The University of Manchester Magazine: Issue 1/Winter 2015 by The University of Manchester

THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER

ISSUE 1 / WINTER 2015

Arrest of Dora Marsden, British suffragette, outside the Victoria University of Manchester,

2 4 October 1909. Dora Marsden (1882-1960) heckled Lord Morley, who was speaking at the University.

At The University of Manchester, the next revolution is never far away. This is a place where education became a force for change. Since 1824 our doors have been open to the working classes of Manchester, a city characterised by industrial progress and radical spirit. Here, women fought for equality. Scientists split the atom. A wartime codebreaker shaped the digital lives we now take for granted. Galleries extend into the heart of the community while giant telescopes reach towards the stars. Laboratories produce new technologies that transform the world around us, making manufacturing greener, materials stronger and energy more sustainable. Ideas become actions, and those actions change lives, both on our doorstep and across the globe. People provide the revolutionary spark that drives us. Our researchers find solutions to the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most pressing challenges, from tackling cancer to alleviating poverty. Our students grow into global citizens. Our staff make a difference to society. Our alumni become leaders and carry the flame forward. Through the pages of this new publication, The University of Manchester Magazine, we want our people to tell you our story.

Photograph provided from the collection of the Greater Manchester Police Museum and Archive.

CONTENTS 4

Feature

Review

An inspiring adventure on campus

Charting a shifting political landscape

Pioneering tomorrow’s patient care

Opinion: What can history teach us about migration?

The 2D revolution

Opinion: How can we improve things

One globe, a world of solutions

Feature

Our new Chancellor sets out his vision to support The University of Manchester

Feature

Inspire and be inspired

Some of our recent developments, milestones and breakthroughs

Our staff working to raise the aspirations of children in our community

An expert look at how Britain underwent a political revolution at the polls in May

See how a Manchester education in health care benefits students – and ultimately patients

Manchester is developing advanced materials that are set to change the world

for people affected by dementia?

An introduction to the new Institute tackling global inequalities

Bookshelf

Opinion: Climate change: a global

Dip into the new publications by people at The University of Manchester

cause, an individual’s duty?

The spirit of revolution

he University of Manchester is where revolutions are created. Our people make this a place that influences the world: socially and technologically, locally and globally. In this, my first introduction to The University of Manchester Magazine, I would like to talk about revolution and what this means for our University today. As Disraeli reportedly said: “What Manchester does today, the rest of the world does tomorrow.” He was speaking at a time when Manchester was at the heart of the Industrial Revolution – building new machines and developing innovative transport infrastructures. Manchester was also home to individuals and movements that would have a lasting social impact – such as the first trade unions, the Chartists and the suffragettes. The University of Manchester was born out of this revolutionary spirit, a spirit still demonstrated today in our refreshed Manchester 2020 vision. The challenge outlined in Manchester 2020 is significant. We are committing to meet demanding targets in the face of pressures that include increasingly intense international competition, growing costs and changing global economies. We are approaching this challenge from a strong position and our achievements since our formation in 2004 have been impressive. We have more than doubled our external research and contract income; increased our gift income tenfold; improved graduate employment; enhanced industrial collaborations – we have more income from UK industry than any other UK university; attracted world-leading scholars and significantly increased the number of students from less privileged backgrounds. Our campus is a vibrant space of glass and steel, alongside beautiful and carefully restored older buildings like the Whitworth and our ever-growing public spaces, thanks to our £1 billion Campus Masterplan.

But a university is much more than its campus. We are committed to being a people-oriented organisation, supporting our staff and providing an outstanding experience for our students. We have already improved student satisfaction scores, though we have more to do to achieve our aim of 90% satisfaction. Our 10,000 international students – more than any other UK university – are one reflection of our growing global reputation. Our University is inextricably linked to the city of Manchester and benefits greatly from our shared ambition. The Victoria University of Manchester was one of the first ‘red bricks’, widening a formerly elitist model of higher education to include people of all backgrounds. This is still true today. Social responsibility is one of our three goals and is manifest in all our key activities. In our local communities The Works has helped more than 3,500 local people back into work or training. Our School Governor Initiative has seen 438 staff and alumni taking up roles at 160 schools. Many of these activities are carried out in partnership with our Students’ Union – including the award-winning We Get It campaign to raise awareness of, and tackle, all forms of harassment.

We are also one of only a handful of universities to be awarded the Race Equality Charter Mark, but we still have more to do to increase diversity among senior staff. So, with finite resources we must focus on our strengths if we are to be a great, rather than just good, university. Now more than ever we will need to demonstrate that uniquely Mancunian revolutionary spirit. We must clearly explain what is truly distinctive about our research, graduates, influence and impact – globally and locally. In teaching, learning and the student experience, we will deliver a new approach, giving our students the chance to take advantage of a range of activities outside their own degree, incorporating a new award, and enabling them to experience real-world challenges as soon as they join us. World-class research is fundamental as we aspire to be one of the top 25 universities in the world. Progress is encouraging, but we have much more to do to achieve our ambitious goal, outlined in our new research strategy. Among our huge range of research we have identified five research beacons. Each is an area of excellence where we are providing solutions to global challenges: advanced materials, industrial biotechnology, energy, cancer and addressing global inequalities. Put simply, we must demonstrate, with the passion and conviction of those early scholars and inventors, what difference our education makes to our students, and what difference our research and social responsibility work makes to the world. This is Manchester. Here we break convention. We forge revolution. We make a difference. Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell President and Vice-Chancellor Adapted from Professor Rothwell’s speech at the 2015 Foundation Day, which you can watch at: www.manchester.ac.uk/foundationday.

Inspire and be inspired “Reach for the top of the tree and you may get to the first branch, but reach for the stars and you’ll get to the top of the tree.”

FEATURE

f you were to define the ambition that Lemn Sissay MBE has for his chancellorship of The University of Manchester, it would be this: “Inspire and be inspired.” For the energetic poet, writer and broadcaster, the universe has aligned to bring him this role at this time in his life. Walking among the throngs of people on Oxford Road, Lemn cuts a sharp and distinctive figure in his suit and shades, his purple University of Manchester umbrella tucked in the crook of his arm. He smiles warmly and pulls back his headphones as students and staff stop to shake hands or chat. Lemn Sissay may be a celebrated champion of the UK arts scene, but he is approachable and engaging to all – a rock-star chancellor. >>>

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I could not be in a more inspiring place on earth than The University of Manchester.

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His zeal for life and opportunity is infectious, but within a few minutes of talking, his enthusiasm for the University and the business-like determination with which he wants to further its success take centre stage.

Lemn’s excitement about his new role, and the research and discovery that take place here, is palpable, and he’s determined to use it to showcase the University to stakeholders on an international stage.

“I could not be in a more inspiring place on earth than The University of Manchester,” says Lemn, who was elected as Chancellor with more than 7,000 votes. “I can stand on solid foundations. I’m wanted here and that makes me incredibly proud and makes me feel that, at this time in my life, this is where I should be, doing this.

“I’m made for the global ambassador’s role,” he says. “I relish that. I want to embody the spirit of The University of Manchester as its Chancellor, and that means I’m looking forward to meeting people from all parts of the world and trumpeting our ideas and ideals.”

