President's weekly update
5 May 2022
I hope you enjoyed the longer Bank Holiday weekend.
Sustainable Development Goals
The latest 2022 Times Higher Education Impact rankings, evaluating how universities across the world deliver against the United Nations SDGs, has been published. Once again, we have been named in the top 10 in the world, a position we have maintained every year since the rankings began four years ago. This year we came ninth overall, down from our position at the very top last year. Nevertheless, we are obviously doing pretty well!
Civic engagement
At the Innovation Greater Manchester (GM) board we considered our response to the government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda. GM is one of three ‘innovation accelerators’ with some additional funding. The key question we discussed was how we bid for the funding to drive further investment, rather than just supporting existing projects, and how we engage with companies across the region so that they are a key part of our innovation strategy.
The Manchester-China Forum received updates on engagement with China and Chinese companies with locations in Manchester. In the past few weeks, we have had visits to the University from both the British Ambassador to China and the Chinese Ambassador to the UK, in both cases the only, or first visits outside London, which indicates the importance of Manchester. In all the meetings we expressed concerns about transport to China for the Chinese students who are with us to return home, and incoming students for the next academic year.
Recognising success
It is a busy time for our internal awards. Next week we’ll be announcing our Volunteer of the Year Award winners and separately holding our annual Making a Difference Awards on Tuesday, 10 May in-person and online. Our Chancellor, Lemn Sissay, will read a specially composed poem at his last awards ceremony and I’m really looking forward to giving the opening address. Do join us.
A busy week for REF to come
As you may be aware, next week we’ll know about our research performance with the latest REF results published. I’ll say more on this next week, but in the meantime you can find out from Colette Fagan, Vice-President for Research, what REF is and why it is important.
University meetings and future planning
In a visit to the School of Engineering, students asked about means of assessment (where we are quite restricted by accrediting bodies), more practical classes, out of hours access to facilities, disabled access and variations in teaching quality. With staff we discussed how to achieve parity of esteem in teaching and research, the major changes in engineering (Faculty restructure and move to MECD along with other changes) and the impact on staff, difficulties of recruiting in some areas, student numbers and equality, diversity and inclusion.
Our Strategic Planning Group considered the major impact on our future financial position of the currently high and rising inflation, which is increasing most of our costs. At present it’s hard to say how long high inflation and supply chain issues will continue, not least given geopolitical uncertainty.
External meetings and initiatives
In London, I met alumni to discuss our key fundraising initiatives and how they can help. It’s a long time since I have met most in-person, so these meetings are really important. We are also seeking the advice of senior alumni on how we best position our fundraising and external relations.
I chaired a Russell Group meeting with the U15 group of leading German universities to discuss the UK’s association with the Horizon programme and the impact of the situation in Ukraine.
I met Professor Margaret Gardner, the chair of the Group of Eight universities (the top universities in Australia), to consider how we can learn from our experiences, particularly on international issues and how we could seek funds to promote collaboration between the UK and Australia.
Reminder to complete the Staff Survey
Please do fill in the Staff Survey which takes only 15 minutes.
And finally…..enjoy our campus
As we all spend more time back on campus, I hope you have noticed how beautiful it is looking as the spring flowers are out and we now have so many more green spaces. It has been delightful to see so many of you enjoying those open spaces with the sun shining!
Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor