Equity and Merit Scholarships by The University of Manchester

THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

EQUITY AND MERIT EQUITY AND MERIT SCHOLARSHIPS

SCHOLARSHIPS

CONTENTS FOREWORD

INTRODUCTION

PART 1: TRANSFORMERS: HOW EQUITY AND MERIT GRADUATES ARE SHAPING OUR WORLD

NEW SOLUTIONS FOR BETTER SPACES

POWERING THE WINDS OF CHANGE

NO TURNING BACK

MANAGING NATURE’S RESOURCES

RESEARCH FOR A GREENER FUTURE

PART 2: THINKERS: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES - THE GLOBAL CONTEXT AND THE NEED FOR CHANGE

DON’T FORGET: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS LOCALLY

WHY IS THE WORLD IGNORING 150 DEATHS AN HOUR?

SWITCHED ON – MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION

HOW OUR STUDENTS ARE CHANGING MANCHESTER FOR THE BETTER

PART 3: PARTNERS: BECOMING A SUPPORTER FOR CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION

THE GIFT OF EDUCATION

UNLOCKING A BETTER LIFE THROUGH EDUCATION

A DECADE OF SUPPORT

WITH GRATITUDE

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

CONTACT INFORMATION

FOREWORD

he University of Manchester is distinctive in the UK as the only higher education institution to have social responsibility as one of its core goals, alongside world-class research and outstanding learning and student experience. We are committed to making a difference to society across all our activities. As England’s first civic university, our founding mission was a desire to improve people’s lives. This sense of purpose remains at the heart of our current Manchester 2020 vision, reaffirming the huge contribution we make to society through our research, education and the range of activities undertaken by our staff, students and alumni. The Equity and Merit Programme is a clear demonstration of what our commitment to social responsibility looks like in practice. Established in 2006 to give access to postgraduate education for talented but economically disadvantaged students from some of the world’s poorest countries, it recruited its tenth cohort of students in 2016. It was founded as a testament to the importance of openness, diversity and a global outlook for higher education: principles which are more vital than ever in today’s world.

The Equity and Merit Programme was established by my predecessor, Professor Alan Gilbert, as a ﬂagship project of the newly formed University of Manchester. Alan’s vision in setting up the Programme was to address the challenge of building human capital in low-income countries, contributing to the educational aspirations of highly motivated students, while simultaneously improving the diﬀerent societies from which they came. The Alan Gilbert Memorial Fund, founded as a legacy to his vision, continues to support outstanding Equity and Merit students every year. This publication celebrates Alan’s vision on the tenth anniversary of the Programme. It is an opportunity to celebrate our Equity and Merit alumni’s extraordinary talents and achievements and to share some stories of how they are transforming their home communities. We also want to recognise the generosity of our donors in partnering with the University to support these students and express our continued commitment to the Programme as we look forward to the years ahead.

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell President and Vice-Chancellor

INTRODUCTION his year, we welcomed the tenth cohort of Equity and Merit students to The University of Manchester. An inspirational group of students who on completion of their master's degrees will be applying new skills in, for example, ﬁnance law and medical mycology to Uganda, environmental governance to Tanzania and construction project management to Rwanda. These are students who have the aptitude and energy to make a huge diﬀerence, but who, without a scheme such as this, would not have had access to postgraduate education. Since the scheme began, we’ve awarded more than 200 scholarships to exceptional individuals who have demonstrated both academic excellence and a commitment to the economic and social development of their home communities.

I want to reassure you, our global alumni community, that The University of Manchester will continue to welcome and embrace students, staﬀ and academic and business collaborations from across the world.

The scholarships are jointly funded by the University and its donors. The University covers the tuition fee in full and the generosity of our donors pays students’ living costs, flights to the UK and visas. The students spend a full year in Manchester, working hard on their courses but also making substantial contributions to the University and city of Manchester during their time here. They become important ambassadors of their home countries, but also part of the diverse culture of the institution. The University's vision is to be an international institution where our staff and students will have the opportunity to understand, learn from and respect the diverse cultures throughout the world, developing their skills, addressing socio-economic challenges and forging long-term relationships. Our Equity and Merit students are a vital part of this mission and we are proud of, and thankful for, the positive impact they make on the quality and life of the University. Scholarships are available for students to undertake postgraduate master's degrees that are not available in their home country, and which are intended to fill a particular skills gap. Over the last ten years we have had students take a wide range of courses, from power engineering to environmental governance, from public health to global urban development and planning. We also offer awards for online learning to support students, particularly women, who need to combine study with work, family and other commitments. Most scholarship recipients are first-generation university students who, if it weren’t for the funding offered by the Equity and Merit Programme would not have had the opportunity for further study. The University of Manchester places particular emphasis not just on the quality of our teaching and learning, but also on who is able to have access to it. Widening opportunities for higher education, ensuring we recruit excellent students no matter what their background, is a crucial mission for us – and the Equity and Merit Programme extends that commitment internationally. Access to education, ensuring individuals gain lifechanging experiences based on equity as well as merit, is important to the University both locally and internationally.

In its tenth anniversary year, the University has decided to make the Equity and Merit Programme one of its social responsibility signature programmes. We organise our third goal around five priorities – research with impact, socially responsible graduates, engaging our communities, responsible processes and environmental sustainability. To highlight the values and practices that lie behind each of these areas, we also promote a series of signature programmes, which demonstrate the distinctiveness and ambition of social responsibility for The University of Manchester. These range from a school governor programme, that has created the biggest growth in volunteer governors provided by any institution in the UK, to a programme called The Works providing work opportunities at the University for local residents. Signature programmes are exemplars of what it means to make a difference – to continue our founding mission, mentioned in Nancy’s foreword, to improve people’s lives. It is fitting, therefore, that the tenth cohort of Equity and Merit students become celebrated as part of a flagship university programme. In this anniversary year we have decided to focus the scheme on the three countries of Uganda, Rwanda and Tanzania, so that we are able to target our resources and ensure scholarships are awarded to the most deserving candidates in an open and transparent manner. As the scheme grows, we are expanding the different country alumni associations and developing new opportunities for university staff to work in partnership with former students on important initiatives that extend the impact of their original courses. We hope you enjoy this publication and that it demonstrates the importance and reach of the scheme. It outlines the links between Equity and Merit and the wider research in the University, it introduces a number of the scheme’s alumni and the contributions they have made since leaving the University and also profiles a number of our donors who have made the success of the scheme possible.

Professor James Thompson Professor of Applied and Social Theatre Associate Vice-President for Social Responsibility

TRANSFORMERS:

HOW EqUITY AND MERIT GRADUATES ARE SHAPING OUR WORLD

alent knows no economic or social boundaries. Alongside determination and hard work, however, there must be opportunity. Our Programme offers that opportunity to a group of academically gifted students who would almost certainly not have got to where they are today without it. Our former and current students inspire with their determination to make a positive difference in a range of different fields. This is, however, definitely not a one-way street. With significant work and life experience, they also enhance learning and opportunities for cultural and educational exchange. They bring possibilities for exciting new partnerships and long-lasting bonds between their home countries and our teaching staff, our institutions and the wider university family.

They are global citizens, creating opportunities for transformation in some of the world’s lowestincome countries – countries that are working towards a better future. Five of our graduates share their stories on the pages that follow.

NEW SOLUTIONS FOR BETTER SPACES

Andrew Amara Architect and urban planner Subject studied MSc Global Urban Development and Planning Scholarship Alan Gilbert Memorial Scholarship Supported by Donors to The Alan Gilbert Memorial Fund

Andrew was a creative child. Born in 1983 in a district close to Uganda’s capital city Kampala, he says: “I liked fine arts and music. I always had a creative mind, but I think it was the places where we lived that drew me to architecture. We moved around and the communities were good – you grew up with friends and neighbours – but the physical infrastructure was not. The roads were dusty with potholes and the materials used to build were not sufficiently durable. Growing up in such a space, you realise what a difference you can make in engineering or architecture.” Andrew’s grandparents on both sides were farmers and hunters, and this had paid for his parents to go to school. They had both become teachers and Andrew puts getting a place from a ‘not good’ primary school into a good secondary school down to the support they gave him at home. From there, he worked hard and did extremely well, winning a scholarship to do architecture at Makerere University in Kampala. Andrew graduated and got a job, but was soon thinking about how he could bridge the gap between architecture and the development needs of the city. He wanted to do a second degree, but there was no such course available

in Uganda. When he found out about the Equity and Merit Scholarship and the chance to study urban development and planning at The University of Manchester, he applied and was accepted. “They liked that I was an architect,” he says. “I was approaching development in a way that was different to, for example, a doctor or a lawyer.” He describes his experience at the University as vivid and rich, both in the diversity of the people he met and in the teaching and learning. He explains: “There were eight in my class, which included people from Argentina, Mexico and Greece. I shared a flat with a Spaniard. So you see, I got to exchange ideas with people from all over the world. I also found the teaching style different. In Uganda, we are sort of spoken down to, but in Manchester they ask you what you think. You learn a critical thought process and it trains you to be curious and to tackle problems creatively. In this way, you can come up with all sorts of solutions for the same problem.” True to his nature, Andrew was always analysing the urban planning that surrounded him. He says: “I liked the spaces in Manchester, and how you have public parks, and how there are lanes for bicycles – which culturally we don’t do here, because here if you are seen riding a bicycle it means you don’t have much money. In the UK, even the minister can ride to parliament on a bicycle!” Armed with new skills and experiences, Andrew returned from Manchester to Uganda, where he is now his own boss, employing staff and running two interrelated but separate ventures. One is a building consultancy carrying out architecture, engineering, urban planning and environment management; the other is an urban development programme, engaging 150 low-income households in developing a better-planned neighbourhood. His partners for this include a local council, his professional consultancy team and architecture students from Makerere University, who he firmly believes learn a huge amount from the experience.

