1 December 2014 Issue 3 Volume 12
unilife The free magazine for The University of Manchester
Examining our impact on public policy
Message from the President A recent series of articles in the scientific journal Nature claimed that: “Universities must evolve if they are to survive” and looked at changing patterns of higher education across the world. The editorial, entitled ‘Universities Challenged’, claimed that: “The very foundations of the centuries-old university concept are under attack as never before.”
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f course such prophecies of radical change to, or even the demise of, universities as we know them are not new and as yet have not come to pass. Yet it would be ill-advised to assume that we will be immune from the impact of a number of changes taking place across the globe which affect higher education, and we need to ensure that we are well placed to anticipate, shape and adapt to them. For example, not long ago we heard that the arrival of mass open online (and free) courses (Moocs) would mean that students would no longer wish to study on campus. Yet recently even the first and strongest proponents of Moocs argued that they form just one part of education across the world in what is likely to become a much more flexible and
varied offer of higher education. At the University we are developing Moocs, online and distance learning resources with established partners. Globalisation, ease of travel and the massive growth in the number of universities across the world has meant that there is much greater competition in higher education than ever before. Added to this, more universities are offering study in English, even outside the English-speaking nations, as the attractiveness of teaching in English to both home and overseas students is recognised. However, competition between higher education institutions is well matched by the global growth in those wanting, or even expecting such education, albeit with an increased shift to distance or ‘blended’ learning (a mix of online and face-to-face) or with more online resources on campus. The UK remains attractive for overseas students and the number of students at our University from outside the EU has grown again this year. Hence we have one of the greatest numbers of full-time international students of any university in the world. Global competition in research is as fierce as ever, not least with increasing investment in universities, particularly in the Far East. That said, the UK remains highly competitive in research, and by many measures scores amongst the very top countries and even number one in some, particularly when adjusted for quality outputs per capita or per pound spent. The University of Manchester scores in the top 50 out of many thousands of universities in the world in all major international league tables, including 38th in the Shanghai Jiao Tong academic ranking of world universities and 30th in the QS World University Rankings, but we are still some way off the very top and need a major improvement in research quality to catch up.
With honorary graduand Jeanette Winterson
There continue to be strong arguments made to the UK government about the value of research to
With a We Get It campaign placard
society and our economy, with much international evidence in support, and hence the need to continue to invest across all disciplines. Yet as a relatively small country, with limited resources, it will be important for universities in the UK to collaborate more to share resources and expertise and for funding sources and research assessments to drive and value collaboration if the UK is to retain its position globally. In addition to global challenges, there are further uncertainties facing UK universities specifically. We are less than six months from a general election and any incoming government may consider changing not only research funding, but also student fees and immigration policy. At the same time the UK higher education sector faces a major deficit in one of its principal pension funds which will have to be addressed in order for a sustainable solution to be found. Later in December we will know the outcome of the Research Excellence Framework (REF) which will be published just before Christmas and will report on
Contact us News and story ideas Mikaela Sitford tel 0161 275 2112 email uninews@manchester.ac.uk www.manchester.ac.uk/staffnet/news Deadline 14 January 2015 Events and listings information Philippa Adshead tel 0161 275 2922 email unievents@manchester.ac.uk Deadline 14 January 2015 Ads Sarah Davenport tel 0161 275 2922 email uniads@manchester.ac.uk Deadline 14 January 2015 Next issue 2 February 2015
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News Graphene art to open Whitworth Art Gallery
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News Flash, bang, wallop – what a festival!
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With our honorary graduands on Foundation Day
However, we can’t be sure how The University of Manchester will perform either in the overall rankings or in specific disciplines, and hence the impact this will have on our future research strategy.
All of this may paint a rather uncertain picture which can be unsettling, but there are also many positive factors. Our recent Annual Performance Reviews which we carry out internally revealed that by many measures we continue to be very successful. We are strong financially, and last year we were again the most popular UK university for undergraduate student applications. Over the coming months we will be considering our past performance, what we need to do to achieve our goals and refreshing our Manchester 2020 strategy and plans.
It is always hard to predict the outcomes of such national exercises, especially as a new methodology was used in REF 2014, and some universities have invested many millions of pounds in recruiting ‘stars’ (recognised leaders in a particular discipline). This uncertainty has been amplified by the inclusion for the first time of cases studies designed to show the impact of research in the real world. In addition, all submissions were made without us knowing the final formula which will dictate how funding is allocated to future research.
There has also been a major spotlight recently on Manchester and the North of England. The City Growth Commission, chaired by Jim O’Neill, who is an Honorary Professor in our Faculty of Humanities, recommended that greater devolution of decision making and resource should be made to regions outside London. The announcement by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne last month devolving power to the Greater Manchester Combined Authority is evidence of this being put into practice.
the research performance of all higher education institutions in the UK. We are confident that we put together a submission that demonstrated the very high quality, great breadth and impact of the University’s research, balancing the quality of the return against the volume of staff submitted.
The Deputy Prime Minister, Nick Clegg, is leading a review of ‘Northern Futures’ and Lord Adonis carried out a similar review for the Labour Party. Before that, Sir Andrew Whitty chaired a review that stressed the importance of universities to regional economies. It could be said that all of this activity is nothing new as Lord Dearing said over 12 years ago: “Just as castles provided the source of strength for medieval towns, and factories provided prosperity in the industrial age, universities are the source of strength in the knowledge‐based economy of the 21st century.” Change can be unsettling, particularly when the nature of that change itself is uncertain. Mike Bloxhall, a higher education expert at PA Consulting recently described some UK universities as ‘oligarchs’ (Oxford and Cambridge), ‘innovators’ and ‘zombies’. We must be an innovative university which is adaptable, nimble and able to make hard choices in order to ensure we are well placed for what the future will bring and to meet our Manchester 2020 ambitions.
