Message from the Vice-President and Dean

05 May 2026

This week, Fiona reflects on successful recent events hosted by some of our Institutes, considers colleague feedback on and next steps for the rollout of Copilot, and looks at student experience through the lenses of Students’ Union Awards and the NSS.

Dear All

I hope you enjoyed the long weekend. It is always very nice to have an extra day of rest. It gave me the opportunity to start Colm Tóibín’s new book, The News from Dublin, which John McAuliffe, a SALC colleague and Associate Vice-President (Cultural Portfolio), recommended to me. I am a big fan of Tóibín’s work and these short stories are wonderful.

GDI Conference

I was pleased to attend the Global Development Institute (GDI) Conference earlier this month. It was an excellent event, bringing together scholars, policymakers and practitioners to reflect on shifting global dynamics and to discuss responses to significant and widespread development challenges.

I had the privilege of chairing the BRICS 25 years on: Introducing BRICS+ Thinking session led by Jim O'Neill and Gemma Deng. The discussion explored how, as an organisation of major emerging economies, BRICS has evolved over a quarter of a century, and how the BRICS+ Thinking initiative can operate as a strategic framework to bridge academic knowledge with actionable policy recommendations.

The conference was a strong reminder of the Faculty’s global outlook and the depth of expertise across Humanities in areas of international politics, development economics and global governance. It was also a timely illustration of how our research engages directly with some of the most important debates shaping the contemporary world.

Faculty Committee

I chaired the Faculty Committee meeting on Thursday 16 April and would like to thank members for a constructive and thoughtful discussion.

The main item concerned the University’s External Digital Experience Programme. Kate McNamee, Programme Director and recently appointed Interim Deputy Director of Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment, gave an overview of the strategic objectives underpinning the work and recent progress, including a new Clearing campaign.

Discussions covered areas including governance and oversight; planned investment in key content management and customer relationship management systems; wider streamlining of processes; and changing patterns of information consumption by prospective students. Above all, the importance of delivering a high-quality student experience across all touchpoints was emphasised.

There is still time to submit nominations for five available seats for the Faculty Committee from 1 September 2026. Nominations are open for academic and research staff seats for each of our four Schools, and for the PS category, until midday on Tuesday 12 May. For further information and to complete the nomination form, visit the Humanities Faculty Committee StaffNet page.

Faculty Copilot open meeting

We had an excellent Faculty M365 Copilot rollout open meeting on Wednesday 22 April. It was good to welcome more than 200 colleagues in the room and online, underlining the strength of interest across the Faculty.

Deputy Chief Information Officer Alex Goffe outlined the approach to rollout, after which a panel of Alex, Interim Executive Director of Faculty Operations Emma Rose, Associate Vice-President (Teaching Excellence and Innovation) Sarah Dyer and I took questions from colleagues in the room and online, supported by senior project and academic colleagues.

Issues discussed included the use of AI by students in assessments, the pace of Copilot rollout, integration into our existing systems, sustainability, data protection and privacy, and the impact of ongoing system change.

Events like this are extremely important. They create space for colleagues to raise issues directly with senior leaders and to be heard. They also reinforce our commitment to listening carefully as Copilot is introduced, and acting on feedback.

Support for colleagues is essential as this technology is rolled out. Training, guidance and clear communication will be critical, and we will continue our work to ensure these are aligned with the realities of academic and professional workloads.

Welcoming Zhejiang University

Last month, I was delighted to meet a senior delegation from Zhejiang University. The delegation was led by Professor Jianghong Zhou, Vice-President of Zhejiang University, alongside senior colleagues from the Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences, Public Affairs, International Studies, Management and Human Resources.

Discussions focused on renewing our student exchange memorandum of understanding, deepening collaboration in humanities and social sciences, and exploring new forms of cooperation. Building strong, reciprocal global partnerships remains a priority for the Faculty. I will meet colleagues again when I travel to China in June.

