UniLife Vol 11: Issue 7 (6 May 2014) by The University of Manchester

6 May 2014 Issue 7 Volume 11

unilife The free magazine for The University of Manchester

Celebrating our pedal power

Message from the President

Finance It is clear from visits to Schools and from the recent President’s Question Time, that many staff and students are interested in the University’s finances.

ost people probably don’t want to pore over our Annual Financial Statements which are rather long. But for those who do, they are publicly available at www.manchester.ac.uk/aboutus/governance/corporate

The commonest questions asked are: “Where does our money come from? How do we spend it? What happens to our ‘surplus’? Where is the money coming from for our Campus MasterPlan? What does the future financial picture look like?” The infographic on the right shows the sources of the £827 million income to the University in the financial year 2012-13 (which runs from 1 August to 31 July). There has been a major shift in the mix of our income streams over the last few years. Tuition fees have risen from 25% to 37% of income and Funding Council grants have fallen from 28% to 21% over the last five years. Full time international student fees have risen from 10% to 16% of total income during the same period. The second infographic shows how our £778 million expenditure was distributed by type of cost and by location. A further analysis of the Shared Services expenditure of £265 million can be done by location: Central Professional Support Services account for £128 million, of which Estates account for £46 million, Division of Student Experience £44 million, IT Services £16 million and other PSS £22 million. The Library and Cultural Institutions account for £29 million. General University overheads including utilities, estates related costs such as depreciation and rates, insurance and student bursaries account for £86 million. Costs mainly associated with intellectual property and commercialisation account for £4 million, Strategic Investment Research Fund £6 million and Subsidiaries £12 million. Faculty PSS account for another £63 million.

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 May 2014 Events and listings information Philippa Adshead tel 0161 275 2922 email unievents@manchester.ac.uk Deadline 14 May 2014 Ads Sarah Davenport tel 0161 275 2922 email uniads@manchester.ac.uk Deadline 14 May 2014 Next issue 2 June 2014

News First live President’s Question Time

News Professor advises BBC

Many of our major income streams (home/EU student fee income, government funding and research council grants) are not increasing with inflation – and are therefore effectively declining at a rate of about 2% a year. In contrast all of our costs are rising with or above inflation. Pay increased by 2.5 % last year (1% national award and the rest mainly on increments which about half our staff receive each year), and some consumables costs such as gas, electricity and research supplies rose by more than inflation. One source of income that is growing steadily is philanthropy. Research income (from grants and contracts) isn’t really income because the cash brought in is less than the full costs. For example, for UK Research Councils we get only 80% of the full economic costs. For other sources it is less. All our income is allocated ‘as it is earned’. This means that almost all of our income is distributed to our four Faculties because that is where fees, grants and most other income is brought in. Each Faculty then makes a contribution back to the general running costs of the University. The level of contribution made by each Faculty is based on a series of formulae for staff, students, space etc. Then senior staff discuss and agree where we may need to make adjustments to the levels of contributions for strategic reasons. Within the three large Faculties – the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences and the Faculty of Humanities – a similar process occurs for the income and contribution of Schools. In Professional Support Services, the Registrar, Secretary and Chief Operating Officer, Will Spinks, agrees budgets with each of the main Directorates and the Deputy President and Vice-Chancellor oversees the budgets for the Library, Manchester Museum, Whitworth Art Gallery and Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre. Only very small sums of money (less than 1% of our income) are held centrally for strategic initiatives. We monitor our income expenditure carefully on a monthly basis by reviewing the management accounts and discussing any shifts in funding or expenditure at Finance Sub-Committee. The Board of Governors Finance Committee also reviews our current and likely future financial position including any debtors and investment performance, and the chair in turn reports to the full Board of Governors. We are also monitored by the Higher Education Funding Council for England for ‘financial sustainability’.

