The 200
The 200 is a forward-thinking community of leaders from across our University who are committed to bringing our ten-year strategy to life.
By working together, the group aims to collaborate and innovate, creating an environment where leaders are empowered to take bold steps forward and inspire action across their teams - both now and in the future.
It’s also about supporting our leaders, equipping them and their teams with the tools and mindsets needed to lead our University into its third century.
Supporting delivery of our strategy
Building on the work we did in 2025 to shape and understand our strategy, we are now focusing on how we bring it to life - and what that means for us as leaders
Our work is framed around the University’s accountability framework and three-year work packages, helping us stay focused on priorities, strengthen accountability, and support the decisions needed to deliver our strategy.
Across these sessions, a consistent theme has emerged:
- Delivery depends on being clear about priorities
- Leaders take shared accountability for delivering outcomes
- Progress relies on making informed, sometimes difficult decisions.
The 200 creates space for these conversations, helping us build a shared understanding and move forward with clarity.
Who is part of The 200?
Founding members of The 200 include senior leaders from all areas of the University including Heads of Schools and Divisions, Professional Services Executive Directors and senior leaders from our Cultural Institutions and Research Institutes. Those with broader leadership roles, like Academic Leads, who will be taking forward key parts of our strategy, are part of the 200. Our Future Leaders, who are part of the University’s graduate development programme, are also part of the 200.
- University Executive Team
- Professional Services leaders
- Faculty of Science and Engineering - Faculty leadership team
- Faculty of Humanities - Faculty leadership team
- Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health - Faculty leadership team
Looking to the future, membership of the group will be fluid, ensuring we create a community not just of the leaders of today, but the leaders of tomorrow.
By bringing together leaders from all parts of the University, The 200 embodies the One University approach to collaboration and working together.
Where we started
The work in 2025 helped shape our strategic direction and build a shared understanding across the 200, creating the foundation for our current focus on delivery.
200 Launch (January 2025): This first meeting focused on exploring the shift from conventional thinking to breakthrough thinking whilst also sharing leadership commitments.
- Summary of the event
- Find out about The 200’s leadership commitments on LinkedIn
Strategy update (April 2025): This meeting focused on strategy updates with input from our President and Vice-Chancellor, Duncan Ivison.
Networking (June 2025): This informal event was held to create relationships that encourage collaboration, innovation, and mutual support.
September Conference: This session gave a preview of the key themes in the Manchester 2035 strategy, with time for discussion, networking and a Q&A panel with the University Executive Team. The afternoon focused on group discussions on four major themes from the strategy: Students; Research Partners and Funders; Communities and our Civic Role and what M2035 means for colleagues.