"We target low-income families who need homes, because there is no housing supply to this sector," explains Andrew. "The houses that are available are sold to high-income or middle-class families. So we decided to look at how to construct homes that are affordable for the low-income bracket.” The project is also investigating innovative solutions that help these families access finance to buy their own home, for example by partnering with a bank so they can negotiate better interest rates. Andrew has built the first of these low-cost houses in Nabweru slum, Nansana, just outside of Kampala. He explains: "Initially, the family who now live in the house were sceptical, although enthusiastic that it could be built for such a low cost. But they had a clear vision of what their dream house could look like and were actively engaged in the challenge of the design and build and in improving what it would be like.”

Andrew is optimistic about the role he can play in improving urban living. He estimates that within about ﬁve years he and his team should have developed over 1,000 housing units, all well planned, able to get their energy from the sun, and made from better building materials that are aﬀordable, but still look nice. “Here in the towns and cities of Uganda, we have the opportunity to create something better,” asserts Andrew. “Those that have gone before us, and built cities in Europe, USA or South Africa – they have built towns that we can learn from. Some have got it right and some have got it wrong. They are over 70% urbanised. But here in Uganda we are just starting to grow our towns, so we have the opportunity to learn from all the other global cases; then create our own, unique and sustainable settlements.”

It's so rewarding that a man who is selling ﬁsh, or a lady who has a market, here in the slum can now realise that they can actually own a house, not just a house, but a building that is sustainable... 9

“I’m most proud about sharing the innovative shelters solution with the locals, because people here (in the slum) struggle to own house," he continues. "It's so rewarding that a man who is selling ﬁsh, or a lady who has a market, here in the slum can now realise that they can actually own a house - and not just a house, but a building that is sustainable, low in energy use, resilient to extreme climate and has minimal negative impact on the environment.

TRANSfORMERS

My prior education in architecture taught me how to create fancy buildings made of glass and steel, but the reality is that most people in my country need a very diﬀerent solution. Our climate also demands something else. So I thought, how can I bridge the gap?

oday around 54% of the world’s population lives in urban areas, a proportion that is expected to grow to 66% by 2050. Combined with the growth of the world’s population, this could add another 2.5 billion people to urban populations by 2050, with close to 90% of the increase concentrated in Africa and Asia1. Architect Andrew Amara saw from childhood that what people in the cities and settlements of East Africa needed most was improved access to shelter, clean water, sanitation and energy. He had learned his craft, but was frustrated that his teaching had so far failed to consider solutions to these basic needs. Andrew came to Manchester to study an MSc in Global Urban Development and Planning. He now has his own architecture and urban planning business. He also runs an urban development programme, developing aﬀordable housing for low-income families.

“For example, the roof sits on timber poles that are locally available and that grow quickly. The brick is made from the local soil, mixed with sand, lime and cement. It is compacted to make it strong then left to dry for a couple of days. It is much cheaper than buying clay-ﬁred bricks from the valley. It is better to create materials from the neighbourhood and more environmentally friendly.”

See http://www.un.org/en/development/desa/news/ population/world-urbanization-prospects-2014.html

Three words that sum up the Programme for you: Eye-opening

Inspiring

Cold (the weather!)

Andrew in front of his prototype house in Nansana Uganda

POWERING THE WINDS OF CHANGE

Patrick Junior Site Manager/Agent Subject studied MSc Management of Projects (Construction) Scholarship Elnora Ferguson Equity and Merit Scholarship

Supported by The Allan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust

Born in 1981, Patrick is the sixth of 12 children, living in a district called Masindi in western Uganda. His parents grew what they could to provide food for the family and Patrick remembers his childhood involved a lot of hard work, helping his parents in the field. “My parents were peasant farmers and so were most of our neighbours,” he says. Patrick was an academic child. He did extremely well at primary school, and was admitted to one of the best senior schools in the region - but did not attend it. “Unfortunately,” he explains, “my parents could not raise the money required to enable me to go, so I enrolled at a community school which was ten kilometres away from home. I commuted every day on a bicycle, or sometimes when necessary on foot.” Again, Patrick shone, and in the final national exams he was the only candidate to score the accolade of ‘division 1’ in his year. In 2007 he joined Makerere University and completed a BSc in Construction Management, graduating with First Class Honours. One evening, at an internet cafe, Patrick was handed a flyer containing an advertisement for the Equity and Merit Programme, and that was the start of his journey to Manchester. “I watched a television programme,” says Patrick, “in which the guest emphasised that the problem

facing Uganda’s construction industry was not engineering, it was management – and that inspired me.” "That same year, I successfully applied for an Equity and Merit scholarship to study the MSc Construction Project Management at The University of Manchester, where I graduated with a distinction.” Patrick now works in project management for Civicon Engineering on the LTWP project in Marsabit County, northern Kenya. His job involves managing all construction works: planning, scheduling and forecasting for the construction of a 201 kilometre road and on-site roads within the wind farm to enable construction, transportation, installation, and maintenance of around 365 giant wind turbines. Patrick says: "The best thing about my job is that the Lake Turkana Wind Power project is a very new technology in Africa and a really magniﬁcent project. It has transformed local communities through employment opportunities and been involved in constructing primary schools, safe water sources, youth empowerment projects and improvement to roads and houses. As a result of better roads, the region has become one of the country’s economic hubs and new opportunities have opened up. For example, people are now ﬁshing because they can transport their catch from Lake Turkana to the neighbouring countries.”

11 TRANSfORMERS

...the world-class education gave me new insight and thinking …it was more than just an education.

ﬀordable, reliable and sustainable power generation is one of the greatest challenges of our times. Patrick Junior who studied an MSc in Management of Projects (Construction) is playing his part in the development of Africa’s single biggest wind farm, the Lake Turkana Wind Power (LTWP) project. This ambitious, multi-million pound project represents the single largest private investment in Kenya’s history and shows the country’s commitment to taking the long view when it comes to meeting its energy needs.

This project can beneﬁt the whole country. The cost of power is expected to go down, which will really improve people’s standard of living. When complete, the expected output will amount to 18% of the total power generated and consumed in Kenya.

Patrick's old university, Makerere, employs him as an assistant lecturer in the Department of Construction Economics and Management, where he teaches undergraduate students, does research, supervises students’ research and gets involved in community outreach projects. Where would he be without the Equity and Merit Programme? He thinks perhaps still in construction, but in a much less senior position.

Three words that sum up the Programme for you: Equity

Exciting

Exceptional

Lake Turkana Wind Power

NO TURNING BACK

When I talk to people about what they need in their village, I see a smile appear on their faces because they realise that development has come for them as well, that it is no longer for people in the big cities only. I feel proud because I am a part of it, because I can do the thing that will change their lives and make them happy.

Solange Uwera Geographical Information System Specialist Subject studied MSc Geographical Information Science Scholarship Alan Gilbert Memorial Scholarship Supported by Donors to The Alan Gilbert Memorial Fund

Born in the Rwandan capital of Kigali, Solange is the fourth of five children. Her father died when she was around four years old and she was raised by her mother, a teacher. “We were all relying on her. It was not an easy life,” she says. She asserts that she was lucky, however, because her mother was educated. “She kept telling us that studying was the only thing we could do. Some of my classmates dropped out of school, but I kept going. I studied in public schools where education quality was relatively fair and cheap. Passing exams was the best way to continue studying because people who failed and could not pay for private school were disqualified. I did biology and chemistry in my upper secondary school and continued with botany and conservation at National University of Rwanda.” Solange heard of The University of Manchester during her third year of university. She says: “I had a British English teacher at secondary school. I liked the way he taught us and came to be interested in the UK. Later, after university, when a friend told me about the Equity and Merit Programme, I did not hesitate to apply.” The offer of a place on the course came as a surprise. “I was

so excited - I didn’t expect it. People who had the interview the same day had good jobs and they seemed to be sure of themselves, but I was doing an internship; I had volunteered abroad, but had never had a full-time job. I thought, I am here to experience how interviews are done, maybe I will compete for a scholarship when I get a real job. But Joanne, the coordinator of the Equity and Merit Programme, believed in me – and I believe I did not fail her.” She admits that coming to Manchester was a big step. “I was a bit scared, thinking of going to a new place and a very diﬀerent environment for a year. I didn’t know to what expect, but I knew the education system in the UK is more advanced than in my home country. But I learned good practices from the UK. And the people I met were so inspiring. I learnt much more than I expected… there were many things I wanted to explore and ﬁnd out about.”

TRANSfORMERS

I had one purpose, to make the most of it. My dream had come true and I was ready to enjoy it. Coming to Manchester opened my eyes. I found a lot of capabilities within me and I felt exposed to the world of opportunities.

safe place to call home, the ability to get to work and school, a community to belong to – these are basic human needs. They are, however, a dream still not realised for many marginalised people around the world. Solange Uwera, who came to The University of Manchester in 2014, is proud and passionate about helping to meet these needs for rural communities in her home country of Rwanda, which has made huge progress since the genocide of 1994. The country has a long-term goal of transforming from a low-income agriculture-based economy to a knowledgebased, service-oriented economy, but this will take time. Challenges include a high dependency on foreign aid and poor infrastructure. A population of around 12 million comprises some 80% living in rural areas, often in poverty and in settlements which are unplanned, scattered and isolated, without access to modern services.

NO TURNING BACK

This programme has transformed me from someone uninformed, into someone with a clear sense of purpose. It has shaped my future and there is no turning back.