Contents 2 4 10 14 16
Message from the President News Research What’s On Making a Difference
Front cover: Lord Heseltine opens Policy Week Photo by Chris Foster
Research Mapping the genes of an endangered sea creature
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Feature Building hope in Ethiopia
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Manchester DJ is the voice of Stan
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ne of Manchester Museum’s star attractions Stan the T.rex is now able to talk to his many fans – through a new mobile phone recording voiced by popular broadcaster Mark Radcliffe.
The recording is part of the Talking Statues project with Sing London, Manchester City Council and Audible.co.uk, who have worked with celebrated writers, actors and comedians to write and record monologues for statues across London and Manchester. (Left to right) Alexandra Narang, who collected a prize on behalf of Georgina Hallums, Ellen McLaughlin and Alison Burns
Trio win Martin Harris Prize The 2014 Martin Harris Prize for Cultural Engagement has been awarded to three students who have made a significant contribution to activities which have helped engage disadvantaged groups or deprived communities in the cultural life of the University. Ellen McLaughlin (Drama) won for ‘Save our NHS presents…’, which entertained, enlightened and challenged members of the public and disadvantaged groups.
For Manchester Museum, members of the public were invited to write a short monologue of words ‘by Stan’ in an open competition. All visitors need to do is swipe their phone on the nearby barcode, their phone rings and Stan will be on the phone! Mark Radcliffe said: “Talking Statues is a brilliant notion and I’m absolutely thrilled to be the voice of Stan. Also, I’m only 5’10” tall and so assuming T.rex proportions will give me some much needed macho presence.” Other Talking Statues across Manchester include code-breaker Alan Turing (Russell Tovey), Queen Victoria in Piccadilly Gardens (Prunella Scales) and Lincoln in Lincoln’s Inn Square (Tom Conti).
Mark Radcliffe
Georgina Hallums (Music) worked with the Music Society to reach out to hospitals and school children and Alison Burns (Archaeology) worked with school children on a project in Formby, looking at prehistoric footprints on the coast, which has led her to become a consultant for the revised National Curriculum for History in the north-west. The School of Arts, Languages and Cultures founded the Prize in October 2013 in celebration of the tenth anniversary of the Martin Harris Centre.
Academic's passage to India ‘Nestled Amongst Temples’ is the first fictional work by Dr Jillian McCarthy from Manchester Business School, writing under the pen name Jillain McKay. Jill, a Senior Lecturer in Healthcare Management, wrote her book following a six-month trip to India. The novel tells of the narrator’s career break in India to help her daughter launch a fashion design business. It depicts east-west fusion alongside culture clashes and their often hilarious consequences. Published by Triplicity Publishers, the novel is available in paperback and e-book.
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School students involved in a Smallpeice Trust ‘Design and Make’ project at the University
Game on at the Dalton!
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t’s game on at the University’s Dalton Nuclear Institute as it reaches out to the next generation of nuclear scientists and engineers.
The Dalton has produced Top Trump style cards and an online 3D game as part of its substantial programme of outreach activity to improve the public’s understanding of nuclear energy, while its Lego model of an Advanced Gas-Cooled Reactor was a real hit at Manchester’s recent Science Spectacular event. The Dalton’s ‘So You Think You Know About Nuclear Energy!’ programme, funded by the EPSRC, saw it take part in a series of activities and events attended by more than 380,000 people during the course of three and a half years. It has attended large-scale national events, such as The Big Bang Fair, and also held residential sessions for smaller groups on campus, such as the Smallpeice Trust Summer School.
In addition it has produced a number of educational resources, such as the Top Trumps cards and the online 3D game – in which youngsters play at being in charge of a nuclear reactor! Professor Andrew Sherry, Director of the Institute, said: “Public engagement is important. We are creating new tools for schools, teachers and the wider public that help start a dialogue about nuclear energy and how it can help meet the country’s low carbon electricity needs.” • Play the online game or download your own pack of energy cards at: www.dalton.manchester.ac.uk
Worms on show
18th
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December is when the REF results are made public
impact case studies have been submitted by our University
155
(1,561 FTE) of our staff members were submitted
1,652 UK higher education institutions have taken part in REF
5,978
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36
panels have assessed submissions
sub-panels
research outputs we’ve included in our submissions bmi
30%
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of our research income depends upon the REF outcome
Units of Assessment were submitted by our University
29 members of staff from our University are on panels
A measure of success
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he results of the world’s largest research assessment process will be published on Thursday, 18 December.
The Research Excellence Framework (REF) findings will reveal the strength of research quality across UK higher education institutions. The results are important because they will be used to determine future levels of research funding from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), around 30% of our University’s research funding.
Worm Wagon wonder Two Manchester research teams were stars of the show at the Great British Bioscience Festival in London.
REF 2014 will measure three things – outputs (65%); environment (15%) and impact (20%). The latter is a new measure and aims to show how research has made a difference in the real world. Research will be graded to show if it’s of world leading, internationally excellent, internationally recognised or nationally recognised quality.
Dr Sheena Cruickshank from the Faculty of Life Sciences and Professor Sabine Filtsch from the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology were both picked by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) to exhibit at the celebration of science. Just 20 projects were chosen out of hundreds across the country.
Work has been going on at our University since 2010 to put together our REF submission – this infographic shows the sheer size and scale of this work.
Dr Cruickshank and her team used their worm wagon to take a topical look at how to avoid the spread of infection. Professor Filtsch’s exhibit, the Complex Life of Sugars, explained the science of sugars and highlighted recent discoveries made in university laboratories. Dr Cruickshank said: “It was fantastic to be part of such a great event, we really captured people’s imaginations.”
University honour nominations Lord Heseltine speaks at the opening of Policy Week
Lord Heseltine opens record-breaking Policy Week
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packed Town Hall heard former Deputy Prime Minister Lord Heseltine deliver the opening address at a record-breaking Manchester Policy Week.