As a charity, we don’t make ‘profits’, and any surplus is reinvested in the University – in staff, students and facilities. Like most universities in England, we are showing higher surpluses than before 2011, because almost all government funding for capital has been abolished. In the past, capital grant income wasn’t returned on our profit and loss account, so wasn’t obvious unless you looked into the accounts. Now we have to generate funds for capital from our income and expenditure – as surplus. So it now shows up on our general accounts. Put another way, income for capital shows ‘on our books’, but expenditure doesn’t. Our Campus Masterplan will be funded in part from past cash we have been able to generate, in part from future ‘surpluses’ over the next ten years and from the £300 million public bond we raised last year. It may seem that we are spending a lot of money on buildings, but in fact the cost of staying on our North Campus in inefficient buildings that would require major investment just to maintain is

almost the same as the funds we will be putting into new buildings. When it is complete, and all students and staff are located on a single site, we will have significant savings on fuel and building maintenance – and of course we will be on a single campus. We are currently in a strong financial position. But as we explained to our Board, there are significant financial risks ahead such as the costs of meeting the very large deficits in all staff pension funds, potential further cuts in government funding and increases in inflation. Even for those who are comfortable with finances, universities are complex organisations with multiple income and expenditure streams. We are happy to answer any questions from staff and students and we try to be completely transparent over our finances. Professor Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor Steve Mole, Director of Finance

Contents 2 4 12 15 18 20

Message from the President News Research Feature What’s On Making a Difference

Front cover: UMBUG celebrates 1,000 members. Photo by: Mark Waugh

Research Million suns shed light on fossilised plant

Feature Close encounters with the 15th century

15 3

News

Nancy getting ‘miked up’.

About to start.

Panel responds to questions from the audience.

First live President’s Question Time

taff members have had their first ever chance to put face-to-face questions to the President and members of her Senior Leadership Team and hear their responses.

Held in response to the Staff Survey 2013, the event saw just over 50 members of staff from across the University in an improvised studio in the Manchester Dental Education Centre (MANDEC).

They responded to questions on topics selected by colleagues in an online poll: Staff career development, the University's financial situation and the Staff Survey (Behaviours, Leadership, PDR, Reward and Recognition).

The positive feedback from staff included: “The session was appreciated … a live Q&A session with a streamed webcast shows a willingness to discuss topics and not hide behind the written word. It makes the communication seem more genuine.”

Media Relations Manager Jon Keighren welcomed the audience, introduced the panel members and kept the proceedings running along smoothly.

President's Question Time had 350 views during its live broadcast on StaffNet and can be watched at:

Alongside the President were Karen Heaton, Director of Human Resources; Steve Mole, Director of Finance; and Professor Martin Humphries, Staff Survey Steering Group Chair.

As the cameras rolled and the first ever ‘President’s Question Time’ went live, the event trended on Twitter. Staff joined in with comments and questions on Twitter during the event.

Osborne announces new doctoral training centre The University has been awarded £6 million to establish a new Centre for Doctoral Training in ‘Materials for Demanding Environments’, George Osborne announced last month. The new Manchester CDT, one of 22 CDTs announced by the Chancellor, will equip the academic and industrial leaders of tomorrow with the necessary scientific and commercial skills to introduce the next generation of engineering materials into operation. Professor Philip Withers, from the School of Materials, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this CDT, which will build on our special relationships with industrial partners to provide the highly skilled materials engineers needed by the oil and gas, power generation and aerospace industries to develop the new materials required to operate in increasingly harsh environments.”

• http://vimeo.com/90769176

University to teach thousands around the globe

Masters in Public Health distance learning programme, jointly taught by Professor Aneez Esmail and supported by several academic colleagues who will participate in online discussions.

MOOCs are taught entirely online, and are freely available at no cost to anyone in the world with an internet connection.

Our other MOOC courses will include Water Supply and Sanitation Policy in Developing Countries, Introduction to Physical Chemistry, Global Health and Humanitarianism and Our Earth: Its Climate, History and Processes.

he University is to deliver a number of MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses), an exciting new development in online education that allow higher education institutions to reach out to audiences that might not otherwise have access to their teaching material.

They last six to eight weeks and are taught mostly through videos, supplemented by discussion forums, self-test quizzes and reading or web research activities. Anyone who achieves a pass grade in the activities and a final assignment is awarded a certificate of completion. The University’s first MOOC, in partnership with world-leading MOOC platform providers Coursera, is “An Introduction to Population Health”, led by Dr Catherine Reed, Director of the successful

Professor Richard Reece, Associate Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students, said: “The development of these courses is an important step for Manchester. They will appeal to a broad audience from across the globe, and will form an important part of fulfilling our commitment to social responsibility.” • For more information visit: www.coursera.org/ #manchester

Professor Colin Hughes, Dr Michael Bane, Susie Wallace, Julian Skyrme and Professor Aneez Esmail.

Rachel Abbott.

Carsten Timmermann and his son Jota.

‘Wheely’ good show!

undreds of cyclists rode in to celebrate 1,000 members of the University of Manchester’s Bicycle Users’ Group (UMBUG), making it the biggest in any University across the UK.

Susie said: “I'm proud to be part of such a fantastic group of cyclists. To have 1000 members is so impressive and means that there is a lot of support available to new and existing members.’’ During the presentation, Professor Colin Hughes (Associate Vice President for Sustainability), Professor Aneez Esmail (Associate Vice President for Social Responsibility) and Julian Skyrme (Director of Social Responsibility) – all regular cyclists themselves – praised the work of UMBUG in supporting cycling

With one in 10 University staff cycling to work, our rate is five times better than the UK average. At the celebration UMBUG Chair Dr Michael Bane presented the 1,000th member, Susie Wallace, with an “UMBUG 1000” branded hoodie, t-shirt and cake.

New Director for Institute of Cancer Sciences One of the world's most cited scientists – knighted by the Queen for services to the subject – has taken the helm as Director at the Institute of Cancer Sciences.

Manchester Cancer Research Centre building in Withington in partnership with The Christie NHS Foundation Trust and Cancer Research UK later this year.

Professor Sir Salvador Moncada has been responsible for discoveries which have aroused huge excitement in the scientific world and founded, and until recently directed, the Wolfson Institute for Biomedical Research at University College London (UCL).

Professor Moncada said: "The University of Manchester has an outstanding history of research and innovation and there are currently many exciting things happening within the field of cancer. It’s a fantastic time to work in this area of research and I am delighted to be leading a team of scientists and clinicians which has already made a big contribution to the understanding and management of this very important disease.”

Professor Moncada (pictured) takes up his new post during an exciting phase for the University, which is due to open a new £28.5 million

News

Parliamentary reception for research review

research review of Social Care Services for Deaf Older People written by Professor Alys Young has been officially launched by Minister of State for Social Care, Norman Lamb, at Westminster.

The review, known as 'The Young Report', concerns better ways to assess and deliver services for growing numbers of older people who are amongst the 70,000 Deaf British Sign Language users in the UK. This cultural-linguistic minority community is usually overlooked in policy initiatives which recognise the significance of diversity and culture in appropriate service provision, because Deaf BSL users are more commonly seen as being ‘disabled.’ Professor Young’s study, at the School of Nursing, Midwifery and Social Work, was funded by the two specialist organisations, RAD and SONUS, working with the Deaf community and in partnership with the University.

Professor Alys Young and Minister for Social Care Norman Lamb.

Prestigious grant for baby talk The University has secured one of the largest grants ever awarded by the Economic and Social Research Council. The £9 million cash injection over five years will see a new ESRC International Centre for Language and Communicative Development (LuCiD) set up to deliver crucial information needed to design effective interventions in child healthcare, communicative development and early years’ education. The Centre, a partnership between Manchester, Liverpool and Lancaster universities, will also develop new technological products for parents, including a Babytalk app, which will allow parents and health professionals to record a child’s vocabulary and monitor their progress. Centre Director Professor Elena Lieven, from the School of Psychological Sciences, said: “This Centre will transform our understanding of the way that children learn to communicate with language. It will provide the evidence base necessary to develop successful interventions for children at risk of language delay.” Minister for Universities and Science, David Willetts MP, said investment in this area would help to influence and shape policy and deliver a better society.

Professor Carole Anne Goble and Douglas Kell.

Academics collect their medals

wo Manchester academics collected CBEs from HRH the Prince of Wales at an investiture at Buckingham Palace.

The CBEs were awarded in the New Year’s Honours List to Professor Carole Anne Goble, School of Computer Science, for services to science, and to Professor Douglas Kell, School of Chemistry and the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, for services to science and research.

Carole is a leading authority on the Semantic Web – a means of enriching the Web with knowledge – having an impact on bioinformatics, e-Science, open science and applied computer science. Douglas is a leading figure in the field of systems biology, the multidisciplinary approach to tackling complex biological problems using theory, computer modelling and experimentation.

Scientist recognised for entrepreneurial spirit Dr Curtis Dobson has won the Commercial Innovator of the Year award at the BBSRC’s Fostering Innovation Awards 2014. He scooped the £15,000 award in recognition of two healthcare companies based on his research. Ai2 Ltd specialises in novel anti-infective peptide technology and Microsensor Ltd is developing a new approach to the early detection of medical device infection and environmental monitoring.

Dr Curtis Dobson.

Ainscow leads schools challenge

The star-studded cast of The Crimson Field. Photo courtesy of BBC.

Professor advises BBC drama The Crimson Field

professor from the School of Nursing has taken a journey back in time to help television producers recreate a 1915 field hospital for new BBC drama The Crimson Field. TV producers signed up Professor Christine Hallett, Manchester's Professor of Nursing History, to advise on the six-part drama’s script and work on set for a week teaching lead actors about what work would have taken place at a field hospital during the war. She demonstrated nursing techniques from the time including bed bathing, bandaging, bed-making and aseptic and antiseptic wound

care and briefed lead actors about their character’s likely career, including Hermione Norris (Cold Feet, Spooks). The drama, set in a tented field hospital on the coast of France, follows a team of doctors, nurses and women volunteers working together to heal the bodies and souls of men wounded in the trenches and was filmed in a field in Wiltshire. Professor Hallett said: “A lot of the supporting actors had worked on Casualty and so they were very interested to see how medical practices had changed.”

Professor Mel Ainscow (CBE) is to be the Welsh Government’s new champion for Schools Challenge Cymru, Education Minister Huw Lewis has announced. Schools Challenge Cymru is the Welsh Government’s multi-million pound, flagship improvement programme to increase performance in around 40 Welsh schools operating in the most challenging circumstances. Professor Ainscow (pictured above) will provide knowledge, expertise, quality assurance and support to the Schools Challenge Cymru initiative.

Mike’s marathon effort Media Relations Officer Mike Addelman ran the Greater Manchester Marathon in less than five hours on behalf of Crohn’s and Colitis UK.

Shoppers enjoy a Brief Encounter…at Asda!

egular readers of Unilife may remember the recent Whitworth Pop-Up that included stunning displays and inspirational activities in Selfridges as part of their Festival of Imagination.

Mike's 11-year-old son, Jake, was diagnosed with Crohn’s Disease at three. As a result of this debilitating illness, he has been in and out of hospital for most of his life, takes ten pills every day and needs an intravenous infusion every two months. Mike (pictured below) completed the 26.2 mile marathon in four hours and 57 minutes and said: “I’d like to thank everyone for their brilliant support. I've raised £920 so far, which is a fantastic amount.”

Now the Whitworth has “popped-up” again, this time closer to home, in ASDA near to the University in Hulme.

• You can still support Mike’s run by donating at: www.justgiving.com/Mike-Addelman1

During the Easter holidays artist Harriet Hall’s transportable pop-up roadshow ‘Brief Encounters’ gave participants a mission – to choose a lucky dip image or word from the Brief Encounter Wall and use it as inspiration for an ‘arty outcome’ using simple materials such as newspaper, wallpaper, electric tape and string which they could help themselves to. The participants then had their photograph taken with their creations, which were tweeted all week through #popupwhitworth. Creating art at ASDA.

News University celebrates Students as Partners

The centre’s new Archives+ interactive exhibition.

The University celebrated working together – by both students and staff – with its annual awards event for the ‘Students as Partners’ programme. The programme, run by the Teaching and Learning Support Office, coordinates volunteer work by higher year students to help first-year students make their personal and academic transitions to university. This involves more than 1,700 students and staff from 70 disciplines across the University working together to enhance the student experience. Thirty Outstanding Contribution awards and the Scheme of the Year Awards were announced. Six teams of students were the recipient of a Student Team Working Award, sponsored by PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Iconic new home for race relations centre

he opening of the Ahmed Iqbal Ullah Race Relations Resource Centre as part of the Manchester Central Library means that one of Europe’s leading specialist libraries on migration, race and ethnicity will be even more accessible to students, academics and local communities.

As part of the £50 million refurbishment of Central Library, the Resource Centre has its own reading and teaching spaces, and its archival collections are

central to the interactive digital exhibitions that are a major new feature of Central Library. Director Jackie Ould said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for us to increase the visibility of our collections and develop partnerships between the University and the wider community, as well as continuing to provide the personal support we have always given to students using our collection.” • For more details visit: www.racearchive.manchester.ac.uk

First place in the Curricular section was Peer Assisted Learning Scheme (PALS). PALS is a dynamic, student-led education project run by year 4 medical students at University Hospital South Manchester. 2nd place: Food Waste at The University of Manchester, Information Technology Management for Business - Year 2. 3rd place: Inspiring Change in Nursing Education and Practice, Nursing. First place in the Extra-curricular section was Madagascar Medical Expedition 2014. Three final year medical students will travel to northern Madagascar to conduct invaluable research and contribute to a national screening and treatment programme. 2nd place: The Marriage of Figaro. 3rd place: Maximising Activity for Top Class Students through Collaborative Integration.

Students look at Ethical Grand Challenges.

From blueberries to green noses

• For more information visit: www.tlso.manchester.ac.uk/ students-as-partners or email studentsaspartners@manchester.ac.uk

Accolade for top female economist

As part of the University’s social responsibility strategy, students took part in this pilot event for the ‘Ethical Grand Challenges’ Signature Programme. This sustainability challenge is the first in a series of three issues all undergraduate students will be confronted with in the future; social justice and workplace ethics events will be in the second and third year.

Professor Rachel Griffith has been awarded the 2014 ‘Birgit Grodal Award’ given to Europe’s leading Female Economists. The Council of the European Economic Association (EEA), awarded the prize, named after Birgit Grodal, its first female elected President.

ore than 130 first year students from the Faculty of Life Sciences took part in a “Sustainable World Event”, considering a range of issues focused on dwindling natural resources and how we can plan better for the future.

The event included workshops Currents from Currants (investigating the use of solar energy from fairly common materials) and Climate Relief Green Nose Day (a brainstorming session on a green charity

initiative modelled on BBC’s Red Nose Day). Neli Stefauoua, a Physiology student, said: "I really enjoyed the afternoon, It really made me think about issues of sustainability in new ways.” The Ethical Grand Challenges signature programme aims to equip our graduates to address some of the most profound ethical challenges of the 21st century. By 2017/18 every Manchester undergraduate student will be confronted with a set of major ‘Ethical Grand Challenges’ through the completion of a common programme in each year of their undergraduate study. To find out more see: www.manchester.ac.uk/socialresponsibility

Boff Whalley.

Daniel Bye.

Museum partnership for kind and caring society

anchester Museum has announced a new exciting partnership with People United, an arts charity that explores the role the arts can play in growing a more kind and caring society.

Boff said: “I'm really looking forward to working with People United and Manchester Museum because I think I share with them an ideal: to make work that reflects the changes – good and bad – in the world around me.

With wonder as their stimuli, artists Daniel Bye with Sarah Punshon and Boff Whalley – of political pop band Chumbawamba fame – will create a collaborative community performance in the Museum inspired by the Museum's collections.

“One of my current obsessions, and I think this chimes perfectly with People United and Manchester Museum, is how history can be taught as a vital part of social change; specifically for me history taught through theatre and song.”

Success for student poet

Stroke survivor takes to stage

Nick Merriman, Director of Manchester Museum, said: “Manchester Museum is a space where you often encounter the unexpected – the opportunity to work with Dan, Sarah and Boff enables us to explore this in new ambitious ways, drawing on our extraordinary collections and rooted in our vision to work towards a sustainable world.”

Creative Writing student Annie Muir has topped the annual Poetry Book Society's National Student Poetry Competition for her poem ‘Seven Postcards'.

he University is involved in an exciting three-way collaboration between the Stroke Association, Contact and the Sexuality Summer School this month.

John McAuliffe, Director for the Centre of New Writing, where Annie is based, said: “We are delighted that Annie won this competition. Our undergraduate students work to a really high standard and it is terrific to see their work recognised in this way.”

Renowned performer Peggy Shaw will perform her show about her experience of having a stroke ‘RUFF’ at the Contact on Wednesday 18 May, as part of Science Stroke Art, a partnership between the Stroke Association and the University. The solo performance is “a tribute to those who have kept Shaw company these 68 years, a lament for the absence of those who disappeared into the dark holes left behind by the stroke and a celebration that her brain is able to fill the blank green screens with new insights and an opportunity to share them with her favourite confidants – the audience.”

Chair is North West’s first Patients in Manchester are to benefit from a new Florence Nightingale Foundation Chair in Clinical Nursing Practice Research – the first in the North West.

It will be followed by ‘Ask the Doctor’, in which local stroke clinician and Manchester alumnus Dr Khalil Kawafi will answer guests’ questions about stroke.

Professor Angela Tod will follow the celebrated social reformer’s role reviewing and developing evidence to deliver high quality care to patients.

The Sexuality Summer School offers a week of queer cultural events and public lectures in Manchester every May; this year’s theme is Queer Anatomies. • For more information see: http://sexualitysummerschool.wordpress.com Peggy Shaw.

The appointment has been made by the Florence Nightingale Foundation in partnership with the University and Central Manchester NHS Foundation Trust.

News

Professor Sian Jones at the dig.

Ruth Colton and Nick Overton at work.

Medlock Primary School pupils at Whitworth Park dig. Photo credit: Manchester Museum.

Whitworth Park-life revealed…

niversity archaeologists have spent four years leading a community archaeology project, exploring how the role of Manchester’s Whitworth Park has changed over time.

Its culmination is a new exhibition at Manchester Museum, ‘Whitworth Park: Pleasure, Play and Politics’.

Particle physics research wins award

The exhibition will reveal the story of this very popular Victorian and Edwardian park through finds such as children’s toys dropped or lost in the boating lake. Of particular interest are personal objects that resonate today, or those that shed light on the behaviour expected of visitors to the park and what happened in reality.

The free exhibition opens on Thursday 22 May and runs until 5 October. Visit: http://whitworthparklife.wordpress.com

Making a big School feel smaller

A University particle physicist has been awarded the 2014 Institute of Physics HEPP Group Prize for his world-leading work on sub-atomic particles called neutrinos. Neutrinos are electrically neutral, weakly interacting subatomic particle, so they can pass through normal matter unimpeded. Dr Justin Evans, from the School of Physics and Astronomy, was responsible for the analysis of data that led to the first direct observation of anti-neutrino oscillations by muons – unstable subatomic particles – and the world's most precise measurement of the neutrino mass splitting.

anchester Medical School – the largest medical school in the UK with around 2,200 undergraduates – has launched special student communities to stop them feeling isolated.

in medicine or public health – involves face-to-face gatherings and 24/7 online portal The Hub, enabling students to build social and future professional relations and to share information on their hospital experiences.

The School’s size and the structure of its courses mean that students can often feel disconnected from the School and have difficulty meeting fellow students outside of their own learning groups.

Dr Cathy Holt, Senior Lecturer in Cardiovascular Biology and the School’s Academic Lead for the project, said: “The School’s new Student Communities encourage better interaction amongst students and facilitate peer mentoring throughout the course. Interaction is encouraged across all five year groups and beyond.”

Manchester Medical Student Communities – each named by its members after an inspirational figure

Funding boost for world’s most powerful telescope

Helping our graduating students get jobs... The University is holding its Graduate Recruitment Fair on 11 and 12 June. The fair – organised by the Careers Service – will feature 180 exhibitors with hundreds of opportunities for 2014 aimed at final year graduates/postgraduates in a wide range of degree disciplines. For publicity items such as suggested texts for School Facebook pages, emails, newsletters, posters or leaflets, email jan.hewitt@manchester.ac.uk or telephone ext 52834. For full details visit: www.manchester.ac.uk/graduatefair

Square Kilometre Array radio telescope.

he University has been awarded more than £6 million towards its part in the design work for the international Square Kilometre Array (SKA) radio telescope.

The Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC) confirmed the funding – together with a further £13 million for other UK partners – to pay towards key SKA development and design work over the next three years.

The SKA, which has its headquarters at the University’s Jodrell Bank Observatory in Cheshire, will be the most powerful radio telescope array in the world when scientific observations start from 2020 and will address fundamental unanswered questions about the Universe. Manchester scientists are leading the SKA Signal and Data Transport (SADT) consortium, which will be responsible for solving the challenges around handling, processing and transporting the huge amount of data that will be generated by SKA.

From Bugs to Drugs Discover how medicines are made at a free Open Day Extravaganza hosted by Manchester Pharmacy School. ‘From Bugs to Drugs’ takes place this Saturday (10 May) at University Place and will cater for all ages, from primary school pupils to high school pupils, parents and carers.

Students celebrate success

anchester Business School is celebrating the amazing success of its students who took part in the IT Management for Business Degree (ITMB) e-skills competition.

Led by lecturer Ali Owrak, the teams won first place in every category and received a special prize for best university. No other university has ever won all categories.

The teams were awarded £1,600 prize money in total as well as a trophy to bring back to the school. Their success didn’t stop there – news of their work has spread and they have been approached by a number of companies including GlaxoSmithKline, Morrisons and HSBC, keen to work with the students. Maggie Berry, director of womenintechnology.co.uk, has also been in touch.

The competition involved students from 19 universities pitching their project ideas to some of the largest employers in the UK with one aim – to change young people's perceptions of the careers they can enjoy within the industry and inspire more to pursue these careers.

Ali said: “I’m exceptionally proud of what we achieved and the hard work from the students. We set out at the start of this project to unite students from all three years. We wanted to ultimately create an ‘ITMB family’; we definitely achieved that and more!”

Set against a public health theme, visitors will journey through the different stages of the drug development process and look to find a cure for a new and highly infectious – and of course fictitious! – microorganism that turns human beings into zombies if infected. • To book contact david.allison@manchester.ac.uk

Research Saving the heart of the community Two University Professors are investigating the marketing of historic churches, in a bid to keep them at the heart of their communities. Dominic Medway, Professor of Marketing at Manchester Business School, and Gary Warnaby, Professor of Marketing in the School of Materials, are embarking on a two-year research project with The Churches Conservation Trust, a charity that protects English historic churches which are no longer in parish use. Dominic said: “Our work will explore new marketing strategies the Trust could undertake to help ensure these historic buildings are kept open and remain in use at the heart of communities.” In line with the University’s commitment to social responsibility and support for third-sector organisations, the research will be carried out on a no-charge basis to the Trust.

Ancient ‘spider’ images reveal eye-opening secrets

tunning images of a 305-million-year-old harvestman fossil reveal ancestors of the modernday arachnids had two sets of eyes rather than one.

Manchester researchers, working with colleagues at the American Museum of Natural History, used X-ray imaging to reveal features never before seen and say their findings add significant detail to the evolutionary story of this diverse and highly successful group of arthropods. “Although they have eight legs, harvestmen are not spiders; they are more closely related to another arachnid, the scorpion,” said author Dr Russell Garwood, a palaeontologist in the University’s School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences.

A meeting with… Markus Karlsson-Jones,

“Arachnids can have both median and lateral eyes, but modern harvestmen only possess a single set of median eyes – and no lateral ones.”

Any future projects coming up? A key objective is redeveloping our alumni websites. I’m working with the Library to increase the online resources alumni have access to – something for which there’s a great demand. Who would be your ideal dinner party guests? I love stand-up comedy so I would definitely want to sit around the table with comedian Louis C K. I’m also really interested in the 19th Century Liberal movement – so I’d invite the famous local philanthropist Edward Ryley Langworthy. Finally I’d have to invite Liv Boeree – not only is she an alumna with a first in Physics, she’s a professional poker player and a model as well… What would you say to your 16-year-old self now? Don’t think that because it’s a dream it’s never going to happen, but have a realistic fall back and keep putting one foot in front of the other. Never give up.

Markus Karlsson-Jones, our Alumni Oﬃcer for Online Communications, started at the University in October 2006 as a Thesis Administration Assistant. He now looks after online communications content aimed at former University students including social media presence, regular eNewsletters, email campaigns and website.

What’s the best part of your job? Learning new ways to interact with our online audience through the ever changing and varied world of social media and digital communications. It’s constantly evolving as new platforms emerge and existing ones revamp themselves. Any challenges? There is a bottomless appetite in social media for varied content which is interesting and meaningful to our audience. Making efficient use of my time to collect and share that content is probably my biggest challenge. It’s paying off though! How did you get to the role you have now? I fell into University administration but I decided Communications was an area I was really interested in and I was lucky that a maternity cover position opened up in the Division of Development and Alumni Relations.

Favourite book, film and TV programme? My favourite book is Don Quixoté, I love the character and the meaning of the book. And my favourite film is The Big Lebowski – I’m a huge fan of Jeff Bridges and the Coen Brothers. Favourite TV programme – I am a massive fan of Fresh Meat – it’s close to my heart as it’s written by two alumni (Sam Bain and Jesse Armstrong) and stars former student Jack Whitehall (though his career took off before he graduated). What is your earliest childhood memory? Not a memory but I have a photo of me holding the arm of a snow man in Sweden (where my mother’s family are from), looking expectant and disappointed at the camera that the snowman wasn’t whisking me away on a magical journey! Any interesting hobbies? I used to be into theatre and getting on stage but turning thirty has made me want to get fit so I spend more time at the gym – which isn’t interesting at all is it?

Research

Cancer survivor backs study to improve screening

n ovarian cancer survivor from Manchester is backing research to improve screening.