“Everywhere I go in my work as a writer I meet alumni. I’m so aware of the breadth of the University’s reach, touching all corners of society. “This is a two-way street for me. It’s a great opportunity for me to learn from some of the most alive minds and, on a very simple level, the welcome I’ve received from students, lecturers, alumni and University leadership has been like fuel for my spirit.” The excitement his appointment has generated is perhaps no surprise given his profile as a public artist. Lemn’s poetry adorns walls and paves paths across the nation from the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park in London – he was official poet of the 2012 Games – to Hardy’s Well here in Manchester. Having published his first book of poetry aged 21, he now holds an MBE, is an associate artist of London’s Southbank Centre and has worked with the British Council. The cogs in his head are constantly, almost visibly, turning, making connections between the meeting he’s just finished and the one he’s about to enter, working out how he can marry the two to further the University’s cause.

The guest list for his moving and uplifting installation ceremony in October was testament to his broad horizons and ability to build friendships and connect people from vastly different backgrounds. Among his guests were the Ethiopian ambassador to the UK, an American socialite and his school English teacher. The son of an Ethiopian woman who came to the UK to study, Lemn would not meet his mother again until, aged 21, he crossed continents to find her. Born in Bilinge, near Wigan, he was fostered and then adopted, despite his mother having believed he would be returned to her when she had completed her studies. At the age of 12 he was given up to a children’s home and spent his teenage years living in care – something which has clearly shaped his appreciation for life and determination to give back to society’s most vulnerable. He is a patron of the Letterbox Club, a reading charity for children in care and adoption, and each year hosts Christmas dinners for care leavers. Lemn first became aware of the University when he came to Manchester as a young man. >>>

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This is a university that has a social conscience that isn’t about ticking a box; it’s part of the lifeblood of the University and is something to be incredibly proud of.

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“The University is a unique presence for the young, developing minds in the North West, because this is a city where so much is built on the creative explosion that comes from its alumni,” he says. “The moment you engage with Manchester as a young person you’ll be touched by the University. The tendrils of the University then grow longer still as each person travels and takes it with them.” It’s clear that his priority is what the University can offer its students and, in turn, what its students can offer society. “I have very clear aims. I want to support the work the University is doing to close the attainment gap – to make sure everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential. “The success of an organisation is, for me, defined by how the most unseen parts of it, and the most unseen parts of society, 8

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are strengthened – something the University works very hard towards. This is a university that has a social conscience that isn’t about ticking a box; it’s part of the lifeblood of the University and is something to be incredibly proud of. “Another really important aim that I’m passionate about is that the students experience a strong sense of well-being and happiness throughout their time at the University. The leaders and the groundbreakers in our society are as attentive to who they are as people as they are to whatever degrees they’ve got. People don’t meet your doctorate, they meet you.” He wants to raise money for a series of PhD scholarships for care leavers, resonating with his own experience as a boy, and wants to see more public art outside lecture theatres, not just housed in the Whitworth. He also wants to explore the idea of art as a calling card for the five research

beacons – a way of opening the world’s eyes to our impact in new and creative ways. “It takes a little non-linear thinking,” he says. But he’s not just about the arts. “Scientists and artists are bedfellows,” he asserts. “They’re alternating rings of the tree of education. People will remember the creative scientist, the creative doctor, the one who sought the answers to the questions outside the parameters.” A poetic sensibility often reveals itself when he speaks. “There will be people thinking ‘who is this person who talks about how he feels?’ As in any institution, they’ll just have to see how I work,” he says. We return to the synergy of the chancellorship coming to him at this point in his life, after he has overcome and achieved so much, including the award of his own honorary doctorate for services to the arts from the University he now serves as Chancellor.

“Anybody in business will know that if you continue to research, you’ll come across opportunities that you may not have been expecting,” says Lemn. “Opportunities arrive, like graphene did on the back of a piece of sticky tape, where you know that everything that you’ve learnt has put you in a position of being able to isolate graphene. “Everything I have done in my life has allowed me to be in a position where I can make a difference to The University of Manchester.” Words by Deborah Linton Images by David Gennard

Free entry #AnimalMummies

8 October 2015 - 17 April 2016

In Partnership with:

National Museums Liverpool, Glasgow Museums, The University of Manchester Manchester Museum, The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL manchester.ac.uk/museum

Design and art direction: sarah crossland design

Original photography: Paul Cliff

FEATURE

Review

University refreshes Manchester 2020 A refresh of Manchester 2020, the University’s strategic plan, was launched in October. The original Manchester 2020 set out a plan to achieve our vision to be a world-leading university, recognised globally for the excellence of its research, outstanding learning and student experience, and its social, economic and cultural impact. These core goals remain central to our strategy. The key changes place more emphasis on ambition, focus and distinctiveness, and environmental sustainability. The refresh comes at a time when the University and the higher education sector as a whole are facing new challenges and opportunities. It brings the document up to date, reflecting changes that have taken place since the original was published. It builds on new or revised University strategies including those for research, teaching, social responsibility, internationalisation, and communications and marketing. www.manchester.ac.uk/2020

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The region’s health in our hands The University and partners in the NHS, health care research and industry have signed a unique agreement to help improve the health of Greater Manchester’s 2.8 million people. Health Innovation Manchester will speed up the discovery, development and delivery of innovative solutions. It will build on our expertise and assets to realise the benefits of research innovation more quickly. The partners have a number of early priorities. They want to further integrate health data systems to provide joinedup information to GPs and hospitals, potentially identifying 10

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new ways of treating diseases. They seek to improve the use of personalised medicine, with targeted treatments for those who’ll benefit most. They also want to enhance testing so that those treatments with the biggest impact are introduced into clinical practice across the whole region as quickly as possible. The new approach is the latest landmark in the region’s devolution of health and social care, which will see Greater Manchester and NHS England bringing £6 billion of NHS and social care budgets together to deliver better care for patients.

Our youngest apprentices yet The University has welcomed its youngest recruits since the launch of our apprenticeship scheme. Chloe Pike and Ryan Taylor, both 16, are working in our Professional Support Services – at the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, and the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures respectively. The scheme, launched at the start of 2014, has received recognition from the National Apprenticeship Service. We’re the first university in England to commit to recruiting apprentices directly to its workforce on this scale.

More tomorrows – in Manchester and beyond Cancer remains one of the major health care challenges worldwide. In Greater Manchester alone around 13,200 people are diagnosed with cancer every year – that’s 36 people every day. Cancer is one of the University’s research beacons and a new £28.5 million building will give us another strong foundation as we seek to transform cancer treatment. The building, located in Withington, will provide research facilities for the Manchester Cancer Research Centre – a partnership between the University, the Christie NHS Foundation Trust and Cancer Research UK that takes a ‘bench to bedside’ approach to deliver better patient outcomes. Offering outstanding opportunities and a vibrant environment for researchers, clinicians and external partners, the new building will help the University attract yet more world-class researchers from around the globe.

China’s president visits the NGI President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China visited our National Graphene Institute (NGI) as part of his state visit to the UK in October. During his tour President Xi saw demonstrations of the graphene applications being developed here in collaboration with our global industrial partners. President Xi was welcomed to the University by Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University; George Osborne, the Chancellor of the Exchequer; Viscount Hood, the Queen’s Lord-inWaiting; Lord Jim O’Neill, Chief Commercial Secretary to the Treasury; and James Wharton,

Minister for the Northern Powerhouse. He also met Professors Andre Geim and Kostya Novoselov, who won the Nobel Prize in Physics for isolating graphene’s properties at Manchester. Sir Kostya presented President Xi with a gift of traditional Chinese-style artwork, painted by the scientist himself using graphene paint. The official visit – the first time a Chinese president has come to Manchester – was made on the same day that Huawei, China’s largest mobile phone manufacturer, announced a partnership with the NGI to research graphene and related 2D materials.

Photograph: Jill Jennings

Manchester set to take centre stage in science Manchester – the European City of Science 2016 – is gearing up to host the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF). Europe’s largest interdisciplinary science conference, ESOF will bring 4,500 delegates to the city in July 2016, including global scientific and technology leaders. Professor Luke Georghiou, Vice-President for Research and Innovation at The University of Manchester, was jointly responsible for the team, in partnership with the city authorities, that prepared the successful bid to host the event. Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of

the University, will serve as ESOF Champion for 2016. Dr Gail Cardew, ESOF Supervisory Board Chair, said Manchester was chosen because its “tradition of world-class research together with engaging the public provides a perfect backdrop for ESOF”. ESOF promises an exciting and innovative programme that will cement our city’s position as a world leader in science and technology. The theme will be breakthroughs in science and the conditions needed for a city to capitalise on scientific knowledge: from education through to investment in science. REVIEW

Ray of light for epilepsy prevention

Celebrating our foundation – and our spirit of revolution The University marked its Foundation Day this year with the installation of our new Chancellor, Lemn Sissay MBE. Lemn marked the occasion with a speech that reflected on his life ‘in migration’ and celebrated the University’s champions of learning, who faced fear and broke new ground. You can read a full-length feature on him, in which he discusses how best to inspire young minds, on page 4. President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell

gave the Foundation Day address, in which she celebrated our achievements since 2004 and introduced a new vision for 2020, inspired by the spirit of revolution and innovation that sets Manchester apart. You can watch this in full at www.manchester. ac.uk/foundationday. Foundation Day celebrates the founding of the University following the merger of the Victoria University of Manchester and UMIST in 2004.

The annual celebration includes an honorary degree ceremony. This year saw honours bestowed upon journalist, television presenter and Labour peer the Rt Hon the Baroness Bakewell, leading British physicist Professor Dame Athene Donald, theatre and film director Sir Nicholas Hytner, and the former High Court judge who oversaw the Shipman Inquiry, Dame Janet Smith.

A revolutionary new approach developed by University scientists has for the first time shown that epilepsy could be preventable. Professor Richard Baines and Dr Carlo Giachello from our Faculty of Life Sciences carried out their research using embryos of fruit flies that were genetically altered to be susceptible to seizures. They suppressed the nervous system by shining yellow light through the embryo. They found that the flies did not go on to develop symptoms of the disease when born. Professor Baines said: “We’re excited by this discovery, which we believe is proof of principle and a milestone in the way we understand epilepsy – though clearly more research is needed in mammals. “But if these findings are taken to their logical conclusion, then we might envisage the possibility of being able to treat individuals at an early enough stage so they do not go on to develop the symptoms of epilepsy.”

World’s ten most dangerous volcanoes identified The ten most dangerous volcanoes in the world have been identified with the help of Professor Albert Zijlstra from our School of Physics and Astronomy. Published on the VolcanoCafé website, the list includes volcanoes that have a realistic chance of erupting in the next 100 years and that risk causing the deaths of 1 million people or more. The Japanese island of Iwo Jima holds the number one spot.

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Professor Zijlstra said that they created the list – the first of its kind in 25 years – to highlight the need for better monitoring and preparedness in many areas of the world. “There hasn’t been a major eruption for 200 years, since Tambora in 1815, and there has never been a large eruption in a modern, developed country,” he said. “There is a chance of perhaps one in three that there will be such an eruption this century.”

©iStockphoto.com/wassiliy

Alliance opens a new chapter for our business school Lord Alliance of Manchester and his fellow Trustees of the Alliance Family Foundation have made a transformational donation to Manchester Business School, which has been renamed Alliance Manchester Business School in his honour. The donation of £15 million is being invested not only in the School’s new building, but also in driving forward the School’s research agenda. Together these will enhance the learning experience for all students.

The funding will also enable exciting research in areas of pressing importance locally and worldwide, including business and human rights, the Northern Powerhouse and the Manchester city-region, globalisation and responsible production, big data, and health services. News of the donation followed the announcement of the University’s deal with Bruntwood to build a new hotel and an Executive Education Centre for the business school.

Heat-activated ‘grenade’ to target cancer

World’s first bionic eye implant

‘Grenades’ packed with cancer drugs and armed with heat-sensitive triggers could solve the problem of how to target treatment directly at tumours. A team based at our Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences has been developing liposomes – small, bubble-like structures built out of cell membrane that are used as packages to deliver molecules into cells. The challenge is to direct the liposomes and their payload directly to tumours while sparing healthy tissue. But studies by the team have taken them a step closer to solving this problem by fitting liposomes with a heat-activated trigger. “Once they reach a hotspot of warmed-up cancer cells, the pin is effectively pulled and the drugs are released,” explained Professor Kostas Kostarelos, study author. “This allows us to more effectively transport drugs to tumours and should reduce collateral damage to healthy cells.”

The stored-program computer, the splitting of the atom, isolating graphene – all of these world firsts happened at Manchester. To this list, we can add a new entry: the implant of a bionic eye. Professor Paulo Stanga led the four-hour operation on pensioner Ray Flynn at the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital to implant a device to convert video images from a miniature camera installed in his glasses. Mr Flynn, 80, has age-related macular degeneration, a condition that affects over 500,000 people in the UK and is the leading cause of sight loss in the western world. The condition impairs central vision, resulting in people being unable to read or drive and having difficulty recognising faces. Professor Stanga, who is based at our Institute of Human Development, commented: “This technology is revolutionary and changes patients’ lives – restoring some functional vision and helping them to live more independently.”

Free education for more than 1 million More than 1 million young people in some of the world’s poorest and most troubled communities will receive free education from the University. A series of cultural spaces and an entrepreneurial course will be delivered by In Place of War (IPOW) – an award-winning University initiative to bring opportunities through music, art, theatre and dance to sites of conflict, war and social upheaval. The programme will provide an internationally recognised qualification that lays the foundations for citizens to grow

their local economies and train up their own communities. Ruth Daniel, Co-Director of IPOW, commented: “This work will change lives in some of the most disrupted and disconnected parts of the globe.” More than £360,000 has been received from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Arts and Humanities Research Council, and The Leverhulme Trust to fund this project, which will reach 25 countries including Democratic Republic of Congo, Zimbabwe, Rwanda, Egypt, Lebanon, Colombia and Brazil.

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National fellowship for teaching pioneer A teaching and learning manager at the University has been awarded a prestigious National Teaching Fellowship by the Higher Education Academy. Marcia Ody is the driving force behind the highly successful Peer Assisted Study Session (PASS) programme, which allows loweryear students to benefit from the knowledge and experience of higher-year students. She was one of just 55 fellows chosen from 180 nominations across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In addition to establishing PASS at the University and nationally, she has also been highly influential in giving Manchester students a voice in curriculum development and in University policy and practice. Marcia said that she felt “incredibly honoured” by the award and sees it as recognition of the contributions made to teaching, learning and the student experience by Professional Support Services staff. Professor Clive Agnew, Vice President for Teaching, Learning and Students, hailed Marcia’s “significant and sustained impact” on the student experience and her “unwavering belief in the transformative nature of higher education”.