Organised by policy@manchester, the event saw Lord Heseltine speak on devolution – on the day it was announced that Greater Manchester would get greater independence. Policy Week 2014 featured dozens of free events, and had the theme ‘Addressing Inequalities’. It marked the launch of the Social Responsibility Signature Programme of the same name, aimed at bringing together Manchester’s research addressing equality and fairness.
Researchers from across the University joined with senior policy figures and practitioners, and those at the receiving end of policy decisions, to debate issues around education, health, gender, employment, social mobility, environment and urban inequalities.
The President and Vice-Chancellor is welcoming suggestions for candidates to be considered for the conferment of an honorary degree by the University or its highest non-degree award, the Medal of Honour. We’re looking for truly remarkable achievers, ideally with some link to the University, our key missions (i.e. excellence in teaching, research or social responsibility) or with Manchester or the North West. For more information, visit: http://bit.ly/1BQ2OVO
Professor Colin Talbot, Director of policy@manchester, said: “Our researchers are making a difference to the world around us, studying different aspects of our society and helping influence and improve the way things are done.” More than 1,000 people attended Policy Week, with hundreds more joining the conversation online via social media.
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Graphene art to spark Whitworth re-opening
T Professor Danielle George on her visit
Bringing science to life Professor Danielle George helped to bring science to life, and set a few things straight about university professors, when she visited Great Moor Junior School in Stockport. Danielle, a Professor of Radio Frequency Engineering, met children aged 7-11 and answered some of their many questions including, “Why and when did you know you wanted to be a scientist?” Jane Ijima, the school’s Science Subject leader, said: “It was wonderful for the children to meet a real professor, someone young and down-to-earth who is very different perhaps from what they expected.
he redevelopment of the Whitworth Art Gallery continues apace ahead of its re-opening in February 2015.
The preview night of the exhibition will be marked by Cornelia Parker’s new ‘meteor shower’ art work, Blakeian Abstract.
This has come about through a collaboration with University scientist, Sir Kostya Novoselov, who, with Sir Andre Geim, was awarded the Nobel Prize for his work on graphene – the thinnest and strongest known material. Working with the Whitworth’s paper conservator, Kostya took microscopic samples of graphite from drawings in the Whitworth’s collection by William Blake, Turner, Constable and Picasso as well as from a pencil-written letter by Sir Ernest Rutherford, who split the atom in Manchester, and which is in the collection of The John Rylands Library. He then made graphene from these samples.
The new Whitworth opens to the public on Saturday 14 February 2015.
Parker is using the Blake graphene for this work of art. It will be used to trigger a firework meteor shower in Whitworth Park inspired by William Blake’s watercolour ‘The Ancient of Days’, which is part of the Whitworth’s collection.
• Sir Kostya has been awarded a Royal Society Research Professorship. The prestigious award provides long-term support enabling leading scientists to focus on their research, usually for up to ten years.
“It was also interesting that many of them were surprised when they found out the visiting professor was going to be a woman, rather than a man. Our children, especially our girls, need strong role models and encouragement to take up subjects such as science and technology and I think Danielle will have inspired many of them.”
Celebrating 200 years of visionary research
The visit was part of a wider campaign Fascinate, from the University’s Science Education Research and Innovation Hub, to engage children with university academics and contemporary research.
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anchester Museum and the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital were brought to life with Look200, an arts-meets-science project from artist Lucy Burscough celebrating 200 years of life-changing research into vision here.
• Danielle will be presenting the Royal Institution (RI) 2014 CHRISTMAS LECTURES, a three-part series called ‘Sparks will fly: How to hack your home’ at the Royal Institution of Great Britain, on BBC FOUR this Christmas.
Dr James Sumner, Lecturer in the history of technology, discussed the extraordinary life of John Dalton including his remarkable diagnosis of his own colour-blindness; public engagement specialist Dr Annette Allen spoke on the function of recently discovered retinal cells that inspired some of Lucy’s paintings; while Professor Paulo Stanga, Director of Manchester Vision Regeneration Lab, told of his lab’s innovative technology and novel approaches – including trialling the ‘bionic eye’!
Robotics seminar success The world of robotics, including demonstrations of robots and discussions on a range of current and emerging topics, were discussed at a highly successful seminar: ‘Robotics: Current trends and Future Horizons’. The event – jointly organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology and the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering – was attended by more than 110 senior representatives from various sectors, including the nuclear industry, the UK Technology Strategy Board, several universities and the robotics industry.
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Cornelia Parker and Sir Kostya in the lab
Artist Lucy Burscough at work
Around 150 people attended, showing a real appetite for unusual events showcasing University research.
Aerial shot of Typhoon Haiyan. Credit: UK Med
Professor Dame Julia King, Simon Weston, Professor Jeanette Winterson
Honours mark our tenth anniversary
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alklands War veteran Simon Weston, author and screenwriter Professor Jeanette Winterson and scientist and academic leader Professor Dame Julia King were awarded honorary degrees as part of the University’s Foundation Day celebrations.
This year we marked the tenth anniversary of the bringing together of the Victoria University of Manchester and the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST). The formal creation of The University of Manchester took place on Friday, 22 October 2004, when Her Majesty the Queen visited the campus to present the institution with its new Royal Charter. Prior to the conferment of degrees, there was a screening of the film ‘University of Manchester In
Our Own Words’, made to celebrate our achievements, before Professor Winterson gave the Foundation Day lecture ‘Manchester: From Gradgrind to Graphene’. President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell said: “Foundation Day is a celebration of our illustrious heritage, the impressive progress we have made since 2004 which is thanks, in no small part, to the dedication of our talented staff and students, as well as our ambitious plans for the future.” • To watch the film, which has had almost 14,000 views, visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8BNl74oJj0
Elbow front man turns over old leaf
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The Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI) has launched two exciting new partnerships with Save the Children and the Red Cross. As part of a joint research project, Research Fellow Jessica Field has been appointed as a Humanitarian Affairs Advisor and will be working on two reports for Save the Children regarding humanitarian effectiveness in sudden-onset disasters looking at Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines and in an insecure context in the Middle East. Save the Children UK and HCRI are also collaborating on an international conference in September 2015 at the University, which will include satellite events in Melbourne and India. And HCRI is collaborating with British Red Cross on a project looking at pre-hospital care and deaths in Manchester, a follow-up project to a 1994 study by Dr Hussain and HCRI Deputy Director Professor Tony Redmond. The project aims to repeat the study looking at the nature of deaths from accidental traumatic injury two decades on and to see if there has been improvement.
uy Garvey, lead singer of acclaimed Manchester band Elbow, visited The John Rylands Library to record a show – and declared it a “Neo-Gothic treasure trove”.