National Productivity Week

National Productivity Week took place from 27 April to 1 May, and it was fantastic to have The Productivity Institute (TPI) as host, encouraging business leaders and policy makers to discuss the issues and challenges on which the UK’s prosperity depends.

I gave the opening address at the Productivity for Better Outcomes event at Manchester Central Library. The event showcased TPI’s seven integrated research programmes through expert presentations and a fascinating panel discussion, reflecting on how productivity research can improve services, raise living standards and support more prosperous communities.

I also attended the Skills, Talent and Productivity in Greater Manchester event, at which a new report from LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance (CPE) on how to raise productivity in our city region was presented. Report co-author and CPE Research Director, Professor Henry Overman, joined Principal and Chief Executive of Hopwood Hall College, Julia Heap; Gemma Marsh, Deputy Chief Executive Office of Skills England; Professor Andy Westwood, TPI Policy Director; and chair Professor John Holder, Vice-President for Civic Engagement and Innovation, for a great discussion and Q&A. It encompassed themes including implications for regional policy, the skills system, and local employers.

Senior appointments

TPI’s role in continuing to shape national and international conversations on productivity and growth will be led from 1 August by Professor Jun Du as the new Managing Director of the Institute. Jun is a Professor of Economics at Aston University, where she founded the Centre for Business Prosperity. She brings outstanding academic leadership and deep expertise on UK trade, productivity and the Chinese economy, focusing on firm performance, international trade and industrial transformation. I look forward to working closely with her as TPI enters its next phase.

She will succeed Professor Bart Van Ark, who has led TPI since its foundation in 2020, and I would like to thank Bart for his pivotal role in establishing the Institute as a leading light in productivity research and engagement. I know Bart plans to stay involved in the TPI, which is pleasing news indeed.

I am also pleased to announce that Professor Manuel López-Ibáñez, Professor of Optimisation in AMBS, will take up the role of Associate Dean: Civic Engagement and Innovation from 1 August. Manuel succeeds Richard Allmendinger, with a refreshed remit that reflects our ambitions around civic impact and partnerships. Thank you to Richard for his leadership and commitment, and a warm welcome to Manuel as he prepares to take this work forward.

Students’ Union Academic Awards

It was lovely to attend the Students’ Union Academic Awards 2026 last week. They are an important opportunity to recognise students and colleagues who make a real difference to learning, teaching and the wider student experience.

Congratulations to all our Faculty of Humanities winners and highly commended finalists. There are too many to mention here, but look out for a story on the StaffNet news page this week for full details. The nominations reflect dedication, creativity and care, and it was a pleasure to celebrate these achievements alongside colleagues and students.

NSS update

Reflecting on the student experience at Manchester has been to the fore over the last few months as our final year undergraduate students had the chance to give their views through the National Student Survey (NSS). The survey closed on Thursday 30 April and I am happy to report that all four of our Schools improved on their 2025 response rates.

I would like to thank all colleagues who encouraged students to take part. NSS results, which will be published in July, remain a vital measure of the academic and wider experience of our undergraduate students, and your efforts are greatly appreciated.

Visiting our Schools and Faculty Office

From this week, Faculty Executive colleagues and I will begin a series of visits to our Schools and the Faculty Office. These start with AMBS on Wednesday 6 May, followed by SEED and SALC on Thursday 7th.

These visits are an opportunity to look back and look ahead, with the focus on delivering the Manchester 2035 strategy. Most importantly, they provide space for colleagues to raise any issues they may have and ask questions of me and Faculty Executive members.

Future Foundations is one of the most important projects for improving how we work as part of our strategy, and for those interested in finding out more, I would recommend watching the video by Chief Financial Officer Carol Prokopyszyn, which outlines the rationale, benefits and timelines of the changes that will come in November.

I very much look forward to meeting and talking with colleagues from across our Faculty at the visits.

Regards Fiona