Exciting proposals for student village The University has unveiled exciting proposals for a new student village on our popular residential campus in Fallowfield. The vision is for 3,000 modern, high-quality units to replace the existing properties. It’s a unique opportunity to deliver much needed improvements to our accommodation, facilities and wider campus environment, as well as developing the physical relationship between the campus and the wider Fallowfield community. Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University, commented that the development “will allow our students to enjoy some of the best living and learning facilities in the country”. These improvements form an important part of the £1 billion construction programme, driven by our Directorate of Estates and Facilities, to create world-class facilities for staff, students and visitors, and will help ensure that Fallowfield remains a destination of choice for students.

Happy friends, healthy mood

Adapted from ©iStockphoto.com/Sashatigar

Having mentally healthy friends can help someone recover from depression – or even prevent you from becoming depressed in the first place. However, the inverse is not true: having depressed friends does not make you more likely to become depressed yourself. In other words, healthy mood spreads through social networks but depression does not. The findings were made by a team including Dr Thomas House, senior lecturer in Applied Mathematics, that looked at

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more than 2,000 adolescents in a network of US high school students to see how their mood influenced each other. The researchers modelled the spread of mood using similar methods to those used to track the spread of infectious diseases. They found that while depression does not spread, having enough friends with healthy mood can halve the probability of developing, or double the probability of recovering from, depression over a 6- to 12-month period.

Mapping the universe

Such a huge atlas of the distribution of matter in the Universe will open a new window to investigate the first moments after the Big Bang

Scientists from around the world joined forces to lay the foundations for an experiment of truly astronomical proportions: putting together the biggest map of the universe ever made. Researchers from the Cosmology Science Working Group of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) – which includes scientists at Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics – have worked out how to use the world’s largest telescope for the task. When the first phase is completed in 2023, the SKA will have a total collecting area equivalent to 15 football pitches, and will produce more data in one day than several times the daily traffic of the entire Internet. A second phase, due around 2030, will be ten times larger still. Such a huge atlas of the distribution of matter in the universe will open a new window to investigate the first moments after the Big Bang.

Showcasing our public policy impact Our annual Policy Week brought leading thinkers, academics, students and influencers to Manchester to discuss and progress key policy issues. This year the focus was on science, technology and public policy, with the events forming part of the European City of Science 2016 programme. The former Minister for Universities and Science, Lord Willetts, former government drugs adviser David Nutt, and economist Vicky Pryce were among those taking part. Other events discussed new technology’s impact on higher education and the pros and cons of fracking, with key industry leaders involved.

New £350 million engineering campus A new engineering campus is set to transform the way in which the University educates future engineers in response to the needs of the fast-changing global economy. The £350 million Manchester Engineering Campus Development (MECD) will be one of the largest, single construction projects ever undertaken by a higher education institution in the UK. The building – due to open in 2020 – is part of the University’s Campus Masterplan to create a

world-leading teaching, learning and research campus and will develop the engineers and innovators of tomorrow. Acting as a gateway between the existing University site and the city, the new site will be located opposite the National Graphene Institute on Booth Street East. According to Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences Professor Martin Schröder, MECD will build

on the University’s pioneering history in engineering and the sciences and bring real benefits to industry and society. “MECD will inspire engineers to apply their knowledge and help modern industry overcome global challenges, such as climate change, finite natural resources and changing world markets,” he said.

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An inspiring adventure on campus

he University is working to raise the aspirations of young deaf children through an award-winning project.

“Society has low expectations of deaf children,” says Wendy McCracken, the UK’s only Professor for Deaf Education. “The University of Manchester does not.” For almost 100 years the University has trained teachers of the deaf but now, for the first time, we’re enabling deaf schoolchildren to experience first-hand the discoveries and research that can inspire them to one day study here. Devised by Wendy and Helen Chilton, a lecturer in deaf education, the Kids on Campus programme is creative and unique. Primary-aged children from the Lancasterian Sensory Support Service in nearby West Didsbury are invited to spend a day as a university student. A day in the life Accompanied by a specialist trainee teacher, the children go on an amazing adventure, taking in a trip to Manchester Museum and fascinating mini-lectures. It’s a stand-out example of the University’s commitment to social responsibility in the local community – indeed, it was recognised in the University’s Making a Difference Awards.

Wendy explains: “Kids on Campus shows the children what they can do, that they can go to university if they want to. And it shows our students, and people around the campus, how diverse – and able – these children are.” The majority of the youngsters on the programme are educated in mainstream classrooms. Here, they experience learning in a new way. As Helen recalls, a talk on geckos by Maxine Byrne – who had undertaken deaf awareness training and wanted the chance to use it – was a huge hit with the young visitors. There’s also a treasure hunt, lunch in a campus cafe with students and a visit to our library, which, with its four million books, amazed the schoolchildren. “One six-year-old girl asked if she could live there,” says Helen. “We told her no, but that she might work there one day. She was delighted.” It’s those moments that make the children ‘agents of change’ for the students. Wendy explains: “Children often come to campus as subjects to be researched, but these children are working with us as part of the team.” Lessons for all It’s not only the children who benefit. It is a crucial part of the course, increasing the confidence of our student teachers.

Stephanie Lee, Head of Student Recruitment (Widening Participation and Outreach), says: “This project enables trainee teachers to communicate with kids in a different environment and improves the way they communicate with young learners.” Jane Beadman came here to study after her daughter was born profoundly deaf three years ago. She says: “I know from my own experience about people’s expectations of deaf children. We can have a big impact on them and their families.” Fellow student Sarah Ross was inspired to study here after seeing her own mother’s determination when bringing up her deaf brother Michael. She says: “There are parents who say to me: ‘I know my child isn’t going to achieve much.’ “We can support them to see that actually, they can.” Words by Mikaela Sitford Image by David Gennard The University’s contribution to understanding deafness goes global with a MOOC in February 2016, focusing on deafness in low- and middle-income countries. www.coursera.org/course/deafness.

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Few predicted the overall majority that would return the Conservatives to power at the 2015 general election. Since then the Labour Party has been coming to terms with the defeat, with a new leader now at the helm. But what was really behind the shift in Britainâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s political landscape?

On 8 May 2015 a new chapter was written in British politics. An outright Tory government, a purged Liberal Democrat party and an Opposition left reeling by a question that confounded the nationâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading political pundits in the months that followed: what went so wrong for Labour? >>>

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Six reasons why Labour lost

The Economy Credit for the state of the economy was a major factor among key voters.

Leadership Public thought Cameron would make a better PM than Miliband.

Scotland Independence referendum resulted in a seismic change in vote intentions from Labour to the SNP.

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Lib Dem switchers Liberal Democrats lost voters to Labour but delivered those seats to the Conservatives.

Labour’s election failure: a post-mortem The University offers an unparalleled insight into some of the biggest questions facing – and shaping – national politics, and this was reflected by the media profile of our experts on election night. We’re also home to the 2015 British Election Study (BES), one of the world’s longest-running investigations into political attitudes and voting behaviour, and this work has fed into the process of lessonlearning for Labour. Professor Jane Green, Co-Director of the BES, and Chris Prosser, BES Research Associate, identify a number of problems. At the top of the list are two widely known explanations: the 2008 economic crash and how it appears to have fundamentally altered the public perception of which party could be trusted on the economy, and the ratings of the party leaders as potential prime ministers. But there are other reasons that are not so well understood. The first is the gains of Lib Dem 20

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Con-Lab marginals Conservatives did much better in attracting UKIP and Lib Dem voters than Labour in Con-Lab marginals.

votes made by Labour. These alone may have handed the Conservatives six seats from the Lib Dems, putting a majority even further out of Labour’s reach. The second is the gains the Conservatives made among UKIP and Lib Dem supporters in the seats Labour needed to win from the Tories. Another reason is what drove those choices. The BES team find that credit for the state of the economy was a major factor among key voters. A final explanation relates to the 2015 polling miss. Using research by BES Research Associate Chris Prosser and Research Fellow Jon Mellon, they report how the support that Labour gained was from people very unlikely to turn out to vote on 7 May. Misconceptions But two reasons most commonly cited by politicians and journalists as to why Labour lost are probably red herrings, says Professor Green.

No-voters Some potential Labour voters did not get to the polls.

“Much was said about the threat of the SNP and how Labour might deal with them if it were in a position to form a government,” she explains. “But we find little evidence so far that expectations of SNP influence contributed to the Conservatives’ victory.” The second is perhaps more surprising: their analysis suggests there is very little to the argument that Labour was too left wing to attract voters. Yet, at the same time, there is no evidence to support the argument that Labour was not left wing enough either. “Voters would back Labour whether it was seen as a party on the far left, or just to the left of centre. But whatever Labour’s left-right position, it was unlikely to win in 2015,” she continues. “However, our analysis should not be interpreted as meaning that Labour should be more left wing.

Collecting the data:

What makes the BES unique Data can tell us about people: their views, preferences, confusions – and how they make sense of politics. The British Election Study gathers a range of data at different stages of the electoral cycle to help us understand what lies behind new political landscapes that emerge after the country has gone to the polls.

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GENERAL ELECTION MAY 5

30 2015 GENERAL ELECTION 30 DAY CAMPAIGN

BEFORE AND AFTER GENERAL ELECTION

“Although we argue that perceptions of the economy were very important, we don’t yet know if a party can be viewed both as strongly left wing and economically competent, and indeed if this is possible under the leadership of Jeremy Corbyn. “In our opinion, Labour needs to give working-class, left-of-centre voters a reason to vote for the party again and the party needs to win support at the centre. It should resist choosing one over the other.” Unique insight BES data has long been an invaluable resource to civil servants, scholars and journalists, and allows anyone to uniquely study long-term trends in British voting behaviour. Having analysed every general election since 1964, the BES does a very different job to opinion-polling companies, important though they are. Whereas a poll gives a snapshot of public opinion, the BES reveals more depth of understanding about

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our political attitudes and why we form them over the long-term. In 2012 the Economic and Social Research Council, which funds the BES, awarded the 2015 study to a consortium led by The University of Manchester in collaboration with Oxford and Nottingham. Manchester’s Professor Ed Fieldhouse, one of the co-directors of the BES, explains: “Over the years the BES has made a huge impact on how we understand political attitudes. As one of the most important studies of electoral behaviour in the world, having the BES at Manchester is a great reflection of the strength of electoral politics at the University. “Because of the rapid changes in our party system and electoral behaviour, it’s an exciting and important time to be running the study, and it puts us at the heart of crucial debates such as Britain’s EU membership, Scottish independence and the decline of the two-party system.”

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The BES has provided understanding of the transformation in political attitudes that has swept across Britain over the past decade, casting much-needed light on the rise of the challenger parties such as UKIP, the Greens and the SNP. “If you go all the way back to 1964, the first BES survey found that 90% of its sample identified with a party and a huge majority of these said they felt ‘strongly’ or ‘fairly strongly’ Conservative, Labour, or Liberal. But by 2005, that figure fell to below 20%,” Professor Fieldhouse observes. “It’s a stark portrayal of how British political attitudes have changed so much over the years. Only the BES is uniquely placed to explain how and why. And that, in a nutshell, explains why it’s the most important study of electoral behaviour in the UK and beyond.” Words by Mike Addelman For more information visit: www.britishelectionstudy.com @BESResearch

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Pioneering tomorrow’s patient care

anchester has a history of trailblazing work in educating health care professionals. The University appointed the first professor of nursing in England, Jean McFarlane, and established the country’s first nursing degree. Natasha Wragg, an undergraduate studying Adult Nursing at our School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, tells us how that pioneering spirit informs our courses today. “Hi, are you that student nurse?” Natasha remembers the nervousness that gripped her when stopped by a voice outside the Manchester Royal Eye Hospital, where she was working on a placement. “Thank you so much!” continued the voice, and the nerves faded away. Natasha recognised the speaker as a patient who had been in to have a cataract removed. Natasha’s willingness to listen to the lady’s worries and explain the procedure had really helped to put her at ease. The operation had been a success. The tearful patient embraced Natasha, who knew it was a key point in her career. It showed that everything she had learned so far was putting her on the right path to helping patients. “We do a lot of role play in seminars to learn about communicating with difficult people and patients who might not be able to understand you,” Natasha explains. “We’re taught how to explain things to our patients – it’s not just the health care professional that needs to understand. It’s the patient too.” From the 24/7 hub of the Alan Gilbert Learning Commons to undergraduate courses that enable students to learn through

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undertaking research, there are unique and innovative ways to study and learn across the University. For Natasha, it’s the laboratories in our School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Care that have played the biggest part in preparing her for moments like the one outside the hospital. “They’re at the forefront of the kind of technology that you can have access to as a student. Machinery, hoists, beds, mannequins, injection equipment – they’re all there,” Natasha explains. “And you can use them whenever you need – you just ask your lecturer and then book yourself in. It’s great to have these resources available whenever you need to refresh your clinical or interpersonal skills – for example, in moving and handling patients.” This flexibility also extends to the teaching provision. All of the lectures on Natasha’s courses are recorded so that they can be revisited on our online learning platform, Blackboard. “If you’re a bit hazy on something, such as the procedure for drawing up insulin, it’s all there for you to refer to. You can then go and practise your skills in the lab,” says Natasha. And the placement? Natasha believes it will help her career immeasurably. “Every day you speak to a patient or a different health care professional who has a different point of view to you. Situations like these help you interpret what people are saying to you,” she claims. “You have to work together in a collaborative way. Ultimately, you reach the conclusion that will help the patient.” Words by Neil Condron Images by Ana Maria Nica

Opinion

What can history teach us about migration? By Tanja R Müller

As the migration crisis continues, Dr Tanja Müller takes a walk in the footsteps of German philosopher Walter Benjamin, who died during the Second World War, to see what the past can teach us about current attitudes to those trying to reach a better life. What is now a hiking trail across the Pyrenees from France to Spain was one of the last passages to freedom for those fleeing the Nazi occupation – or so hoped Walter Benjamin. Born in Berlin in 1892, philosopher, writer, Jew, and communist sympathiser Benjamin fled Germany for Paris in 1933 when the Nazis came to power. But by 1940 Paris was under Nazi control and no longer safe. Benjamin thus travelled to Banyuls-sur-Mer, on the French border with Spain, from where one could reach Portbou on the Spanish side. From there he planned to travel to Lisbon, then to the USA and freedom, finally. He was to travel on paths used by local smugglers – people like Lisa and Hans Fittko, both refugees themselves. Lisa had warned Benjamin that the track was dangerous and exhausting – 17 kilometres long and with 600

metres difference in altitude to overcome – but there was no other option. It must have felt like torture to Benjamin, who had a heart condition and breathing problems. On top of that he was carrying a heavy dispatch case full of manuscripts and other documents that he would not leave.