Student wins national novel award
Guy visited John Rylands along with other Manchester libraries for his BBC Radio 6 show Guy Garvey’s Finest Hour – Library Special, part of 6 Music Celebrates Libraries.
Caroline Chisholm, a PhD student at the University’s Centre for New Writing, has won the inaugural Peggy Chapman-Andrews Award for a First Novel in this year’s Bridport Prize with her story ‘Swimming Pool Hill’.
“I was influenced by old stories, local folklore as well as poetry,” Guy recalled of songwriting in local libraries. “I pulled all kinds of things off the shelves, sometimes randomly, just to see what they would throw up.” During Guy’s visit, Library collections managers Julianne Simpson and Caroline Checkley-Scott presented a 1,500 year old papyrus fragment, a concrete poetry book and a Charles Wesley hymn book including the original lyrics of ‘Hark the Herald Angels Sing’.
Two new humanitarianism partnerships
‘Swimming Pool Hill’ was selected from over 1,200 entries to the competition, open to any UK-based writer; the prize is named in honour of Peggy Chapman-Andrews who founded the Bridport Prize and its home, Bridport Arts Centre.
Guy Garvey with Caroline Checkley-Scott
• Read the first chapters from Caroline’s story at www.bridportprize.org.uk.
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Flash, bang, wallop – what a festival!
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niversity scientists from across the campus and in our cultural assets grabbed the imagination of young and old alike when they took part in Manchester Science Festival.
This was the eighth outing for the annual multi-venue festival to inspire and engage people in science, technology, engineering and maths, promoting the region's rich heritage of past scientific achievements while showcasing current innovative research.
One boy discovers you can make square bubbles!
The University’s events included an exhibition of artefacts from our Medicine and Health collections which also showcased a project with hearing-loss participants, Silence of the Photograph.
A visitor investigates the DNA of a strawberry
There was the chaotic science cabaret event Science Showoff, the Flash Bang Show of exciting experiments and the Wonder Drug Roadshow to raise awareness about everyday medicines, among others. And of course our ever-popular Science Spectacular, in which 200 researchers from 41 research groups showcased their work to a staggering 1,700 visitors plus, while 21 science buskers roamed the area with tricks ranging from mini rockets to slime to the secret sounds of an oven shelf. Feedback included: “My boys thoroughly enjoyed all the stalls…My eldest is now talking about having a mad scientist birthday party, complete with experiments, thanks to the trip on Saturday.”
A youngster finds out how clean are our rivers
Ancient book goes digital Dalton Director’s new role Director of the University’s Dalton Nuclear Institute Professor Andrew Sherry has accepted a new role as Chief Science and Technology Officer at the National Nuclear Laboratory (NNL). Professor Sherry (pictured), who has worked at the University for more than ten years, will take up his new post in January next year. Professor Francis Livens, Dalton’s Director of Research, will become interim Director of the Institute from January 5 until a permanent replacement is found. Professor Sherry will maintain a research group at the University.
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manuscript predating the Magna Carta is to be seen, in full, online, by the public for the first time, thanks to a project involving digital experts from the University’s Centre for Heritage Imaging and Collection Care. The Textus Roffensis (pictured), is a 12th century legal encyclopaedia compiled by a single scribe at Rochester Cathedral, in Kent, in the 1120s. Dr Chris Monk, who worked with Rochester Cathedral on the project, said: “The Textus Roffensis is truly a unique manuscript: it predates the Magna Carta by almost a hundred years, contains the only copy of the oldest set of laws in English, and was penned by an English scribe within 60 years of the Norman Conquest. “That it is being made accessible to the public is a tribute to all those involved with the project.”
A taste of honey…from the Museum!
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anchester Museum has produced its first yield of honey from its own hive, set up on an adjacent roof and tended by staff specially trained to be beekeepers.
Youth Engagement Administrator Sally Thelwell and Senior Conservator Sam Sportun tend the hive
One of the Museum's two objectives is 'working towards a sustainable world', encouraging staff to develop initiatives that exemplify this. Following a lead set by Manchester Art Gallery, the project to establish the hive has been a huge success.
Ad Solem
University choir hits high note
The small and dedicated beekeeping team has presented its progress to colleagues at regular intervals and has now had its first yield of honey from the hive.
Ad Solem, The University of Manchester Chamber Choir, has won first prize in the recent North Wales Choral Festival 2014 in the Mixed category.
Sam Sportun, Museum conservator and head beekeeper, said: “The honey tastes beautiful, and is incredibly floral, belying the apparently built-up local area as the bees forage far and wide.
They battled against ten other choirs to win the top prize of £500. The prize money will be used for activities organised by the University of Manchester Music Society.
“Our bees project has been a wonderful example of how an institution can live its values in a practical way; it’s a great example of staff development, and of social responsibility.”
The North Wales Choral Festival, organised by Conwy County Borough Council, is considered one of the largest choral competitions in Wales.
The success of the hive has seen the team extending the project, for example ensuring that there are enough flowers in the vicinity for the bees to continue to feed.
A meeting with… Liam Kerr Student Services Assistant Liam Kerr started at the University in October 2011. Starting as a temporary member of staff, he was appointed to his current role in July 2012. He works as part of the Academic Support Team, who manage the University graduation ceremonies, examination periods and e-Assessments, and produce official University documents, specifically academic transcripts and degree certificates.
Ad Solem will next perform on Friday 5 December, at the Martin Harris Centre.
What’s the best part of your job? I enjoy working during graduation as there is a buzz around the University which you don’t really get at any other time of the year. Everyone is in high spirits and the Great British weather usually adds to the event (hot or cold!) Meeting families and ensuring everyone enjoys their day is very rewarding.
Any challenges? The busy periods, Registration and Graduation, are usually the most challenging as this is when we have a vast number of students visiting the Student Services Centre. Keeping on top of our day-to-day work as well as covering events throughout the year is challenging but enjoyable.
How did you get to the role you have now? I came here as a temporary staff member, and then applied for a vacant post in the team I work in now. In January our team won the Directorate of Student Experience Outstanding Contribution award which we were all extremely proud of.
Any future projects coming up? We are currently in the midst of graduation preparation and are looking to integrate IT systems into graduation procedures to ensure they run smoothly.
Who would be your ideal dinner party guests? David Attenborough for the brains, Mary Berry for the baking and maybe Rory Bremner for the banter.
What would you say to your 16-year-old self now? Try not to procrastinate! In hindsight I probably did it more than I should have.
Favourite book, film and TV programme? My guilty pleasure has to be Harry Potter, although I did recently enjoy the Stieg Larsson Millennium Series. Favourite film is Stand by Me – loved it as a youngster and still love it now. Breaking Bad had me gripped from start to finish – gutted it’s finished!
What is your earliest childhood memory? Being washed as a child in the kitchen sink. Thankfully I’ve now upgraded to a bath.
Any interesting hobbies? My evenings and weekends are mostly occupied by playing sport but in my spare time I do enjoy cooking, dabbling in a bit of piano playing and “singing” in the shower.
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Research A still from the animation for Deljana Iossifova’s work, “Shanghai: sanitation, differentiation and inequality”
Artistic impression of a corrugated graphene sheet. Credit: Jannik Meyer
Graphene in top 100 The ground-breaking Science paper that laid out foundations of graphene research is one of the most cited publications of all time. Despite only being brought out in 2004, the seminal work has been cited more than 15,000 times and is at number 65 in the top 100 list, produced by the journal Nature to mark the 50th anniversary of the citation system. Citations, in which one paper refers to earlier works, are the standard means by which authors acknowledge the source of their findings and are often used as a rough measure of a paper’s importance.
Researchers share their urban tales
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niversity researchers, keen to disseminate their work to wider audiences, got the opportunity to turn their findings into short animations in the cities@manchester Animated Urbanism competition.
A number of high quality entries from various academic disciplines resulted in five winning projects by: Federico Cugurullo (Geography), Stephen Hincks (Planning and Environmental Management), Deljana Iossifova (Architecture), Chris Shannahan (Religions and Theology), Erik Swyngedouw (Geography) and Japhy Wilson (Economics). The competition adds to a growing portfolio of multimedia research outputs launched by cities@manchester. cities@manchester coordinator Laura Partridge said: “We are always seeking to disseminate research in innovative ways and visual communication in particular offers so much potential in terms of broadening engagement and impact.”
New test could spot rare disease
Dr Iossifova said: “The clip makes it easy to introduce my work in a light and engaging way to a range of audiences. I look forward to more of this in the future!”
A rare form of a devastating disease which causes low blood sugar levels in babies and infants may now be recognised earlier thanks to a new test developed by Dr Karen Cosgrove and her team in the Faculty of Life Sciences. Congenital hyperinsulinism starves a baby’s brain of blood sugar and can lead to lifelong brain damage. The new test measures a pair of hormones called incretins which are released by specialised cells in the gut when food is passing through.
Insight into breast cancer recurrence University scientists, led by Dr Gillian Farnie, have explored what allows a non-invasive form of breast cancer to resist treatment and come back, as well as identifying a potential new target to improve the effectiveness of radiotherapy. Around 5,000 cases of the cancer, where cancerous cells are contained within the milk ducts of the breast, are diagnosed each year in the UK, with two thirds diagnosed through breast screening.
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View the Animated Urbanism series at: www.cities.manchester.ac.uk
Clinical research funding success
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he University has been awarded £24 million to tackle dementia, improve clinical sample testing and improve our understanding of basic cell biology.
The funding for the University is part of a total package of £230 million designed to support innovation in clinical research across three areas – stratified medicine, dementia and single cell functional genomics. Manchester has been successful in all three areas of the new scheme, overseen by the Medical Research Council (MRC), including an individual award of £13 million to set up a Clinical Proteomics Centre. A further £6 million of capital funding has been awarded to Manchester as part of the UK Dementia Platform (UKDP). The third award of £5 million will set up the Manchester Single Cell Research Centre.
Clinical research
Mapping the genes of an endangered sea creature
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Corruption brought to book
cientists in the Faculty of Life Sciences are attempting to map the genes of an endangered British sea creature to ensure its ongoing survival through a captive breeding programme.
Legislation designed to help law enforcement agencies respond to economic crimes such as corporate corruption and bribery is facing significant obstacles to enforcement – and the situation is unlikely to improve in the foreseeable future.
Over the summer undergraduate student Iulia Darolti travelled around the country taking DNA swabs from all 45 undulate rays in British aquariums.
That’s according to new research from the School of Law, which examined the role and impact of the Bribery Act 2010 on controlling foreign bribery by UK commercial organisations in foreign jurisdictions.
“It has been a challenging assignment,” said Iulia. “To expose the rays to as little stress as possible we developed non-invasive sampling techniques that allowed us to collect DNA from the skin.”
The research is published in Dr Nick Lord’s new book, ‘Regulating Corporate Bribery in International Business’.
PhD student Graeme Fox has been doing much of the laboratory work: “We developed a set of genetic markers to help discover whether the rays are related or not. Our hope is that this data will enable Sea Life to plan the optimum management strategy to secure the genetic health of this beautiful and sadly increasingly scarce species.” Team leader Dr John Fitzpatrick estimates his team will have identified the genetic markers required to check for family relationships between the captive undulates within two years.
Census shows Welsh pride People from ‘mixed’ ethnic groups in Wales are more likely to claim their national identity than counterparts in Scotland, according to research on the 2011 Census carried out by Manchester’s Centre on Dynamics and Ethnicity (CoDE).
The underside of an undulate ray
Graeme Fox runs DNA samples in the lab
Breaking literary barriers
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ociologist Dr Virinder Kalra has been collaborating with researchers in Punjabi University, Patiala, to bring down the script barrier between Sindhi people living either side of the Pakistan/India border.
CoDE’s November 2014 briefing revealed that 47% of mixed ethnicity individuals in Wales identified themselves as Welsh, compared to 37% of mixed groups in Scotland who identify only as Scottish. Wales’ mixed ethnic groups were also more likely to select Welsh as their only national identity than all other ethnic minority groups. Research associate Dr Bethan Harries explained: “National identity is more complex and nuanced than is often suggested in political debates over nationhood, citizenship and belonging.”
Sindhis use the same spoken language but the territorial border is also a literary border. Indian Sindhis write using the Devnagari script and Pakistani Sindhis use the Perso-Arabic script. The two scripts are quite different and cannot be read by users of the other script. The research team are developing software which will transliterate between the two scripts. The word bank will contain more than 10 million words in Perso-Arabic script and 5 million words in the Devnagari script. Dr Kalra explained: “We want to provide a tool that will help Sindhi people to link across a hostile geographical divide. In so doing we will provide an ITC solution to a social problem that had seemed insurmountable for centuries.”
Dr Virinder Kalra
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Research
Professor David Hulme
Dark side of microfinance The ‘dark side’ of the microfinance industry, which provides financial services for people on low-incomes, is exposed in a paper by Professor David Hulme, Director of the Brooks World Poverty Institute. Routinely presented as a successful solution to ending poverty, the research questions whether microfinance is in fact failing the very people it is meant to support. Professor Hulme said: “Our findings have uncovered a culture rife with demanding branch managers focused purely on financial performance that put terrible pressure not only on clients but also on staff.”
Peanut in house dust linked to allergy A new study has found a strong link between exposure to peanut protein in household dust during infancy and the development of peanut allergy in children genetically predisposed to a skin barrier defect. The study was carried out in 557 children from the Manchester Asthma and Allergy Study – led by Professors Adnan Custovic and Angela Simpson – who have been followed from birth to the present day. They have undergone genetic tests and 9% of them carry mutations in the FLG gene. In addition, dust samples were collected from their home environment in early life, in which it was possible to quantify peanut protein. For children with an FLG mutation, higher levels of peanut protein in household dust in infancy increased the likelihood of peanut allergy in childhood.
The enzyme with the potential to detoxify pollutants. Credit: Nature and David Leys et al.
Major breakthrough could help detoxify pollutants
S
cientists at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology hope a major breakthrough could lead to more effective methods for detoxifying dangerous pollutants like PCBs – synthetic chemical compounds once used widely, for example in flame retardants, whose production is now banned – and dioxins.
Professor David Leys and his team were investigating how some natural organisms manage to lower the level of toxicity and shorten the life span of several notorious pollutants. Their results were published in Nature.
Professor Leys explains: “We already know that some of the most toxic pollutants contain halogen atoms and that most biological systems simply don't know how to deal with these molecules. However, there are some organisms that can remove these halogen atoms using vitamin B12. Our research has identified that they use vitamin B12 in a very different way to how we currently understand it. “Detailing how this novel process of detoxification works means that we are now in a position to look at replicating it. We hope that new ways of combating some of the world’s biggest toxins can now be developed more quickly.”
Rutherford’s secret war mission
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rnest Rutherford – famed for ‘splitting the atom’ here in Manchester – also deserves better recognition for helping to pioneer a system we now know as ‘sonar’ as part of a top secret World War One defence project. Rutherford produced a secret report during The Great War which was to form the basis of research to develop an acoustic system to detect German U-boats. His great genius was put to the test as he continued his ground-breaking work on nuclear science while also covertly leading a band of researchers to develop an effective method to detect submarines and safeguard Britain’s vital sea routes. In 1915, the Nobel prize-winner published an historic paper, the first mention of the system that would one day become modern sonar. “This momentous report was the foundation of subsequent anti-submarine warfare and would safeguard thousands of Allied lives in both world wars,” says researcher Dr Christine Twigg.
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German U-boats terrorised British ships during World War One. Credit: Tom Gerrard
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Listings
Thursday 18 December: Christmas Ghost stories at John Rylands Library (Deansgate)
What’s On
Manchester Museum EXHIBITIONS
All exhibitions at The Manchester Museum are FREE Siberia: At the Edge of the World until March 2015
FAMILY ACTIVITIES Every Sat and Sun, 11am-4pm, Free Discovery Centre Drop-in, all ages Available Sat and Sun 10am or 2pm – bookings one month in advance New! Children’s Birthday Parties
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Tues 9 Dec, 10.30-11.15am, 11.30am12.15pm and 1-1.45pm, Free Baby Explorers Book on 0161 275 2648 (bookings taken a week in advance from 2pm)
TALKS, TOURS AND WORKSHOPS FOR ADULTS
Sat 13 Dec, 9.15-10am, Free Early Opening for Early Birds Drop-in, families with children under 5s and their older siblings
Every Thurs, 12pm, Free Vivarium Tours (book on 0161 275 2648)
Every Wed and Thurs, 1pm, Free Taster tours Drop-in
Sat 13 Dec, 11am-4pm Winter Wonderland
Tues 2 Dec, 1–2.30pm, Free English Corner Drop-in
Sat 20 and Sun 21 Dec, Sat 27 – Tues 30 Dec, Sat 3 and Sun 4 Jan, 11am-4pm Nature Discovery activities: Paper cut Christmas cards and New Year’s calendars
Wed 3 Dec, 1-2pm, Free Collection Bites: Carbon: Art from Papua (book on 0161 275 2648 or museum@manchester.ac.uk)
Thurs 11 Dec, 2-3pm Rock Drop: Geology Identification Sessions Thurs 11 Dec, 6-8pm Entomology with Helen Clare Tues 6 Jan, 1-2.30pm English Corner Opening times Open: Tues-Sat 10am-5pm Sun-Mon (and Bank Holidays) 11am-4pm FREE admission The Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester 0161 275 2648 manchester.ac.uk/museum Follow us on Twitter @McrMuseum facebook.com/ManchesterMuseum
Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre offers a great day out for all the family. Come and explore the planets using our model of the Solar System. Find answers to the wonders the Universe, listen to the sounds of the Big Bang and discover what the scientists are researching ‘Live’ in our interactive Space Pavilion. The glass-walled café offers spectacular views of the iconic Lovell telescope and fantastic homemade cakes! EVENTS Tues 9 Dec Lovell Christmas Lecture – Masers and the Square Kilometre Array Thurs 11 Dec Lovell Christmas Lecture – Galaxy Clusters Fri 13 Dec Festive Wreath Making Information: Live from Jodrell Bank website livefromjodrellbank.com Tickets: ow.ly/hQCFU Tickets include entry to the Discovery Centre. Opening times 10am-5pm For more information and prices please visit our website Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9DL 01477 571 766 jodrellbank.net
Chaplaincies St Peter’s House Chaplaincy Sunday, 11am Holy Communion 12.45pm Lunch (1st Sun) Sunday, 5.30pm Student Service (term-time only) Wednesday 12.15pm Eucharist, followed by free soup lunch (term-time only) RC Chaplaincy Avila House Mass Times (term-time only) Sun, 7pm (in the Holy Name Church) next door to the Chaplaincy Mon, Tues, Thurs and Friday, 5.30pm in the Chaplaincy Chapel Weds, 1.05pm in the Chaplaincy Chapel The Jewish Student Centre and Synagogue 07817 250 557 Email Rabbi Ephraim Guttentag: ephraim@mychaplaincy.co.uk Muslim Chaplaincy South Campus Mosque, McDougall Centre Jammaat (Group Prayer) Daily Juma Prayer Friday 1.15pm Honorary Imam: Imam Habeeb, h_chatti@hotmail.com
The Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama
John Rylands Library (Deansgate) Gig Guide EXHIBITIONS
LITERATURE Thurs 11 Dec, 6pm, FREE (booking essential) Poetry reading with Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury FREE LUNCHTIME CONCERTS Thurs 4 Dec, 1.10pm Walter Carroll Lunchtime Concert Series – Simon Turner (Cello Solo) Fri 5 Dec, 1pm MUMS Lunchtime Concert: Vocal Showcase Thurs 11 Dec, 1.10pm Walter Carroll Lunchtime Concert Series - Quatuor Danel Lunchtime Concert Fri 12 Dec, 1.10pm MUMS Lunchtime Concert: Manchester University Baroque Orchestra EVENING CONCERTS Fri 4 Dec, 7.30pm, £10.50, £6.50, £3 Manchester University Big Band (MUBB) Fri 5 Dec, 7.30pm, £10.50/£6.50/£3 Ad Solem, The University of Manchester Chamber Choir Thurs 11 Dec, 7.30pm, £10.50, £6.50, £3 MUMS Festive Concert Fri 12 Dec, 7.30pm, £14, £9, £3 Quatuor Danel Evening Concert The Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama Bridgeford Street, Manchester, M13 9PL 0161 275 8951 email boxoffice@manchester.ac.uk manchester.ac.uk/martinharriscentre
The Whitworth Art Gallery The Whitworth Art Gallery has started a new and exciting chapter in its history. A major building project is now taking place to transform and extend the 120-year-old gallery, doubling its public areas whilst reducing its carbon footprint and improving facilities for visitors. This new development by architects MUMA will re-connect the 19th century building with Whitworth Park through an elegant contemporary extension. The new Whitworth will bring you more art, more activities, more events and more space. It will be all things our many visitors have always loved about the Whitworth.
North Campus Mosque Basement of Joule Library, Sackville Street Building Jammaat (Group Prayer) Daily Juma Prayer Friday 12.30pm
We look forward to welcoming you back in the Spring.
The role of Volunteer Muslim Chaplain is to provide pastoral support, guidance and a listening ear to Muslim staff and students. Chaplains’ contact details are available in the prayer rooms or via St Peter’s House.
Whitworth Art Gallery Oxford Road, Manchester 0161 275 7450 email whitworth@manchester.ac.uk manchester.ac.uk/whitworth
Visit our website for details of our forthcoming outreach events…..
Giving it Wigan: Norman Nicholson at 100 until 14 Dec Communities in Communication until 21 Dec Echo and Narcissus until 9 Jan
Manchester Academy 1, 2 and 3 Mon 1 Dec
The Defiled + Avatar + Killus - £11 Thurs 4 Dec
THINGS TO DO
Fri 5 Dec
TOURS
Sat 6 Dec
For further details of our events, please visit our website FREE ADMISSION Public opening times: Sun-Mon 12-5pm, Tues-Sat 10am-5pm Reader opening times: Mon-Weds, Fri-Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-7pm The John Rylands Library 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH General/Reader Enquiries: 0161 275 3764 Email: uml.specialcollections@manchester.ac.uk Visitor/Event Enquiries: 0161 306 0555 Email: jrl.visitors@manchester.ac.uk
International Society Visit some of the most beautiful and interesting locations around England, Scotland and Wales. There are visits taking place almost every weekend throughout the year.
