas and travel. Richard Cotton, Director of Student Recruitment and International Development, and his team have been working closely with Rhys Whalley, who leads the Manchester China Forum, to confirm extra flights from China, facilitate the safe arrival of international students through the airport and quarantine. In our residences, students will not be charged rent for the period of quarantine.
I gave evidence to the House of Commons Select Committee on Science and Technology on the impact of Covid-19 on research and student recruitment, Brexit and EU funding and the government’s research and development plans.
We held a meeting of our Global Leadership Board, which helps us with fundraising. Due to the great generosity of our donors we have raised significant funds for our Covid-19 research and for the student hardship fund. I talked about the importance of philanthropy to meet our future goals and ambitions as we gradually return toward something resembling normality.
I attended a Board meeting of Health Innovation Manchester where post-Covid recovery and digital health were key topics. GM is also a potential region for more widespread Covid-19 testing. At present, the testing centres need qualified volunteers to work in their labs. A number of our post-doctoral researchers have volunteered and we are being asked if some might come forward again for a fixed period, particularly to train new staff in the centres.
Post-Covid recovery was also discussed at the GM Local Enterprise Board, of which I am a member. We also considered proposals from GM to the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review. We have been closely involved in proposals in research and development and innovation.
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor