Message from the Vice-President and Dean
29 Jun 2026
This week, Fiona celebrates promotions, appointments and achievement, rounds up just a few of the many events led by the Faculty and University which she has had the pleasure to attend, and updates on her recent Shanghai and Hong Kong visit.
Dear All
I hope you managed to cope with the very hot weather over the last week and kept as cool and comfortable as possible.
Promotions and appointments
I am very pleased to congratulate the many colleagues who have been successful in this year’s academic promotions round. It is always one of the most enjoyable moments of the year to see colleagues advance as they develop their careers in teaching, research and scholarship. These promotions reflect sustained commitment, ambition and achievement across our Schools, and I am also grateful to the members of the Faculty Promotions Committees for the care, rigour and time they have given to this important process.
There are also several senior appointments to welcome. Jennifer Rose will become Associate Dean, Teaching Excellence and Innovation, and Dr Mark Carrigan will become Associate Dean, Teaching, Learning and Student Experience (Digital Education), both from 1 August. I know they will bring great energy and insight to these important roles, strengthening teaching practice and the student experience across the Faculty.
Dr Cristina Masters will take up the role of Director of the Humanities New Academics Programme (HNAP) from 1 August, supporting colleagues at a crucial stage in their academic careers. I am grateful to Cristina for taking this on and look forward to seeing HNAP continue to develop as a welcoming, practical and intellectually stimulating programme for new colleagues.
And from the Royal Northern College of Music we welcome Michelle Phillips, who has been appointed Director of Creative Manchester from 14 September. Michelle brings considerable music research and creative industry engagement experience to the role, and I greatly welcome the expertise and drive she will bring to shaping the platform’s future.
Exceptional performance and distinguished achievement
It is wonderful that so many colleagues across the Faculty have recently been acknowledged through the Rewarding Exceptional Performance process. This is an important way of recognising colleagues whose contribution, commitment and professionalism make such a difference to our students, our research, our services and the wider Faculty community. Thank you to everyone highlighted through the scheme for all that you do.
It was also lovely to see colleagues and students celebrated at the President’s Distinguished Achievement Awards in Whitworth Hall on Thursday 25 June. Our Faculty winners were Professor Pamela Qualter, Researcher of the Year; Dr Miri Firth, Teacher of the Year; Freddie Jones, Postgraduate Research Student of the Year, and Oliver Kennett, Undergraduate Student of the Year. These awards are among the University’s most prestigious internal honours, and the winners represents the very best of Humanities – outstanding scholarship, inclusive teaching, socially engaged research and a deep commitment to our student community.
Externally, Professor Kunal Sen has been elected to the Council of the Royal Economic Society (RES), where he will serve a five-year term and help strengthen connections between economists in the UK and across the Global South. Professor Pierre-Richard Agénor has been made a Fellow of the RES, reflecting his academic contributions to international macroeconomics and development economics, as well as his significant experience with institutions including the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank. Professor Melanie Giles has also received the Prehistoric Society’s Europa Prize 2027, a fitting acknowledgement of her distinguished work in European later prehistory, particularly in relation to Iron Age societies, bog bodies and the archaeology of identity.
Recent events
Celebration has been a recurring theme this month. On 18 June I attended the honorary degrees ceremony, another occasion which reminded me how much universities are shaped by the achievements, service and example of people across many different fields. Ceremonies such as this are always uplifting, not only because of the individuals being honoured, but because they bring our wider University community together around shared values and aspirations.
Earlier in June, I spoke at the Improving Productivity in the NHS event, hosted by AMBS. This was a timely and important discussion on one of the major public policy challenges facing the country, and a valuable opportunity to reflect on the distinctive contribution universities can make through research, evidence, partnership and leadership development.
I also welcomed delegates to the Emerging Faultlines in Global Tech Governance conference on 10 June. At a time when technology is moving faster than many of our regulatory, social and ethical frameworks, it was important to be part of a conversation that placed the humanities and social sciences at the centre of debates about AI, digital trust, governance and human-centred innovation.
The Venture Further Awards were another excellent example of Manchester’s culture of innovation in action. The Masood Entrepreneurship Centre’s flagship competition brought together 29 finalists from around 200 applications, competing across four tracks for a share of £200,000 in prizes. It was inspiring to see such creativity and confidence among our students, researchers and alumni, and to be reminded how strongly enterprise and social impact connect with our Faculty’s work.
Faculty Leadership Conference
Early this month, we welcomed more than 70 senior academic and Professional Services leaders from across the Faculty to our annual Leadership Conference. The theme for the day was strategy, delivery and change, focusing on Manchester 2035, and the discussions were thoughtful, constructive and forward-looking. It was great to catch up with so many colleagues and I was particularly pleased by the clear shared commitment to ensuring that Humanities plays a leading role in delivering the strategy over the coming year and beyond.
Shanghai and Hong Kong trip
That strategic focus was very much in mind during my trip last week to Shanghai and Hong Kong with Dr Panos Sousounis, our Faculty Associate Dean International. Manchester 2035 sets out the importance of innovation and partnership, and our international centres are a vital part of how we build long-term relationships with alumni, institutions, businesses and civic partners around the world.
In Shanghai, we visited Zhejiang University International Business School and Fudan University, a member of the UK-China Humanities Alliance. We also marked the 18th anniversary of the University of Manchester China Centre, met alumni and partners, and took part in discussions on social impact and education. In Hong Kong and Shenzhen, the programme included engagement with alumni, students and partners, with conversations ranging from leadership and careers to talent, philanthropy and future collaboration.
It was an intense schedule, but also a very rewarding one. I was struck again by the warmth of our global Manchester community, the pride our alumni take in the University and the real appetite among partners to work with us on shared challenges. It was a privilege to see so clearly the reach and reputation of Humanities, and the many personal connections that sustain our international work.
The examples above capture only a small part of the work taking place across Humanities, but they show the breadth of our contribution: excellent teaching, ambitious research, effective professional services, international partnership, public engagement and support for our students and each other. Thank you, as always, for everything you do for the Faculty.
Regards Fiona