John Garcia + Steak + Komatsu - £14.50 The English Beat feat. Dave Wakeling CANCELLED, REFUNDS AVAILABLE
Wed 3 Dec, 11am-1pm and 2-4pm Whimsical Wednesday: Crafts for Christmas Thurs 18 Dec, 5-7pm Third Thursday Late Thurs 18 Dec, 6pm Third Thursday Late: Christmas Ghost Stories Sun 21 Dec, 2-3pm Hark!
Booking required for all tours. Every Wednesday and Friday, 3pm Introductory Tour Tues 2 Dec, 11am Explorer Tour Fri 5 Dec, 11am Tour en Français - French language only tour Mon 8 Dec, 3pm Unusual Views – Library tours for photographers Tues 16 Dec, 11am Explorer Tour
Hollywood Undead + Icon For Hire - £15
Professor Green - £18.50 At The Gates, Tryptikon + Morbus Chron + Code Orange - £18 Mostly Autumn - £15 Hugh Cornwell + Hazel O’Connor - £20 TWE1V3 + The Rubys + George Borowski & Lewy Bodies + Cautious Retreat - £6
Sun 7 Dec
Foxes - £12 Black Spiders - £11
Mon 8 Dec
The Beards - £12
Tues 9 Dec
Reckless Love – The First £11.50
Wed 10 Dec Re:Wired – Little Simz + OCD: Moosh & Twist + Juicy DJs - £11 Thurs 11 Dec EI P + Killer Mike = Run The Jewels - £15 Gramatik - £12 Fri 12 Dec
Hope Not Hate presents Hope At Christmas: Paul Heaton & Jacqui Abbott + the Lottery Winners + Golinski Brothers - £20
Sat 13 Dec
Behemoth - £18.50 A Certain Ratio + Gramme + Dirty North - £17.50 UK Foo Fighters - £10
Sun 14 Dec
The Urban Voodoo Machine - £13.50
Tues 16 Dec Heffron Drive - £18.50 Wed 17 Dec Parkway Drive + Heaven Shall Burn + Northlane + Carnifex - £18.50 Fri 19 Dec
Kreator / Arch Enemy + Shining & Marty Friedman - £22.50 Basically’ + Dub Sex - £18
Sat 6 Dec Lincoln Christmas Market
Sat 20 Dec
Sun 7 Dec Yorkshire Dales visiting Skipton Yuletide Festival and Haworth Victorian Christmas Fair
Chameleons Vox present Home Is Where The Heart Is performing ‘Strange Times’ + Ian McNabb - £18
Sun 21 Dec
feat. Ali, Astro and Micky + Radio Riddler - £30
Fri 26 Dec Boxing Day Sales visit to Chester and Cheshire Oaks Opening times Mon-Fri 9.30am – 7pm (during term time) Mon-Fri 9.30am – 5pm (during vacation) Small World Café opening times Mon-Fri 11am – 3pm 327 Oxford Road (next to Krobar) 0161 275 4959 email int.soc@manchester.ac.uk internationalsociety.org.uk
Cast + John McCullagh & The Escorts - £17.50 Wed 14 Jan
Aaron Carter - £22.50
Tickets from Students’ Union, Oxford Road Royal Court (Liverpool) 0151 709 4321 (c/c) Students’ Union Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL 0161 275 2930 manchesteracademy.net
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Feature
Building hope in Ethiopia The University's strategic plan, Manchester 2020, lists one of our goals as contributing to the social and economic success of the local, national and international community. Through our engagement campaign, the University collects stories of how our staff, students and alumni are making a difference to society, and here UniLife shares some of those stories with you…
Veronique Rizzuto (centre, in green dress) learns hand spinning in Addis Ababa
Some of the poorest people in Ethiopia are being helped by a charity set up by our University colleague Veronique Rizzuto, who is literally going the extra mile – by taking part in a fundraising run through the streets of the capital Addis Ababa.
And it is funding the construction of shower blocks for the community living around the Alert Hospital in Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa, which specialises in treating leprosy, also an income-generating project.
Equality and Diversity Office administrator Veronique is founder and trustee of Building Hope, which provides housing, sanitation and educational opportunities, as well as supporting income-generating projects, for some of the country’s most disadvantaged communities.
On November 23, Veronique was due to join the world's best and 36,000 Ethiopian runners in a 10-kilometre race through Addis Ababa, situated at 8,000ft above sea level, to raise money for her cause.
She set up the charity in 2005 after a trip to Ethiopia working as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. “I was so struck by the abject poverty, misery and despair of young people in particular that I was determined to help build a better life for some of the people I met,” she recalls. The charity’s first project was to build and furnish a library for Karagutu School and to improve its sanitation. It has also helped build houses and installed electricity for families living with leprosy and is funding rehabilitation projects for people who have suffered from Podoconiosis, a curable and preventable disease caused by years of barefoot exposure to red clay soil. Patients suffer massive swelling of the lower legs and feet and are unable to walk easily as they are in constant pain and suffer frequent infection.
She said: “The great runner Haile Gebreselassie has been the main mover behind this very exciting event, which has taken place every year since 2001 and promotes a positive image of the country and important social messages including HIV-AIDS awareness. “Running at high altitude is challenging for me as I suffer from altitude sickness, but the money I raise will make a difference.” For more information or to donate visit: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/ veroniquerizzuto
• To read more of these inspiring stories visit: http://makeadifferencemcr.tumblr.com/ • To find out more about social responsibility at the University visit: www.socialresponsibility.manchester.ac.uk
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Next Issue: 2 February 2015 M1243 11.14 The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL Royal Charter Number RC000797
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