AMBS has partnered with BNY, a global financial services company, on the Future of Work Alliance, a five-year, £5 million initiative focused on advancing how human-led digital transformation can be integrated responsibly into large, data-intensive organisations in the AI era.

This exciting collaboration is a practical example of ‘The University to partner with’ Leap set out in our From Manchester for the world strategy, which highlights the University’s ambition to be the partner of choice for organisations that share our commitment to excellence and turning knowledge into impact for the public good.

Enabled by Unit M and delivered through AMBS, the initiative is focused on tackling a question many organisations are facing: how can digital transformation be introduced in ways that are useful, responsible and shaped around people?

“One of the challenges for organisations is how AI can be scaled in complex environments,” says Alejandro Perez, Chief Operating Officer of BNY. “The Future of Work Alliance connects our operational reality with The University of Manchester’s world-class research and talent pipeline to build the foundations for human-led digital transformation at scale.”

The partnership will turn business challenges into opportunities for learning, research and collaboration, focusing on five areas:

• BNY Research Challenge Programme: live operational challenges converted into structured, student-led academic projects delivering practical insights and solutions.
• AMBS Executive Education: bespoke academic programmes designed to equip BNY leaders to excel in an AI-enabled organisation.
• Postgraduate Internships: multi-week placements giving high-performing students hands-on experience within BNY’s Manchester office.
• Scholarships and an Endowed Chair: support for five AI-focused scholarships and a BNY-endowed Chair to provide long-term academic leadership via the University’s Challenge Accepted campaign.
• Keynote lecture series: bringing academic and industry leaders together to shape debate on the future workforce and responsible AI.

Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: “The Alliance shows how universities and industry can work together to build trusted approaches to AI, develop future skills and deliver long-term economic and social value for Manchester and beyond.”

Building on BNY’s long-standing contribution to the city, the Alliance will help create new routes for students, academics and industry partners to learn from one another, develop future skills and deliver work with long-term economic and social value.