Dani Karavan in his memory. The monument consists of a walled-in iron staircase that ends high above the sea with a glass wall. Walking the staircase to the end allows a view to the far horizon, inviting the visitor to imagine their freedom. But one cannot pass through the glass – the only route forward is to turn back.

Benjamin and his fellow refugees eventually made it to Portbou. The Spanish border guards put them into a small hotel. However, as the travellers did not have an exit stamp from the French side, the guards threatened to send them back to France the next day.

The installation makes one think about the many lives lost on European shores in 2015. Each new fence that is being erected at any European border, each train station or port that is being blocked to those without proper papers, and each asylum accommodation that goes up in flames, are betraying not only European ideals but also those who seek sanctuary; those who, as Benjamin did 75 years ago, long for freedom.

It’s not now clear whether this was a real threat, but Benjamin took it seriously. He poisoned himself during the night and died on 27 September 1940. Those who travelled with him were subsequently allowed to continue their journey – thus one could say his sacrifice became their salvation. This route of Benjamin’s last journey is now a cross-border walking trail, named in his honour. In Portbou, walkers can visit a monument erected in 1994 by Israeli artist

Tanja R Müller Senior Lecturer in International Development at our School of Environment, Education and Development, and Founding Member and former Director of Research of our Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute. The full version of this post, with photographs, appears at tanjarmueller.wordpress.com. A version of this post and other blogs from our researchers appear on Manchester Policy Blogs – www.manchester.ac.uk/policyblogs.

OPINION

The sun may be setting, but the giant never sleeps. The Lovell Telescope at our Jodrell Bank Observatory stares intently at the sky, monitoring radio waves from the planets and stars. The 76-metre construction was the largest steerable-dish radio telescope in the world when built in 1957, and there are only two taller today. The Square Kilometre Array – set to be the world’s largest radio telescope on completion in 2018 – will have its headquarters at Jodrell Bank: a fitting setting under the giant’s watchful eye.

Photo courtesy of Phillip Maguire colobusyeti.com

The never-sleeping giant

2D THE

REVOLUTION

Advanced materials have the potential to revolutionise our lives, from wearable electronics to ultrasensitive sensors. At Manchester, our pioneering work with 2D materials such as graphene has placed us as world leaders with the capability and research power to respond to industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s needs, creating the materials that they want next.

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n our labs, a revolution is gathering momentum. The two-dimensional (2D) materials in development here have captured the attention and imagination of scientists, researchers and industry around the globe. Sparked by graphene, the possibilities are endless. These advanced materials will help to solve some of the world’s most critical problems in ways not previously thought possible: removing the pollutants from water to provide clean drinking water to millions of people; blocking carbon emissions using a 2D membrane; or making computers faster and quicker by reducing the size of their circuits. They’ll define a new age. At Manchester, we’re busy working with a wide range of partners to bring this age about. We’re researching the materials that can meet industry’s needs,

pushing their applications closer to commercial reality. 2D to order Graphene, the world’s first 2D material, has opened the doors for the exploration of others, shifting the gears of the materials science landscape. Graphene was first isolated here, at The University of Manchester, by Nobel Prize-winning professors Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya Novoselov. No other material has the same breadth of application: lightweight aircraft; electric sports cars; flexible mobile devices and targeted drug delivery to name only a few. But research at the University has now evolved from the initial work on simple graphene to new 2D crystals: hexagonal boron nitride, tungsten disulphide, molybdenum disulphide and more.

Each has a range of different properties. For example, hexagonal boron nitride’s electronic reliability and efficiency is ten times greater than graphene’s. Molybdenum disulphide is similar to silicon but is more efficient when used in semiconductors. These tongue-twister materials can all complement graphene’s properties, but no other 2D material alone can perform like graphene does. Graphene was the start of 2D material research and will continue to be its future. But combined with graphene, these materials have the power to reinvent technology, introducing the possibility of superconductors; flexible, transparent lighting; and higher-powered solar cells and LEDs. In years to come we won’t be restricted by the materials that already exist; we’ll be able to finetune new materials with tailored

properties to achieve a specific purpose. Greater than the sum of their parts When graphene and other 2D materials are combined, that’s when their potential comes alive. These combinations are achieved through the creation of heterostructures: stacks of 2D materials made by layering atoms in a precisely chosen sequence to produce certain characteristics. Professors Geim and Novoselov are leading teams of researchers to identify their properties and develop their applications. For physicists, building a heterostructure is surprisingly simple. By layering single sheets of graphene with other 2D crystals, they can create new designer materials that don’t occur naturally and offer specified qualities. Researchers assemble these new materials in sequences >>>

The NGI: National Graphene Institute FEATURE

relevant to their intended application, in a process similar to stacking Lego bricks. As you might expect with materials so light and thin, fragility is a major consideration. Some of them are so unstable in air and so susceptible to contamination that a researcher’s perfume or aftershave can interfere. These problems too are tackled here at Manchester. A team of researchers led by Dr Roman Gorbachev, a Royal Society research fellow, have developed a tailored fabrication method in order to stabilise materials. Using a glovebox (a sealed chamber in which the environment can be completely controlled), a material can be studied and built without contamination. Dr Gorbachev explains: “This is an important breakthrough in the 28

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area of 2D materials research as it allows us to dramatically increase the variety of materials that we can experiment with using our expanding 2D crystal toolbox.” A beacon of advanced materials research Work on advanced materials forms one of the University’s research beacons. Manchester is world-leading at developing new and existing materials, measuring and exploring these materials to help understand their properties and potential. Building on that knowledge base, Manchester will be home to the £235m Sir Henry Royce Institute for Advanced Materials, which will complement our new, dedicated state-of-the-art facilities – the National Graphene Institute and the Graphene Engineering Innovation Centre. Today there are over 235 graphene-related

researchers, with over £120m of capital funding contributing to this work. The Royce Institute will accelerate knowledge and applications of advanced materials for the good of industry and the economy. It will be supported by founding partners, the universities of Sheffield, Leeds, Liverpool, Cambridge, Oxford and Imperial College London. Research will comprise of 14 key areas, including graphene and 2D materials. The new Institute will provide the missing link in the development of materials in the UK, and will allow industrialists and academics to work side by side to produce the expertise of the future. Words by Charlotte Powell For more information visit: www.graphene.manchester.ac.uk @UoMGraphene

Manchester is leading the world in developing new and existing materials, measuring and exploring their properties to help understand their potential

STACKABLE 2D MATERIALS THE ALL ROUNDER Graphene, the world’s first 2D material has a wide breadth of properties from longer lasting batteries, conductive paints, lighter, stronger aircraft to targeted drug delivery.

FILTRATION Hexagonal boron nitride can be used to remove pollution from water. It can absorb oils and solvents but repels water.

SUPER SMALL Tungsten disulphide can be used in computer circuits, dramatically reducing the size to atomic levels.

DESIGNER COMBINATIONS FLEXIBLE ELECTRONICS The researchers at the University used graphene and hexagonal boron nitride and then experimented with different transition metals such as tungsten disulphide and molybdenum disulphide in order to create a heterostructure to produce flexible electronics.

WHAT NEXT? In years to come we won’t be restricted by the material we can use. We’ll be able to build combinations of heterostructures with tailored properties, finetuning new materials to achieve a specific purpose for applications.