Solange graduated a year later with an MSc Geographical Information Science. She now works for the Rwanda Housing Authority, a governmental organisation in charge of housing and human settlement planning and development in rural and urban areas. “I am a Geographical Information System Specialist; in simple words you could say that I am a map maker,” she explains. “But it is much more than that; it is about making decisions about homes and the space around them, using geospatial technology. “I am supporting the rural settlement division to make well-planned villages countrywide with integrated development programmes. My daily responsibilities include identifying suitable areas for human settlement, then making plans – a bit like urban planning, but for a small rural area. I try to think about how I would want my village to be and then plan according to people’s needs, for example, where to locate schools, health centres, residential areas, roads, etc. My plan is then used by engineers to build the village.”

Without the Equity and Merit Programme and the opportunity to do the master's, Solange thinks she would probably be jobless, or teaching: “something I was not good at, and did not like,” she admits. Most of her classmates have not yet found proper jobs, and only a very few of them got lucky and are teaching in schools. At the time of writing, Solange lives with her siblings. She is happy to be able to say, "we do not struggle for rent or other needs, because two of us have jobs.” As a result, they are contributing to the education of their youngest brother in the hope that he, too, can have greater opportunities. In the future, she hopes to be a successful leader in her ﬁeld of interest and continue to impact on even more people in her community. “I now see that life is only getting better,” she says. “My future is bright”.

Equity and Merit was my light at the of the tunnel.

Three words that sum up the Programme for you: Potentiality

Opportunities

future

15 TRANSfORMERS

The overall objective is to relocate households from high-risk and scattered zones to wellplanned neighbourhoods where there is access to basic infrastructure such as electricity, education and health services, as well as opportunities for work and socialising. “Normally people leave the countryside to be near those kinds of facilities,” explains Solange, “so the idea is that if people have access to these basic needs, they will stay in their villages and contribute to its development. Bringing people together also has a positive impact on the environment, because soon they will rely not only on agriculture but also on other economic activities. And in our planning, we also take into consideration environmental protection. Green space through planting trees, for example, is a key component of the village, as well as water harvesting and biogas installation.”

Solange is clearly someone with a passion for her work. “I love my job and I feel proud,” she says, “because I truly know that I am making a positive impact on my community.”

The level of famine has also reduced as the relief food is being transported to the community using the newly constructed roads.

MANAGING NATURE’S RESOURCES

angladesh will celebrate its 50th year of independence in 2021 with the goal of achieving middle-income status and ending extreme poverty. Water security has a deﬁning role to play in this challenge, given the risks of multi-billion pound losses associated with the country’s adverse ecology, characterised by extreme ﬂood and cyclone events combining with chronic water quality hazards. Tazrina Habib Ananya, who graduated with a master’s in Geographical Information Science, has joined a global research programme to improve water security for the poor. By helping to deliver world-class science to transform policy and practice1, she is well placed to support her country in moving forward towards this goal.

Tazrina was born and raised in Dhaka, Bangladesh’s capital city, in 1988. Her father worked for a pharmaceutical company and her mother was a housewife. The eldest of four sisters, she says her parents always encouraged her to be ambitious. “My mum wanted me to do something with my life,” says Tazrina, who credits her mother with getting her into a good school. From there, she won a place at the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET). This was quite an usual choice for a girl at the time. “When I went, there were fewer than 200 girls out of 850 students.” In 2013 both Tazrina and her husband applied and were shortlisted for places on the Equity and Merit Programme, to study courses that were not available in Bangladesh. Tazrina explains, “It was funny, we didn’t think for a moment we’d both get in, especially not in the same year. The interviewees didn’t know we were husband and wife. In my interview, the last question they asked was to say something about my family and I told them I had just got married a few months ago, and that my husband was sitting outside for the interview!” Tazrina completed her studies and returned home to Bangladesh. She is now the mother of a little girl and is a senior project oﬃcer for REACH, where she coordinates activities in Bangladesh between Oxford University, UNICEF and the Bangladeshi government's Department of Public Health Engineering, as well as providing support to information management and data visualisation. REACH is a programme led by Oxford University with a consortium of partners including UNICEF, which aims to improve access to safe, clean water to over ﬁve million people.

Tazrina Habib Ananya Senior Project Oﬃcer and lecturer Subject studied MSc Geographical Information Science Scholarship Mary Hanson Equity and Merit Scholarship Supported by Don Hanson

Where once a number of documents and paper maps might have been used, today GIS software collects and analyses data from many diﬀerent sources such as aerial photographs, satellite images and information from the ground. It’s a ﬁeld that Tazrina says is much-needed in her country where there are many projects requiring it, and few experts available. “People here are drinking water that isn’t safe and they’re getting diseases,” says Tazrina. “The challenge is that villages need hand pumps to produce a reliable source of clean water, but no-one knows exactly where. It’s a long process with many steps; for example, we need to know factors like population, the quality of the water and the depth of groundwater. It must be tested for elements like arsenic, iron and manganese, which are common in Bangladesh. We then collate all the information to identify the most suitable sites. GIS is the way to do this, to analyse the information and make good decisions.”

TRANSfORMERS

Knowing where to site a water pump is much more complicated to get right than people realise… We collate a lot of information to identify the most suitable Geographical Information Systems (GIS) is the way to do this, to analyse the information and make good decisions.

Water security is also said to be a gendered issue, because the pivotal role of women as providers and users of water has seldom been reflected in the development and management of water resources2. Tazrina’s personal achievement in securing a professional and technical role in the field of water security is therefore especially significant.

RESEARCH FOR A GREENER FUTURE

The project has given Tazrina the opportunity to do something that integrates both her undergraduate and her master's degrees. “I know what I am doing is going to be really beneﬁcial to local people in the area where I am working,” she says. The work that Tazrina is able to contribute to in water security recognises the interactions and

trade-offs in balancing sufficient and safe water for people, agriculture, industry and nature under increasingly uncertain hydroclimatic conditions. GIS in particular will enhance an understanding of how the likelihood and consequences of these risks vary over space and time and for different sectors of society to enable the design of more effective and fair policies and programmes3.

In addition to her work with REACH, Tazrina now has another new challenge. She has been invited to teach part-time at her old university BUET, on a course in GIS in urban and regional planning, passing on her knowledge to the next generation of geographical information specialists.

http://reachwater.org.uk/about-reach

The Dublin Statement on Water and Sustainable Development, United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) in Rio de Janeiro, June 1992

In the long run, the community will benefit from the efforts that I have put into my work. They will be able to adopt and implement some of the cheap technologies that we will discover and live free from a polluted environment, suffering less from the diseases that emanate from environmental pollution.

The poorest countries suffer directly and measurably from an increasingly polluted and degraded environment, with women and children disproportionately affected. Air and water pollution are rising sharply in cities in lower and middle-income countries, and developing countries’ water resources are under threat from human waste, phosphorus and nitrogen, which deplete waterways of oxygen and cause the death of fish and invertebrates. The increased use of fertilizers for food crops over the next 30 years is expected to result in a 10 to 20% global increase in river nitrogen pollution flows to coastal ecosystems. In some regions, levels of heavy metals, stockpiles of persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and other chemical wastes from industry, which affect human and animal health, water supplies, and land, are increasing. Meanwhile, carbon dioxide emissions continue to rise, reaching a record high in 2010 and making it more challenging to limit the rise in global temperatures to two degrees by 21002.

Jacqueline Tesha Environmental Scientist Subject studied MSc Environmental Impact Assessment and Management Scholarship Elnora Ferguson Equity and Merit Scholarship Supported by The Allan and Nesta Ferguson Charitable Trust

The East African nation of Tanzania has made rapid progress in economic and structural reforms over the last decade – but, while the poverty rate has declined, the absolute number of the poor has not changed given the fast pace of population growth (over 3% a year). Pollution, in particular air and water pollution, is a major problem in the country, and low-cost solutions are urgently needed to improve the situation. Jacqueline is one of those looking for scientiﬁc answers to the pollution problem. She currently works with the Tanzanian Industrial Research and Development Organisation (TIRDO) as a research oﬃcer in the Environmental Division. “TIRDO is a government organisation that deals with research, particularly in the industrial sector, to promote industrial development in Tanzania,” she explains. “In our division we seek funding for research projects that can contribute to minimising or removing industrial waste, using local technologies to treat, recycle or reuse it and seeking alternative sources of raw materials that

Three words that sum up the Programme for you: Lifetime opportunity

Conﬁdence

Expertise

3 4

REACH Country Diagnostic Report Bangladesh

http://beta.worldbank.org/en/topic/environment/publication/ environment-strategy-toward-clean-green-resilient-world http://reachwater.org.uk/about-reach

19 TRANSfORMERS

Water security is a deﬁning feature of the opportunities and limits for growth and development in Bangladesh. The country has made enormous strides in reducing poverty between 1990 and 2015. It is one of Asia’s most dynamic economies with water shaping its rich history and future growth4.

hile all countries try to balance industrial development with managing waste and reducing pollution, countries with high levels of poverty and rapid urban growth face particular challenges. The Environment Strategy, which covers the World Bank, International Finance Corporation (IFC), and Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA), recognises that while there has been notable progress in reducing global poverty, there has been signiﬁcantly less progress in managing the environment sustainably1. While developing countries will still need rapid growth to reduce poverty over the next decade, the global environment has reached a critical state that could undermine livelihoods, productivity, and global stability. Environmental scientist Jacqueline Tesha is an Equity and Merit graduate working towards innovative new solutions to some of these problems in her home country, Tanzania.

RESEARCH FOR A GREENER FUTURE

will create less environment pollution.” The team also carries out environmental monitoring for many industries, for example by checking levels of noise and dust both within and near to industrial sites, light pollution and air and waste water emissions.

water and has potential to be used by industries releasing waste water, before they discharge it. She is seeking funding to do further research into this area to see how it could help, particularly for the textile industries, to play a part in reducing pollution in water.

“Pollution is such a major issue in my country - the disposal of solid waste, particularly plastics and industrial waste,” says Jacqueline.” Industries discharge water that is heavily polluted with chemicals. Most don’t treat the water they discharge, as they don’t have the ﬁnances to do it. My organisation is writing research proposals to address those challenges.”

Jacqueline tells of how a textile company was shut down by the National Environmental Management Council for polluting a river that local communities were depending on for water and for ﬁshing. “Most of the local people using that river were suﬀering from water-borne diseases most of the time,” she reveals. So the environmental management consultant monitored it and found the source of those diseases was the polluted water released by that textile industry. They have now banned people from using that river. So if we can come up with a cheap technology that those industries can use to treat that waste water, we will be helping the community too.”

As ever in science, you never know where a new discovery might be found, and Jacqueline is excited about a recent proposal making use of the bark of a tree found in northern Tanzania. The tree bark has been found to treat and remove some pollutants and other toxic chemicals from

Jacqueline admits that these are long-term hopes, and that there are no quick fixes. It has taken longer than she expected to implement even some of the simpler research programmes, due to lack of financial capacity and reduced subsidies from the government, leading to a growing reliance on applications to external funders. But she is optimistic. “This job gives me an opportunity to practice most of the things I’ve learned, both in my undergraduate and postgraduate studies,” Jacqueline says. “Also, it enables me to learn from experienced environmental experts. In the longer term, our work will benefit our communities.”

What will The University of Manchester look like in the future? That's up to the scholars it recruits. Ernest Rutherford split the atom and no one remembers the vice-chancellor, but everyone remembers Rutherford – that's what universities ought to be like. Professor Alan Gilbert 1944 - 2010 Inaugural President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester. Interview with The Guardian, October 2004

http://beta.worldbank.org/en/topic/environment/publication/ environment-strategy-toward-clean-green-resilient-world 3 www.worldbank.org/en/country/tanzania/overview

21 Three words that sum up the Programme for you: Awesome

Remarkable

Once in a lifetime

Alan Gilbert Learning Commons

THINKERS:

CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES THE GLOBAL CONTExT AND THE NEED FOR CHANGE

esearch and critical thinking is at the heart of what we do as an academic institution. Our academic staﬀ and students have a huge role to play, not just as current and future educators but also as inﬂuencers, challenging opinion formers and wider society to consider new ways to tackle the issues we all face.

We live in a fast-changing global society where borders are increasingly meaningless. From pollution to energy, from health to economic inequality – these are complex problems every country must tackle – but from an informed, evidence-based and thoughtful perspective. Some of our leading academics take a critical look at a global issue and the wider context within which our graduates are seeking to inﬂuence change.

DON’T FORGET: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS LOCALLY he study of international development is undergoing a transformation. Its ideas, institutions, ﬁnancing and political relations are being transformed by the rise of Asia, climate change and by the evidence that global inequality is increasing in unprecedented ways.

The traditional idea that developing countries would ‘catch up’ or converge economically with western Europe and north America, is being swept away. The binary concepts that underpinned this narrative – developed/developing, rich/poor, Global South/Global North, donors/recipients – are increasingly dysfunctional in analytical terms. Relatedly, the idea that development is something that rich countries ‘give’ to poorer countries has become redundant.

When we think about promoting development, it’s essential that the ideas, expertise, enthusiasm and skills of people living in developing countries are able to take the lead.

…the idea that development is something that rich countries ‘give’ to poorer countries has become redundant.

Second, an inter-generational dimension as climate change and increased inequality interact. Climate change has been created by the world’s rich nations and by high-income households, but is disproportionately hitting the poorest. On current trends it will dramatically reduce the wellbeing and life opportunities of future generations and especially of poor people in sub-Saharan Africa and south Asia. In debates around global issues like climate change, we often fall into the trap of portraying western politicians, companies or citizens as the main agents of change. Meanwhile, the leaders and ordinary people of developing nations are cast as passive victims who need to be saved. A closer examination reveals this is often far from the truth.

The University of Manchester David Hulme is Professor of Development Studies at The University of Manchester where he is Executive Director of the Global Development Institute and CEO of the Effective States and Inclusive Development Research Centre. He has worked on rural development, poverty and poverty reduction, microfinance, the role of NGOs in conflict/peace and development, environmental management, social protection and the political economy of global poverty for more than 30 years. His main focus has been on Bangladesh but he has worked extensively across South Asia, East Africa and the Pacific. He is the co-author of the recently published book ‘Bangladesh Confronts Climate Change’ (Anthem), which demonstrates how the country is not a passive victim waiting for aid, but taking a lead on key issues like climate change.

25 THINKERS

A concern with rising inequality has two main dimensions. First, a contemporary dimension, exempliﬁed by estimates that the top 1% of the world’s population has the same economic wealth as the remaining 99%. This situation maintains chronic levels of poverty in an aﬄuent world. It reduces the prospects for growth and damages social cohesion, enabling the elite to capture public institutions and policies.

Professor David Hulme Executive Director, Global Development Institute

DON’T FORGET: INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT HAPPENS LOCALLY

In debates around global issues like climate change, we often fall into the trap of portraying western politicians, companies or citizens as the main agents of change. 26

In fact, Bangladesh has overseen a dramatic drop in headline poverty rates since 2000. It is able to feed all its citizens, has better health standards than neighbouring India and a declining birth rate (almost reaching replacement rate only). The country has been taking a pro-active approach to climate change for the last 30 years – and it’s getting results. Bangladesh has taken a lead in responding to climate change as it has such a long history of dealing with a difficult environment. It is the most densely populated country in the world because it is on a rich delta. But that valuable location comes at a price. Every year huge floods are caused by heavy monsoon rains and water pouring down rivers from the Himalayas; destructive cyclones come up the Bay of Bengal. Climate change is increasing temperatures and raising the sea level, which will make the floods and cyclones worse. Over 30 years ago, Bangladeshi scientists and government officials moved quickly because they saw what climate change might do and they have played a major role in the annual UN climate change negotiations. They can claim some credit for pledges made at the Paris climate change talks last year which will at least reduce the damage climate change will do to Bangladesh. But this is not enough, and Bangladeshis are already building on experience to adapt. Special cyclone shelters and early warning systems have cut the death rate from cyclones by 99%. The shelters are huge two- or three-storey concrete buildings which stand out on the flat coastal zone, and in response to climate change more are being built and they are designed to withstand even stronger winds.

Floods are part of the normal environment and over centuries Bangladeshis have become skilled at living with them. Adaptations such as building rural houses to be above the normal flood level and raising the level of water pumps are common. Already newer houses are being built on higher plinths in response to the expected higher flood levels. In urban areas, land is filled to raise the level, and housing built. In many of these lowincome settlements, lower floors are sometimes flooded, so people build platforms inside their rooms. Toilets and pumps are increasingly raised to be above flood level. But the most dramatic response has come from coastal areas threatened by sea-level rise. Each year the floods bring 1 billion tonnes of sediment down from the Himalayas. Local communities reworked centuries old techniques to spread this sediment across fields and raise the level of the land. They worked with government engineers to develop systems which will now be used to raise the land to match sea-level rise. However, the importance of this local knowledge and expertise is often disregarded by international organisations who still assume ‘the west knows best’. Agencies continue to impose inappropriate projects, and assume Bangladesh being poor means its people are ignorant. The use of sediment to raise the land was first developed by local communities to clean up a mess created by literally billions of pounds of aid, which was used to build thousands of kilometres of dykes to create Dutch-style polders. But, the Bangladesh Delta is quite different from the Netherlands. This ignored the massive monsoon rains, of several metres a year, which flooded the polders behind the dykes, making them unusable. Local people cut the dykes, let in the sediment, and raised the land to allow farming to resume. The stories of cyclone shelters and raising the land are not well-known in the west, because they were done by Bangladeshis, not by international agencies and foreign consultants. Bangladesh is poor and responding to climate change is

floods are part of the normal environment and over centuries Bangladeshis have become skilled at living with them.

expensive – it needs money from the industrialised countries whose greenhouse gases will cause more ﬂoods and worse cyclones. But the last ﬁve years has seen angry confrontations between international donors and lenders, on one side, and the government on the other, as to how available money should be used. When we think about promoting development, it’s essential that the ideas, expertise, enthusiasm and skills of people living in developing countries

are able to take the lead. Where local ownership of complex and often political problems is strong, development can thrive. And this isn’t just applicable to local development ‘projects’. Bangladesh and other low-income countries have demonstrated their ability and eﬀectiveness at catalysing progressive international action too. Bangladeshi scientists have led in the formation of the Vulnerable Countries Forum which has successfully persuaded the entire UN membership

THINKERS

Bangladesh has taken a lead in responding to climate change as it has such a long history in dealing with a diﬃcult environment.

Take Bangladesh for example; one of the most vulnerable countries to climate change and sea level rise. It’s a country that has been written oﬀ as a ‘basket case’ and people continue to portray it as simply lurching from one crisis to the next, dependent on international aid to pick up the pieces.

to set a sub-target of capping global warming at 1.5ºC – to reduce the harm done in the most vulnerable countries. With the world changing fast, enabling people on the front line to implement their own solutions is more vital than ever to achieve a prosperous and sustainable planet for us all.

WHY IS THE WORLD IGNORING 150 DEATHS AN HOUR?

Professor David Denning Professor of Infectious Diseases in Global Health, The University of Manchester President, Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections

Director, National Aspergillosis Centre, University Hospital of South Manchester

He has published more than 400 papers, books and book chapters, including an undergraduate textbook of medicine. His work has been cited over 35,000 times.

Nearly a billion people have a fungal infection of the skin, the fourth most common illness on earth.

Experts in fungal infections and treatment are few in developed countries and almost non-existent in developing countries. The outcomes from fungal infections could be transformed if there was investment in a global action plan to improve capabilities1. The very best test in all of microbiology is the test for fungal meningitis in AIDS and yet is not yet widely available. A simple antibody test for fungal complications of TB is not available anywhere in Africa, but costs very little and has been widely used elsewhere for 50 years. It is ironic that many of the current generic antifungal treatments have been in use since the late 1950s yet the systems for delivering these drugs to the most needy are still not in place. In 2015, GAFFI (Global Action for Fungal Infections) called on governments to provide fungal diagnostics and antifungal drugs to all their citizens, yet there has been a deafening silence. It is a tragedy that currently thousands more people die needlessly while the world turns a blind eye. While around 10 million people in Africa receive antiretroviral therapy for HIV infection, mortality during the ﬁrst year of treatment particularly in the ﬁrst few months, is very high, much higher than in Europe. Notably TB and cryptococcal

meningitis account for the majority of deaths in Africa in HIV patients. In Central America many more people die of histoplasmosis than either TB in AIDS or malaria. Hollywood actor and GAFFI celebrity patron Rupert Everett declared that: “We have known for over 25 years that many people with AIDS and cancer do die of fungal complications. And death is avoidable with treatment. Why on earth are commonly used antifungal medicines not provided to everyone who needs them?” A paper published recently in the Lancet online2 highlighted that the provision of a short period of community support from lay workers alongside screening for cryptococcal antigen substantially reduces mortality in patients with advanced HIV disease, who are commencing antiretroviral therapy. The mortality was 30% less in patients who had received this package which cost between $30 -70 per patient. Lack of access to antifungals, and their unaﬀordability, has a profound negative and often fatal impact on those with serious and lifethreatening fungal infections. To rectify this situation major movement is required on behalf of both companies manufacturing and supplying drugs and government regulators, to fast-track applications of well-established antifungal medicines. GAFFI’s analysis shows that diagnosing and treating fungal diseases complicating HIV infection will drive down AIDS deaths in the short term. Action could and should be taken by donors, national and international public health agencies, non-governmental organisations and governments toward achieving the UNAIDS mortality reduction target and the recently announced 2030 Millennium Development Goals.

GAFFI – Global Action for Fungal Infections website introductory statement

Sayoki Mﬁnanga et al, Lancet Online, March 10th, 2015

29 THINKERS

David Denning is a research clinician with expertise in fungal diseases. He manages the National Aspergillosis Centre and The Aspergillus Website. He is increasingly interested in global health and the burden of fungal disease internationally, forming GAFFI, and supported by LIFE.

ungal infections are neglected diseases worldwide. Globally, over 300 million people of all ages suﬀer from serious fungal infections every year resulting in more than 1.66 million deaths. Like malaria with 438,000 deaths and tuberculosis (TB) with 1.8 million deaths annually, many deaths from fungal infection are avoidable. Unlike malaria and TB, while fungal diseases are concentrated in countries with a high HIV and TB burden, they also are prevalent in countries with improving health services. Most serious fungal infections are ‘hidden’ and diﬃcult to recognise, occurring as a consequence of other health problems such as asthma, AIDS, cancer, organ transplant and corticosteroid therapies. All require specialised testing for diagnosis, and delays or missed diagnosis often lead to death, serious chronic illness or blindness.

WHY IS THE WORLD IGNORING 150 DEATHS AN HOUR?

If we could treat 60% of the HIV patients annually overcome by an invasive fungus, we could save at least 300,000 lives a year. Typically such patients are in their mid-30s, economically active, with husbands or wives and children who need them. By 2020, a total of over one million lives could have been saved, helping to meet the UNAIDS mortality reduction target reducing AIDS deaths to under 500,000 per year3.

There is clearly a major need to improve access to diagnostic testing and antifungal therapies, combined with promoting awareness and education of health professionals. GAFFI has mapped the unavailability of key antifungal agents across the world, the burden of fungal disease in over 68 countries, for over 5.5 billion people. Many of these individual country burdens are published and provide the arguments on a country level for improved medical care.

In 2012 in Gulu, northern Uganda, a team from The University of Manchester, together with the Academy at the University Hospital of South Manchester (UHSM) and Gulu Regional Hospital, set up the ﬁrst prospective research study in the city, examining the rate of fungal complications of TB in HIV and non-HIV infected people. Working in Gulu as a junior doctor, Dr Felix Bongomin became aware of the major issues with fungal disease through this research. He subsequently successfully applied for an Equity and Merit scholarship for the master’s in Medical Mycology. At the end of his studies, Felix was awarded a distinction and has since returned home.

None of this would have been possible for Felix in Uganda, as the postgraduate training he needed was not available anywhere in Africa. He was also unable to fund his own study abroad so the Equity and Merit scholarship has given him the opportunity to work with specialists and learn unique skills. After finishing his master’s, Felix spent an extra three months auditing the clinical outcomes of 200 UK patients with fungal lung disease, and writing it up as a research paper, benefitting his skills and providing a basis for future studies in Manchester. Further collaborations on supporting improved fungal disease management in Uganda are planned. If the recommendations in the GAFFI report are implemented diligently in all countries, except those wracked by war, then it is possible that 95% of people with serious fungal disease will have access to the best diagnostics and the vast majority of these will be diagnosed. Assuming access to antifungal therapy becomes universal, at least for the generic agents, 95% will be treated.

GAffI is a registered international foundation based in Geneva and is focused on four major tasks related to serious fungal infections. These are: • universal access to diagnostics for serious fungal disease; • universal access to antifungal agents (www.gaﬃ.org/antifungal-drug-maps); • accurate data on the number and severity of fungal infections; • health professional education related to better recognition and care for patients with serious fungal disease. GAFFI's 10-year roadmap ’95-95 by 2025’ calls on all governments and international health agencies to ensure 95% of the global population have access to fungal diagnostics and antifungal therapies by 2025: www.gaﬃ.org/roadmap

“

ccess to electricity is fundamental to opportunity in this age. It‘s the light that children study by; the energy that allows an idea to be transformed into a real business. It’s the lifeline for families to meet their most basic needs. And it’s the connection that’s needed to plug Africa into the grid of the global economy. You’ve got to have power.” President Barack Obama, June 2013 Africa is rich with fossil fuels and renewable resources, but they are not evenly distributed and they do not guarantee a reliable supply of power. Only 12% of people in Guinea, a country with abundant natural resources, for example, have an electricity supply that works all the time compared to 100% of Mauritians, a country with negligible natural mineral resources. The 48 countries that make up sub-Saharan Africa (with a combined population of 800 million) generate roughly the same amount of power as Spain (with a population of 45 million)1.

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B 05 December 2016, Volume 371, issue 1709

4 www.gaﬃ.org/wp-content/uploads/ GAFFI_Road_Map_interactive-ﬁnal0415.pdf

Dr felix Bongomin Felix studied for an MSc in Medical Mycology. He was born in northern Uganda and received his medical degree from Gulu University. The University of Manchester and University Hospital of South Manchester have a long-standing link with Gulu University and Gulu Regional Hospital. Felix was in the ﬁrst group of medical students to study a clinical programme designed in collaboration with the University. Felix is pursuing a career in clinical research and is planning to do a PhD in the epidemiology of HIV associated fungal infections.

Africa is rich with fossil fuels and renewable resources, but they are not evenly distributed and they do not guarantee a reliable supply of power.

Such tensions and inequalities between the haves and have-nots not only at the individual level but at the level of nation states are leading to tensions in the world community. The social contract between governments and their citizens is being questioned. Despite 15 years of sustained economic growth, power shortages, restricted access to electricity and dependence on biomass for fuel are undermining eﬀorts to reduce poverty. The energy gap between Africa and the rest of the world is widening2. In this context the African continent presents a particular challenge not only because it is the least developed continent but also because it is in Africa that we are going to see the greatest rise in population, doubling from the just over one billion people today to almost two and half billion by 20503. By the same date of 2050 Unicef predicts that 40% of the youth of the entire world will be African4. This has serious consequences not just for Africa but, many would argue, for the whole world as more and more pressure is placed on the already underdeveloped infrastructure to provide clean water, energy, shelter and sanitation. We have already witnessed how economic challenges and diminishing life chances of people in parts of Africa have driven some to take the perilous journey across the Mediterranean in search of a better life in Europe. This mass migration is leading to tensions in Europe, threatening the relative peace that the continent has enjoyed over the past 50 decades following the second world war. While the story might sound gloomy for Africa and the world, actually it does not need to be so because Africa has the capacity to solve not only its own problems but also those of the wider world. The answer lies primarily in education. By providing quality education that is ﬁt for purpose across the whole continent, it should be possible to harness the natural resources that Africa has in abundance to improve the living conditions of the people.

Dr Joseph Mutale School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The University of Manchester Dr Mutale obtained a BEng degree in Electrical Machines and Power Systems from the University of Zambia in 1981. He then went on to study for a postgraduate diploma in Electric Power Distribution Systems at the Norwegian Institute of Technology and an MSc in Electric Power Transmission and Distribution and PhD in Power System Economics from UMIST, a predecessor of The University of Manchester. Prior to joining the University he spent over 15 years in the electric utility industry. His industrial experience includes a wide range of technical posts at Copperbelt Power Company, now Copperbelt Energy Corporation and ZESCO, the Zambian national utility company. He currently chairs the IEEE working group on sustainable energy systems for developing communities and sits on the CIGRE advisory group on rural electriﬁcation.

1 https://twitter.com/TheNerveAfrica/status/ 705754257526538240/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw 2

Africa Progress Report 2015 – Power, People, Planet 3 United Nations - World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision - https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/ publications/ﬁles/key_ﬁndings_wpp_2015.pdf

4 UNICEF Report – Generation 2030|Africa - https://www.unicef.org/ publications/ﬁles/ UNICEF_Africa_Generation_2030_en_11Aug.pdf

31 THINKERS

In April 2015, GAFFI launched its 10-year roadmap – ’95-95 by 2025’ calling for 95% of people to have access to fungal disease diagnostics and antifungal agents by 2025. Almost two years have passed and some progress is discernible, but there is still much to do. A key task is training more people to become experts in these diseases.

As Felix says, “As a medical intern, fungal infections were among the trickiest cases on the wards due to a lack of specialist medical mycologists to consult with and laboratories which are ill-equipped for diagnosis. There is often recurrence of infections and a lack of knowledge of the resistance patterns of anti-fungal agents. Being a mycologist means I’ll be an important human resource for Uganda and I plan to establish a research institute which will be responsible for setting up good quality fungal diagnostic and treatment services country-wide.”

SWITCHED ON – MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION

For various reasons, most African governments have not provided the resources needed to ensure high-quality tertiary and higher education that is ﬁt for purpose. This has led to low skill levels which undermine economic development and global competiveness. Without high-quality education, in particular in science and engineering, it is not possible to achieve sustainable development. While poor governance and unbalanced international trading arrangements take a huge chunk of the blame for the generally poor state of infrastructure in most developing countries, poor education is really at the core of this.

Sustainable energy for Africa is critical in avoiding the mistakes made in developed countries. Electric vehicles or indeed other clean transportation technologies must be deployed in Africa avoiding the challenges of modern western cities that are already experiencing poor air quality due to pollution from fossil fuel powered vehicles. These new transportation technologies such as hybrid vehicles; electric vehicles with improved battery storage and the ability to charge the batteries from the sun while parked or in transit, and hydrogen fuel cell cars, could be developed in Africa.

Capacity building, in the business area as well as the technical one, is certainly needed. At The University of Manchester we are playing our part to teach essential skills in the key areas that will enhance development. Kenneth Kahuma, who graduated with an MSc in Electrical Power Systems Engineering in 2015, is working for the Rural Electriﬁcation Agency in Uganda, whose address is the appropriately named House of Hope in Kampala. Currently Kenneth is overseeing the Bukuzindu hybrid power station on Bugala Island, the second largest island in Lake Victoria.

But it’s the hybrid solar and thermal power station itself that has had the biggest impact on the people of Bugala. “The challenge Uganda is currently facing is limited access to power,” Kenneth explains.” Over 80% of the population have no access to electricity. This means healthcare and education are affected. Diesel generators are used to supply power to the island for a limited time each day. With the new solar grid and the hybrid system the health centre can be open for longer. Before, nurses had to deliver babies by torch light. The school system has improved as well. Children can now study for longer into the night, they are not restricted to daylight.” “Using the knowledge I gained at the University has helped me to be the person that can kick start solving things. I have learnt that one person can make a big difference. I no longer see problems, I see challenges.” The development of sustainable energy systems and infrastructure alongside an education system that is fit for purpose is the key to unlocking the potential that Africa presents to the world, in which we all have a huge stake, rich and poor alike.

He says: “The infrastructure here has improved so much because of our work. We improved the ferry system and the roads. We improved the island’s water system because the station now powers Kenneth Kahuma it. This has had a knock-on effect too Kenneth graduated top of his class for other services. at Makerere University and came More consumers are to Manchester to study for an attracted to the island MSc in Electrical Power Systems and business has boomed Engineering. He was awarded a with more hotels, more donor-funded Palo Alto Equity and resorts for people to come Merit Scholarship. Currently Kenneth here and holiday.” is a Projects Engineer with the Rural Electrification Agency. The Agency’s mission is to transform the lives of Uganda’s rural communities by extending electricity services in an equitable and sustainable manner. Kenneth’s ambition is to come up with energy solutions which will enable more Ugandans to have access to affordable and reliable power.

33 THINKERS

According to the World Bank, there are about 1.2 billion people who do not have access to electricity, most of them in rural and remote areas in the developing world. Developed nations faced a similar challenge to improve electricity access at the turn of the last century. Electricity access, especially in rural areas, is therefore a global challenge that has had to be addressed by most countries at one point or another. Many developing nations, together with numerous aid agencies and support from developed nations, are working today to solve the technical, institutional, and educational dimensions of this challenge.

From the demographics of China and Africa, it is evident that it may not be long before Africa will be required to step up quite possibly replacing China as the factory of the world. This will only be possible if the education systems in Africa are developed and nurtured to deliver the right knowledge, skills and attitudes to transform the continent into thriving communities. This transformation will require not only the commitment of Africa leaders but also the support of developed countries that have just as much a stake in the success of Africa as the inhabitants of the continent.

The energy gap between Africa and the rest of the world is widening.

HOW OUR STUDENTS ARE CHANGING MANCHESTER FOR THE BETTER quity and Merit scholars, whether building infrastructure or treating disease, are rightly held up as making a huge diﬀerence in their home communities and countries. But what often goes unmarked are the profound beneﬁts that they bring to the University itself – the fellow students whom they meet and inspire, the lecturers with whom they make lifelong connections and the example they set with their dedication and will to succeed.

Andrew Gale: I’m a Professor of Project Management in the University’s School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering. We’ve got a very diverse group of students from some 25 countries and among these are Equity and Merit scholars. We’ve had at least one a year for the last ten years. It’s an important course for applications as it teaches skills which are crucial in the fast developing countries that the students come from.

To try and uncover more about the way these students have brought long-lasting change to the University, we sat down with two staﬀ members who teach Equity and Merit scholars - Professor Andrew Gale and Dr Carol Yates – and asked them for their views. And for a student’s perspective, we asked a recent graduate, Jean D’Amour Mutoni, who studied MSc Medical Microbiology and who lectures at the University of Rwanda, about his experiences.

Carole Yates: The course which I lead, the Medical Virology MSc, is also extremely popular. Sadly many of the students come from countries where HIV, tuberculosis and hepatitis are relatively common, so there’s a pressing need for people with skills to analyse samples and to train health workers. It was through my work on this course that I got to know Jean.

Professor Andrew Gale Professor of Project Management, School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, The University of Manchester Andrew is the leader of the management of projects research group and founding academic for the MSc Project Management Professional Development Programme, a ﬂexible modular industry-led programme. He undertakes consultancy, training and research on people, organisations and culture aspects of project management and nuclear sector professional development.

A lecturer in the Division of Medical Education, Carol is currently Programme Director for the MSc in Medical Microbiology and MSc in Medical Virology. She also leads practical skills workshops for MRes and PhD students across the faculty. Carol also works closely with the College of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Rwanda and acts as external examiner for their programmes in biomedical science.

Jean d'Amour Mutoni Studied: MSc Medical Microbiology Scholarship: Derek Milton Equity and Merit Scholarship Supported by Derek Milton Jean D’Amour Mutoni graduated in 2016 with an MSc in Medical Microbiology and is now lecturing at the University of Rwanda. In 2011, Jean founded Acts of Gratitude – a community that fosters a culture of giving back to others in Rwanda – and in 2015, just prior to starting his course at Manchester, Jean won the Queen’s Young Leaders Award.

CY: Since meeting Jean I’ve been able to visit Rwanda and lecture his students and become an external examiner on his course. I’d never done this outside of Europe before and I doubt I would have without that connection. The work he does is crucial because it feeds students directly into the Rwandan health services labs, and there’s a lot we can offer such as continuous professional development courses and health and safety advice that will make a big difference. AG: This idea of new connections is something that I’ve certainly benefited from. I’ve been to visit numerous graduates in Rwanda in particular,

Jean D'Amour Mutoni receiving a Queen's Young Leaders Award at Buckingham Palace in 2015.

who are all linked together through the legacy of being Manchester alumni. I’ve been able to use these connections to bring companies such as Rolls-Royce into the country and get them talking about projects they can work on together. We’ve also been able to bid for research funding together as there’s an increased emphasis on joint bids between UK and overseas universities. So from that point of view it’s really helped us extend the research capability within the school. For one of our lecturers, going to Rwanda to teach a three day course to Rwandan Housing Authority staff significantly expanded his experience of teaching abroad. CY: That’s something we’re definitely working on. Next time I go abroad I want to take a whole team from the department with me. Our technicians in particular will be part of this as they can get a different perspective on how labs are run and exchange ideas with the Rwandan staff. JD’AM: This is the experience I took from my course. I learned practical skills to use in my

biology lab but I also made good contacts with the faculty and my fellow students and hope to make good use of others. AG: The student mix is really important. Without the scholarships these countries might not be represented. On our course students from Tanzania can learn with those from the UK, China and Singapore. There’s so much that each can gain from the other – for example Singapore is a real world leader in this field – and by mixing experiences from different backgrounds, the learning process is much richer for everyone. I benefit too - my attitude to teaching is that if I’m not learning then my students aren’t either! CY: The Equity and Merit scholars are really model students and a delight to teach. They bring humour and a thirst for knowledge to the group and some of the women are so strong, studying and raising a family at the same time. I’d certainly agree that they enrich our courses and bring diversity to the group. They are a dynamic part of the student body and get on and organise things and make sure no one is left out.

JD’AM: I like to think I contributed dedication and hard work. Back in Rwanda everyone is inspired to work really hard to reverse our history. We’ve gone too deep backwards and we need to work hard to advance our country, so I was dedicated to this course which was my passion. AG: I think this is the major benefit that students like Jean bring to Manchester. His dedication challenges our values and makes us think about what we are doing here and why we are doing it. We are a charity and we’re here to educate people and benefit them and their communities. The scholarship students in particular remind us of that purpose. CY: I agree. When these determined and talented students like Jean return home, they take our reputation with them. The roles they take up to benefit their communities only strengthen the work we do on a daily basis. To have these graduates changing lives is something of which we can all be very proud.

THINKERS

Dr Carol Yates Director of Postgraduate Taught Education, School of Medical Sciences, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health, The University of Manchester

Jean D’Amour Mutoni: My family were cattle farmers, but I always wanted to be a little bit diﬀerent, working as a professional person in medicine. Rwanda is a country in need of healthcare professionals, due to the genocide which happened when I was seven. I could see how many people needed help and I wanted to be part of the solution. I teach medical microbiology to undergraduates at the University of Rwanda. My university wanted me to upgrade my credentials so I could continue to be a lecturer. To me Manchester was the place and thanks to the connections I’ve made with the University we now have an active link between Rwanda and the UK.

PARTNERS:

BECOMING A SUPPORTER FOR CHANGE AND TRANSFORMATION

ince our origins in 1824, The University of Manchester has beneﬁted from charitable support that has allowed our innovative work to have a major impact on many areas of society.

Partnerships come in all shapes and sizes, and so it is with our programme. From those who have funded whole scholarships, to one-oﬀ donations and those who give a small amount each month, without supporters, the Equity and Merit Programme would not exist. While the University covers the tuition fees, it is donations which fund all the additional and signiﬁcant costs to students of taking up their place. Many partners develop real and lasting bonds with the students they have helped, but what binds all our supporters is the understanding that they are helping not just one individual but their wider communities, making a lasting investment in change and transformation when students return home. Some of our donors and the University’s Head of Regular Giving share their experiences of being involved in the programme.

THE GIFT OF EDUCATION

HOW DONATIONS BIG AND SMALL SUPPORT STUDENTS FROM DEVELOPING COUNTRIES

Rob Summers Head of Regular Giving, The University of Manchester

So to begin, why do people give to the University? People support the University for lots of diﬀerent reasons. Many are former students who have gone on to have successful careers and want to give something back. Some come from low-income households and want to help students from similar backgrounds to achieve their potential. Others are passionate about a particular area of research in which we are worldleading , like cancer, global inequalities or energy.

In what ways do people donate to the University? It really is a full spectrum of giving, from people who donate small regular amounts of £5 or £10 per month, to people who’ve funded full scholarships. Some individuals have generously left a gift in their Will so they can continue having an impact after they’ve died. Other people might run 10k or hold a bake sale to raise money for one of our programmes, or else pop a few pounds in a bucket at one of our events. The point is that every gift, big or small, counts and that it all comes together to such a worthwhile end. How do staff and students get involved? In recent years we’ve increasingly seen staff and students fundraising for the University. Teams across campus often hold staff quizzes or bake sales to raise money for our causes, and we have

How important are donations to the Equity and Merit Programme? The programme simply couldn’t happen without the support of donors. The University is able to cover the student’s tuition fees, but donations meet the cost of living, visas, flights and all the expenses students incur. But the benefits aren’t just financial. Anyone who has been supported by donations will tell you how much confidence they gain knowing that someone they’ve never met believes in them enough to help fund their studies. Many of our scholarship students come from disadvantaged backgrounds, and often don’t feel they can achieve as much as others. But through their scholarship they realise that not only is someone willing to invest in their future, but they deserve it. And that kind of confidence and aspiration is something that money can’t buy. What impact do these donations have? This book is filled with stories of how donor-funded scholarship students have used their new-found knowledge to benefit their communities. Whether it’s preventing flooding in urban slums in Bangladesh, treating fungal infections in HIV/AIDS patients in Uganda, or improving the financial compliance of banks, the impact that these donations are having through scholarships is remarkable.

But I would argue that the scholarship recipients and their communities aren’t the only ones to benefit from the Equity and Merit Programme. Through my role I have had the pleasure of meeting many donors who have been truly inspired through supporting this programme. Many people recognise how difficult it is now to access a world-class education, and want to ensure that talented young people have the opportunity to fulfil their potential. In terms of ‘bang for your buck’, the Equity and Merit Programme is one of the most rewarding ways to support the University. For a relatively small amount, donors get a huge amount in return. And that’s what makes this particular cause so special. If someone would like to support Equity and Merit scholarships, what can they do? First of all I would say a big thank you. Donations to Manchester are absolutely critical so we can help students who might never have come to University to pursue the life they deserve. If you would like to give, you can go online to manchester.ac.uk/donate, where you can choose to support Equity and Merit scholarships either as a regular donation or a single gift. You can also make a gift over the phone on +44 (0)161 306 6021 or email supporters@manchester.ac.uk if you have any questions. Once you’ve made a donation you will receive a thank-you letter with more information about the programme. You will also receive regular updates about the impact of your donations. And finally, what are the overall benefits of donations to the Equity and Merit Programme? The gift of education is one of the most powerful things you can give. And for Equity and Merit students, it doesn’t just benefit them, but their entire country.

39 PARTNERS

Personal connections are important, but not everyone who donates is an alumnus of the University. Some of our most loyal supporters have given in memory of a partner or their parents, while others share our commitment to social responsibility and see education as playing an important role in social mobility.

a lot of staff who donate on a monthly basis. My colleagues and I climbed Mount Snowdon one year to raise money for a student scholarship. When that student started at the University and came to meet us all, it made us feel really proud. We also have a large number of staff and students, including Equity and Merit scholars, who run the Great Manchester Run as part of the ‘Purple Wave’ to raise money for the scholarship programme. It’s amazing to see scholarship recipients wanting to fundraise so that other people can benefit from the same opportunity they’ve received. There is a group of Equity and Merit alumni in Uganda who are currently fundraising for another scholarship. They can see the lifechanging impact of these scholarships and want to help someone else to experience that too.

UNLOCKING A BETTER LIFE THROUGH EDUCATION

Margaret and Donald Bass Our donors are as unique and varied as our scholars, yet they have one essential quality in common – a desire to eﬀect change through the power of education. Margaret and Donald Bass have sponsored two students through the Equity and Merit Programme – Sheila Abamu from Uganda who studied an LLM in Corporate Governance in 2013/14 and SM Waliuzzaman who studied Urban Regeneration and Development in 2015/16. Sheila’s scholarship was awarded in the name of Margaret’s father, Alf Linton, and Wali’s in Donald’s name.

one scholarship for my dad because it was his money originally.” she recounts. ”He left school at 14 and always regretted not going to university. He would have been so very thrilled by the idea of helping another person to achieve what he couldn't and would have regarded it as a privilege and a blessing to do so.” The second was named for her husband who has always been proud to have studied at Manchester.

Margaret is keen to point out how normal and ordinary her life is: “We’re very ordinary people, living oﬀ our joint pensions, but the scholarships have been a wonderful thing for us. It helps us to feel that we’re contributing to the wider world. We’ve gained a terriﬁc amount from the Equity and Merit Programme. We may have made the donation, but these scholarships have given us such a lot. They’ve given us a whole new perspective.”

Like many of us who’ve felt moved to give to various causes, part of Margaret’s motivation in supporting scholarships comes from those aspects in their lives that she feels she has in common with her students. Despite a lifetime working professionally as a midwife and studying in a range of academic disciplines including teaching, politics, theology and the arts, Margaret was consigned to a ‘slow’ group while at school and felt that little was expected of her. ”I do recognise the importance of education and the privilege of education because I never had that privilege. A lot of people thought I was stupid, but I wasn’t really slow, I just wasn’t recognised. So I’m really keen to give people the chance that we all deserve.

Margaret is especially proud of the fact that she was able to name the two scholarships she funded after two very signiﬁcant people in her life – her father and her husband. That both should be celebrated in this way thrills and amuses her in equal measure. “I was able to name

Donald Bass was born in 1932 into a working class family. He passed his 11 plus exam and went on to grammar school and then queen Mary University of London. Sadly, as a result of a motorbike accident, he was not able to ﬁnish university at that time but later, having worked as a laboratory assistant in Manchester he enrolled on a Chemical Engineering degree at UMIST and graduated in 1957. He worked for the remainder of his working life in that industry in Ellesmere Port and married Margaret in 1990. Education has been a lifelong passion and joy for Donald who continues to explore new disciplines, pursuing a new course annually with the University of Oxford’s Department for Continuing Education.

SM Waliuzzaman is an urban planner and development researcher who lives in Dhaka in Bangladesh. Wali completed an MSc in Urban Regeneration and Development in 2016 and, having previously worked for Action Aid Bangladesh is now pursuing a PhD looking at role of social networks in urban poverty in the slums of Dhaka at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. In the future he hopes to continue research in Bangladesh and carry forward his passion for policy advocacy.

“I felt very strongly that the ﬁrst student we supported, Sheila, should feel just as entitled to a good education as any wealthy person’s daughter. We weren’t giving her anything, we were enabling her.”

I wanted to support something where people would not only beneﬁt, but they would go back and share their knowledge so there would be a ripple eﬀect of doing good.”

The pride and joy Margaret and Donald feel for what they have achieved together is moving and inspiring. “Sometimes I look back to when I was 19, working in an oﬃce, and thought I’d become a shorthand typist and then get married. But instead I nursed, I was a labour ward sister, a head of department, a tutor, I got a degree and a diploma in theology, and most important of all I’ve been able to fund two scholarships,” Margaret explains. “Who would ever have thought it?”

Margaret is also very aware that the students themselves took advantage of being in the UK to extend their skills and to make a positive impact on their communities here. She explains: “One of the nicest things that happened is that Sheila joined a church, she went on their food runs, she helped students whose ﬁrst language wasn’t English and volunteered at the free Legal Advice Centre. It was a double blessing that she was not only going home but while she was here she gained new experiences and gave something back to the people of Manchester.”

Margaret and Donald decided to support this speciﬁc scheme because they recognised that the scholarships don’t just change the lives of the recipient, but their family and community too. “It had such an appeal and such a connection to my working life because when I was a midwife teacher we trained and educated lots of students from overseas,” says Margaret. “Safe midwifery is so important, particularly in the developing world, so

Studies show that spending money on others makes us happier than spending it on ourselves, and that giving to others can make us healthier. Margaret and Donald epitomise this attitude and embody that compassionate, humanistic spirit that has characterised this scheme since its inception. It is

Sheila Abamu is a corporate lawyer from Uganda. She enrolled at The University of Manchester in 2013 and studied here for one year on an LLM. She has recently got a new job in the Legal Department at Uganda Electricity Generation Company Ltd, which is responsible for the new Karuma Hydro Power Plant. It is one of the biggest power projects in the country and, when it is ﬁnished, it will signiﬁcantly increase the quantity of electricity generated in Uganda.

somehow ﬁtting that as Margaret tries to sum up how she feels about the programme, the word that we feel best describes it is an African rather than an English word – ubuntu or ‘humanity towards others’. At Nelson Mandela's memorial, Barack Obama spoke about ubuntu, saying: "There is a word in South Africa – ubuntu – a word that captures Mandela’s greatest gift: his recognition that we are all bound together in ways that are invisible to the eye; that there is a oneness to humanity; that we achieve ourselves by sharing ourselves with others, and caring for those around us.” As Margaret says: “Why not invest in people? That’s the biggest investment you could make.” We couldn’t agree more.

Alf Linton

was born in 1914 in a very poor area of London's East End. He was one of nine children brought up in poverty in two rooms and, although he was a bright boy who gained a scholarship, he was removed from school on his 14th birthday to work in a factory to help support his family. He was never to leave unskilled factory work, except to serve in the army during the second world war, and worked for many years in a foundry at Fords, the motor company. Both he and his wife Mary, who came from a similar background, were very clear that education was a key that unlocked the door to a better life and encouraged and helped their daughters to achieve educationally, at some cost to themselves. His great passion was sport, above all football, which he had played as a boy and he had been an amateur referee, but he was immensely interested in life in general, commentating unambiguously on current aﬀairs until he died at the age of 93.

PARTNERS

etired couple Margaret and Donald Bass live in a small village outside of Chester. Donald is an alumnus of UMIST, now The University of Manchester, having studied Chemical Engineering in the 1950s. Margaret describes them as “very ordinary” yet the commitment and dedication they have shown to the scholarship programme has been anything but.

A DECADE OF SUPPORT

s any graduate will know, the Manchester student experience isn’t conﬁned to a few short years spent attending lectures, strolling up and down Oxford Road or revising in the library. In fact, a student’s relationship with their university lasts a lifetime, and that relationship has so much more to oﬀer in addition to a degree. And one couple who know exactly what that feels like are alumni and donors Tim and Judith Sear. For the past 50 years, British-born Tim and Judith Sear have lived in the US, where they are based with their grown up children and grandchildren. But prior to this, over half a century ago, Tim and Judith became university sweethearts while studying at The University of Manchester.

That being said, Tim and Judith still remember their time in Manchester fondly. “We were extraordinarily lucky that our experience introduced us to local families with whom we kept in touch for 40 years after graduation until the older generation died. We both absolutely loved the people of Manchester.” After graduating, Tim and Judith moved to the States, where Judith started as a full-time copy editor and Tim completed an MBA at Indiana University. Tim followed a career in

But Tim and Judith’s relationship with The University of Manchester was far from over. “When we heard from Manchester it was the beginning of their alumni outreach programme. It was wonderful to reconnect with the University after all those years.” By then, Tim and Judith had experienced some of the opportunities and hardships faced by people in developing countries. “We had travelled widely in east and west Africa during Tim’s early years in the pharmaceutical industry and were excited about the potential of emerging African nations,” says Judith. The then President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, Alan Gilbert, shared this bold vision, setting up the Equity and Merit Programme in 2006. Hearing about the programme, Tim and Judith felt that it was a natural step for them to help students from African countries to experience studying at Manchester for themselves. They started donating to the North American Foundation for The University of Manchester, an independent foundation that supports the university’s work and enhances its reputation in the USA. Thanks to Tim and Judith, the very first cohort of Equity and Merit scholarship students was made possible. That first year, Diana Kakwera, John Paul Kibirango and Badru Bukenya travelled from Uganda to study Chemical Engineering, Electronic and Electrical Engineering and International Development respectively. Since then, Diana, John Paul and Badru have gone on to have successful careers in their fields, and Tim and Judith have supported a further 18 students to complete master's degrees at Manchester.

Tim and Judith Sear Both alumni of The University of Manchester, Tim and Judith two of the ﬁrst donors to support Equity and Merit scholarships when the programme ﬁrst started. Now a decade on, they look back on the past 10 years and the legacy they’ve created.

43 PARTNERS

Both Tim and Judith received scholarships to come to Manchester, where they met during a Swedish language class in 1958. Tim completed his BA in Commerce in 1960, while Judith studied English and Geography, graduating in 1961. But life as students in the 1950s and 60s was somewhat diﬀerent. “There was not enough accommodation on campus, so both of us lived quite far out. Because it was diﬃcult to get from Oxford Road back home for dinner and return to campus for any evening activities, we independently spent more time than usual with our Manchester families. We attended church with them, met their neighbours, celebrated family events with them, helped with the gardening and walked their dogs with them. Our domestic experiences in Manchester most closely resembled being international exchange students in a foreign family.”

international business, and eventually joined Alcon Laboratories, an ophthalmological research and development company based in Texas, where he became CEO some years later. Meanwhile, Judith freelanced while moving the family internationally. She earned an MA in English and became a full-time high school teacher in a rural Texas high school.

Supporting an outstanding student who combines academic rigor and determination with social responsibility is a step towards the kind of world we all dream of.

A DECADE OF SUPPORT

For Tim and Judith, donating to the scholarship programme is their way of contributing something positive to the world. “Supporting an outstanding student who combines academic rigor and determination with social responsibility is a step towards the kind of world we all dream of. The battles they overcome, the success they achieve, gives us hope for and, ultimately, conﬁdence in the future of our international world.”

A pleasant surprise for Tim and Judith has been just how much of an impact their support has made, and how committed their students are to their education. “We have been stunned by the energy and motivation of all our students and the hurdles they have overcome to apply, enter and study at The University of Manchester. The dedication of our students is truly thrilling. They are far more focused and motivated than we were. We are immensely proud of each one of them. They are all terriﬁc!”

Placing themselves in their students’ shoes, Tim and Judith reflect on how they must feel being given such a life-changing opportunity. “To know that somebody is financially prepared to support your educational aspirations and is positively cheering for you, confident that you can overcome the difficulties inherent in adapting to a new culture, is surely empowering. But it must also be a heavy responsibility. We receive kind and generous notes and thank-you messages from our students, and are occasionally able to meet the current year’s candidates in Manchester. But we want them to realise that their future success is all the thanks we ever need. We want our students to take flight.” Having created this incredible Manchester legacy, Tim and Judith are also quick to recognise that the impact of these scholarships, and their support for the programme, will last for many years to come. “When the students graduate and go on to their careers and family lives we are

proud and happy for them. The path each one of them takes is a precious thread connecting our generation with the future we will not live to see.” And their message to others thinking of supporting scholarships at The University of Manchester? “Just do it! Our students have been magnificent. They never give up. The candidates are there, they just need financial support. These young men and women will affirm your belief in the best of human nature. However much contact with the students you would like, they will be pleased and proud to keep you personally up to date. It’s so wonderful for the students to know that you care enough to stake their educational ambitions and help them get off the ground. We are in awe of the vitality and drive of these young people. They are an example for all of us.”

Producing graduates who will be responsible global citizens is now more critical than ever. So it’s right and proper to invest in skills, knowledge and educational opportunities in the most needy parts of the world. Professor Alan Gilbert Inaugural President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester

45 PARTNERS

We want our students to take ﬂight. Tim and Judith Sear celebrate Tim receiving an Outstanding Alumni Award with some of the students from Bangladesh who they have sponsored.

WITH GRATITUDE The Equity and Merit scholarships are jointly funded by the University and its donors. The University covers the tuition fee in full and the generosity of donors pays for studentsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; living expenses, flights to the UK and visas.

WRITING:

IMAGES:

Karen Badat

Pete Carr

Katie Brewin Public Relations and Communications Specialist Katie@brewin.org.uk

Paul Cliff

Donors to the Alan Gilbert Memorial fund

Jamie Brown

The Allan and Nesta ferguson Charitable Trust

Professor David Denning

Derek Milton

The University of Manchester Image Library

Professor David Hulme

The Derill Allatt foundation

Sally Mavin

Donald and Margaret Bass

Dr Joseph Mutale

Ingrid Gilbert

Robert Summers

Don Hanson

Professor James Thompson

We would like to take this opportunity to thank;

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

David Gennard Jill Jennings

DESIGN: Karen Daniel K Daniel Designs Ltd kdaniel2012@live.com issuu.com/karendaniel PRINT: Samantha Pearson County Print sales@countyprint.com

Josie Rowland Tim and Judith Sear William and Ruth Taylor The North American foundation for The University of Manchester Alumni and friends of The University of Manchester

We are also grateful for the support of donors who have chosen to remain anonymous.

CONTACT INFORMATION CONTACT US The University of Manchester Oxford Rd Manchester M13 9PL UK tel: +44 (0)161 275 2216 email: equityandmerit@manchester.ac.uk

www.manchester.ac.uk

/EquityandMerit

@EandM_UoM

THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

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