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TWENTY SEVEN INTERNATIONAL ARTISTS AND FOUR DECADES OF PROVOCATIVE WORK EXPLORING THE MEANINGS OF TEXTILE AS AN ART MEDIUM

ART_TEXTILES 10 OCTOBER 2015 – 31 JANUARY 2016

Lithuanian Culture Institute

manchester.ac.uk/whitworth 30

Opinion

How can we improve things for people affected by dementia? By Clarissa Giebel There are 800,000 people with dementia in the UK with numbers set to rise to 1.7 million by 2050. But awareness is rising too: at the University alone we have 1,274 Dementia Friends and 32 Champions, as well as the government’s dementia tsar, Professor Alistair Burns, Vice Dean for Clinical Affairs in our Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences. Six years after the national dementia strategy was published, PhD student Clarissa Giebel looks at how far we still have to go to improve the lives of those affected by the disease. It’s clear that dementia is entering the public consciousness beyond those with the disease and their family and carers. Julianne Moore won an Oscar for her performance of a woman with early-onset dementia in Still Alice. The Dementia Friends initiative has surpassed a million members. But for a disease that’s so often been described as a ticking time-bomb and one that is so debilitating – causing problems with memory, increased agitation or wandering, and problems when doing daily tasks, in most cases leading people to be admitted into costly care homes – it’s clear that we still need to find a way to understand that it’s a problem for all of us, sooner or later at least.

Making hospitals and care homes more dementia friendly is a key priority. But others can do more to make things better for people with dementia. For example, last year easyJet took action to accommodate people with dementia better during their flights. What about hotels? People still want to go on holidays, but may feel reluctant if these are not adapted to their needs. If we want to help people with dementia and their family and carers, then we need to continue doing world-class research. But studies often struggle in recruiting participants. We need this to change. That’s why the new national initiative Join Dementia Research has been launched. Anyone can sign up, from healthy volunteers to people with the disease. I already have. Reducing the risks of developing dementia and trying to recognise the symptoms as early as possible are critical. But how do we support the people with dementia and their families afterwards? We need a greater focus on the value of non-pharmacological interventions, such as modifications to the home or training carers to cope with difficult behaviours or cognitive training.

We can maintain or prolong independence for longer, but there are still many avenues we have not explored yet. New drugs aren’t the only thing we need to focus on. Social care after diagnosis is crucial. Not only through interventions, but also through day-care centres or formal carers helping the family daily. It’s questionable though how this key priority of post-diagnosis support can be achieved in the light of drastic social care cuts. Looking back to 2009, the profile of dementia has definitely been raised. But we still have a long way to go. Dementia affects us all and in the long run we all need to get involved if we’re to deal with it. Clarissa Giebel Research Assistant at the Personal Social Services Research Unit and PhD student in Cognitive Neuropsychology and Dementia at our School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work. This article first appeared in The Conversation: www.theconversation.com

OPINION

The Whitworth has always been an art gallery for the people, a cornerstone of the public park that shares its name. Today the gallery reaches out even further; its two new wings blending seamlessly into the surrounding greenery following a £15 million expansion. Manchester fell in love with the gallery all over again on its reopening on Valentine’s Day, and so did the critics, winning awards for top large tourist attraction at the Greater Manchester Tourism Awards, Leading Culture Destinations, Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce Building of the Year, RIBA North West, AJ Retrofit, and the Art Fund. Shortlisted for the RIBA Stirling Prize, the Whitworth came first in the accompanying BBC poll – fittingly, voted for by the people. For details of what’s on at the Whitworth, visit www.whitworth.manchester.ac.uk.

Photo courtesy of Alan Williams

Return of the people’s gallery

One globe, a world of solutions The world is changing rapidly – socially, technologically, environmentally and economically – bringing with it an evolution in the field of international development. A new Institute at the University will bring together some of the best minds in this area to tackle the inequalities faced by people across the globe. More than one billion people in the world live in extreme poverty, surviving on less than $1.90 a day. At The University of Manchester there is a very real determination to change that; to shape the policies and global conversations that will improve the lives of the world’s most disadvantaged. That’s why the University has announced a major new centre, the Global Development Institute (GDI). The Institute will hold the promotion of social justice – the fight for equality in rights and opportunities – at its heart. It will unite the strengths of the existing Institute for Development Policy and Management (IDPM) and the Brooks World Poverty Institute (BWPI) – research hubs with a history of making a difference to real lives, from promoting young

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people’s well-being in Tanzania to helping Cadbury to launch an initiative to support cocoa growers. When it launches in early 2016, the GDI will become the largest provider of development studies research and postgraduate education in Europe. It will deliver a step-change in Manchester’s activities and influence in this most challenging field of international development. More than 45 academics and around 100 PhD students will undertake world-class interdisciplinary research to build on Manchester’s internationally leading reputation for development studies, which has seen the >>>

At the GDIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s heart will be the promotion of social justice and a very real determination to shape policies and global conversations that can improve the lives of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most disadvantaged

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800

million people in the world will go hungry today

29,000 children will die from preventable health care problems

1 billion+ living on less than $1.90 a day

University ranked first for impact and second for quality in the UK Research Excellence Framework, and third in the QS World University Rankings. Within the Institute, the Rory and Elizabeth Brooks Doctoral College will develop the next generation of researchers, practitioners and policy actors, ensuring Manchester’s place as a home for global thought leaders in the advancement of development theory and practice. But why is it so vital that we refocus our resources at this time? Rapid global change Asian countries are rising as world superpowers, climate change is advancing at a rapid

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pace and global inequality is increasing in new places and in new ways, all of which have a dramatic impact on questions around development and social justice that researchers must critically and rigorously address. Professor Uma Kothari, Managing Director of the GDI, explains: “Rising inequality has two main dimensions. A contemporary dimension, exemplified by estimates that the top 1% of the world’s population have almost the same economic wealth as the remaining 99%. This situation maintains chronic levels of poverty in an affluent world. It reduces the prospects for economic growth and damages social cohesion, enabling the elite to capture public institutions and policies.

“With climate change, spiralling inequality also contains an intergenerational dimension. Climate change has been created by the world’s rich nations but is disproportionately hitting the poorest. On current trends it will dramatically reduce the wellbeing and life opportunities of future generations. “Global inequality, global poverty and climate injustice have to be more effectively tackled if humanity is to move towards a more socially just world that is sustainable. “Our ambition with the new GDI is to be the world’s leading academic institute that creates and supports excellent research, achieves high levels of impact and knowledge exchange,

and provides top-quality graduate education to secure social justice and sustainable development within and across nations, particularly for the least advantaged groups.” Crunch time The Institute arrives at a crunch time for global policymakers. In September leaders at the United Nations agreed a new set of Sustainable Development Goals – 17 goals incorporating health, sustainability, climate change and even peace that set the bar for universal efforts over the next 15 years. The new targets, a replacement for the Millennium Development Goals, formally recognise that change is no longer simply a case of poorer countries catching up – instead,

The University of Manchester research into the social and economic sustainability of cocoa production commissioned by Cadbury led it to switch its supply to fairtrade cocoa and invest £45 million in cocoa growing communities

all countries need to adapt their lifestyles, patterns of growth and aspirations. Traditional notions of developed/ developing and aid givers/ recipients are gone; inequality exists across and within nations. To achieve a sustainable and just world, poorer countries will need to increase their use of global resources as much as richer ones will need to dramatically reduce their consumption. Leading academic thinkers will play a vital role in helping politicians and organisations understand how this can be achieved. The GDI joins a long tradition of research at the University in addressing global inequalities, from fields including not only global development but also

health care, business, law, social sciences and the arts. The minds contributing to this broad beacon of research help us to better understand the differences in the experiences and quality of life of men and women around the world. These differences, at their most stark, mean that around 800 million people in the world will go hungry today and 29,000 children will die from preventable health care problems, although we know there are enough resources to go around. Professor David Hulme, Executive Director of the GDI, explains: “Manchester was the crucible for the Industrial Revolution that transformed human well-being, but now threatens

human survival. We believe that Manchester should also be the crucible for creating the ideas that shape what comes next – how we achieve sustainable development and social justice for all of humanity.

The largest provider of development studies and research in Europe

“Business as usual is not an option. While we’ve seen huge reductions in poverty over the last 20 years, finishing the job, let alone making the gains sustainable, will require seismic social and economic changes right around the world. “The University of Manchester has been at the forefront of development studies for more than 60 years. With the creation of the GDI, we’re aiming to lead critical thinking, teaching and research over the next 60 years and beyond.”

Words by Deborah Linton Photographs courtesy of Panos For more information visit: www.gdi.manchester.ac.uk gdi@manchester.ac.uk

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DARKNESS & LIGHT:

EXPLORING THE

GOTHIC Until 20 December 2015 Open daily, free admission

Discover its allure and its terrorâ&#x20AC;Ś

The John Rylands Library, 150 Deansgate www.manchester.ac.uk/library/rylands @TheJohnRylands #JRLgothic 38

BOOKSHELF You don’t have to pick up an academic journal to learn from our experts – you can also find their inspiring work in your local bookshop or online. Here’s a selection of some recent publications.

Linda Gask Emerita Professor of Primary Care Psychiatry, Institute of Population Health

The Other Side of Silence: A Psychiatrist’s Memoir of Depression A new and original way of conveying how it truly feels to experience this devastating illness, what psychotherapy is about, and the role of medication.

Jeanette Winterson

Brian Cox and Andrew Cohen

Professor of Creative Writing, Centre for New Writing

Professor of Particle Physics, School of Physics and Astronomy

The Gap of Time:

Human Universe

The Winter’s Tale Retold A contemporary retelling where time itself is a player in a game of high stakes that will either end in tragedy or forgiveness.

Human Universe is a love letter to humanity; a celebration of our outrageous fortune in existing at all. It asks questions about our origins, our destiny and our place in the universe.

Jackie Lewis

Dr Douglas Field

PA and Administrator, School of Social Sciences

Lecturer in 20th Century American Literature, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures

The Dropped Baby and Other Curious Tales

All Those Strangers:

A colourful and intriguing assortment of strange obsessions, curious tales and characters that emerge brightly from the shadows.

All Those Strangers examines how Baldwin’s fiction and non-fiction shaped and responded to key political and cultural developments in the US from the 1940s to the 1980s.

The Art and Lives of James Baldwin

Matthew Cobb

John McAuliffe

Professor of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences

Reader in Modern Literature and Creative Writing, Centre for New Writing

Life’s Greatest Secret:

The Way In

The Race to Crack the Genetic Code Interweaving science, biography and anecdote in a book that mixes remarkable insights, theoretical dead-ends and ingenious experiments with the pace of a thriller.

These poems tell stories and find images for ‘soul-making’ in the everyday world of sheds, swimming pools, concert halls, parks, ferry ports, galleries, protest marches, cinemas and street corners.

Opinion

Climate change: a global cause, an individual’s duty? By Kevin Anderson Professor Kevin Anderson is an expert on carbon budgets and has advised both the UK government and the EU parliament. Ahead of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris this December, he has a stark warning about the future of our climate. In June this year 2,000 scientists attended a major climate conference as a prelude to the political negotiations in Paris in December. After four days of presentations the conference committee concluded that limiting “warming to less than 2°C” is “economically feasible” and “cost-effective”. This conclusion chimed with a headline statement from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) last year. The IPCC stated that “to keep a good chance of staying below 2°C, and at manageable costs, our emissions should drop by 40–70% globally between 2010 and 2050, falling to zero or below by 2100”. Importantly, the IPCC also stressed how costs of mitigation would be so low that “global economic growth would not be strongly affected”. The conference committee and IPCC statements are, in my opinion, dangerously misleading – offering optimistic political spin rather than reasoned assessments of the science and mitigation challenges. Their upbeat messages suggest the 2°C target requires an accelerated, but still evolutionary, move away from fossil fuels; they notably do not call for an immediate and revolutionary transition in how we use and produce energy. 40

OPINION

The IPCC’s support of an incremental and technical low-carbon transition is premised on two questionable assumptions: first, and contrary to the data, that CO2 emissions reached a global peak in 2010; and second, that there will be a large-scale rollout of speculative technologies intended to remove CO2 from the atmosphere. In plain language, all the IPCC scenarios for a 50% or better chance of meeting the 2°C target rely on either an ability to change the past, or on the successful and large-scale uptake of negative-emission technologies. A significant proportion depends on both. In stark contrast, and building on the concept of carbon budgets, I therefore present an alternative scenario that suggests a radically different challenge to those dominating discussions on climate change. The IPCC reiterates that it’s cumulative emissions of CO2 that matter in determining how much the planet warms by 2100. Specifically, the IPCC concludes that 1,000 gigatons (Gt) of CO2 can be emitted between 2011 and 2100 for a likely outcome of remaining below a 2°C rise. However, between 2011 and 2014 CO2 emissions from energy alone amounted to about 140Gt of CO2. To limit warming to below 2°C, the remaining 860Gt of CO2 (out to 2100) must be considered in relation to the three major emission sources: cement manufacture, land-use change and, most importantly, energy production.

For energy, the severity of 2°C mitigation excludes the use of fossil fuels, even with carbon capture and storage, as a dominant post-2050 energy source. Delivering on 2°C cannot be reconciled with high-level claims that in moving to a low-carbon energy system “global economic growth would not be strongly affected”. Certainly it would be inappropriate to sacrifice improvements in the welfare of the global poor, including those within wealthier nations, for the sake of reducing carbon emissions. But this only puts greater pressure on the lifestyles of the relatively small proportion of the globe’s population with higher emissions – pressure that cannot be massaged away through incremental escapism and technical utopias. With annual economic growth of 3%, the reduction in carbon intensity of global gross domestic product would need to be nearer 13% per year. Put simply, to avoid imposing devastating climate impacts on poor, vulnerable and low-emitting communities, we wealthier and typically high-emitting individuals need to make deep and immediate cuts in both the energy we use and in the level of goods we consume – at least until the transition away from fossil fuels is complete. Kevin Anderson Professor of Energy and Climate Change at our School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering, and Deputy Director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.

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Mother of the Sea Research has the power to make lives better – sometimes for an entire nation. Japan, for example, holds an annual celebration for Dr Kathleen Drew-Baker, a lecturer in botany and researcher at Manchester from 1922 to 1957. A paper she published in 1949 was the spur for research that revolutionised Japanese production of nori, an edible form of seaweed popular for sushi. Dr Drew-Baker became known by the Japanese people as the ‘Mother of the Sea’, and a monument to her stands in Uto, Kumoto. Illustration by Owen Davey – folioart.co.uk See back cover for a larger version of this image.

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