Lorraine Benn, aged 53, from Worsley, lost two sisters to ovarian cancer prompting her to have an elective hysterectomy as a precaution. When the results came back from histology, she found she had stage 2 Ovarian Cancer despite having had no symptoms. The 53-year-old is now backing research being carried out by the University – a participating centre in the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS) – to assess whether or not screening for ovarian cancer can help to improve survival. She said: “I hadn’t had any symptoms at all and there was nothing to suggest anything was wrong. If I hadn’t had the operation when I did, things could have turned out very differently.”

Lorraine Benn.

Use celebrities wisely, Professor urges charities Celebrities working with international charities are at their most useful when they work behind the scenes speaking to movers and shakers, rather than filling column inches of newspapers, according to new research. Professor Dan Brockington reveals the public is, surprisingly, not good at noticing the charitable work of celebrities in his new book. Instead, it’s the power brokers in business and Government who are more influenced by the famous. He said: “Though charities are doing a good job in the way they work with celebrities – there’s more they can do to influence the people where the power lies.”

Professor Ian Jacobs, University Vice President and Dean of the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, said: “We have shown that our screening tests can pick up the cancer one to two years before most women will develop any symptoms of ovarian cancer.”

Ethnically diverse neighbourhoods ‘safer’

David Walliams.

esidents of ethnically diverse neighbourhoods can expect to experience fewer assaults than residents of neighbourhoods with little or no ethnic diversity, according to a new way of measuring violence. Ian Warren says public health data on assaults – from ambulance service, A&E and hospital admissions records – give a more reliable picture of criminality than official police figures, criticised by the UK Statistics Authority earlier this year.

Ian said: “I hope this work, and others like it, will focus the attention of policy-makers and all those interested in reducing the burden of violence on the police and the NHS. “These findings show ethnic diversity dampens the relationship between poverty and violence in Greater Manchester. Higher levels of poverty and residential instability were both shown to result in higher levels of violence.”

Gastric surgery halves heart risk

bese people who have stomach surgery to help them lose weight will halve their risk of heart attack according to new research from a team of doctors at the University.

The procedures, known as bariatric surgery, involve techniques such as gastric banding, which are available on the National Health Service (NHS), UK for selected patients.

Research by led Dr Mamas Mamas, in the Institute of Cardiovascular Sciences, reveals that death rates were reduced by 40 per cent, and that heart attacks in particular were reduced by half – compared to obese people who did not have surgery.

Global study for diabetes care The first patient has been recruited in a global study to evaluate the best surgical practice to remove dead tissue from wounds that fail to heal effectively in diabetes patients. The results of the study, being carried out by University microbiologists and Manchester Royal Infirmary’s Diabetes Centre and Vascular Surgery Department, may lead to changes in clinical care that significantly improve quality of life for patients with diabetes. Diabetes can lead to a loss of feeling in the feet which, coupled with poor circulation, can lead to foot ulcers. Ulcers can become infected and take a very long time to heal. The study will evaluate the effectiveness of using a new technology known as the WoundWand™ Debridement Device, which preclinical trials suggest may be more effective at reducing bacterial counts.

Research

Million suns shed light on fossilised plant

anchester scientists have used one of the brightest lights in the Universe to expose the biochemical structure of a 50 million-year-old fossil plant to stunning visual effect. The team of palaeontologists, geochemists and physicists investigated the chemistry of exceptionally preserved fossil leaves from the Eocene-aged ‘Green River Formation’ of the western United States by bombarding the fossils with X-rays brighter than a million suns produced by synchrotron particle accelerators. The researchers, working with colleagues at the Diamond Light Source in Oxfordshire and the Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lightsource in the US, published their findings in Metallomics.

Study into 24/7 patient care

major new study is to look at how providing more hospital services around the clock affects patient care – and how cost effective it is.

The research will investigate patient experiences and outcomes at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust over eight years to provide vital information on the benefits, costs and potential consequences of extending the hours of full operation. Professor Matthew Sutton, Professor of Health Economics, said: “This research will provide hospitals, local commissioners and the Department of Health with vital information on the costs, benefits and potential unintended consequences of extending the hours of full operation of the NHS.”

By combining the unique capabilities of two synchrotron facilities, the team, led by Dr Nicholas Edwards, from the School of Earth, Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences, was able to produce detailed images of where the various elements of the periodic table were located within both living and fossil leaves, as well as being able to show how these elements were combined with other elements. Co-author Professor Roy Wogelius said: “In one beautiful specimen, the leaf has been partially eaten by prehistoric caterpillars – just as modern caterpillars feed – and their feeding tubes are preserved on the leaf. The chemistry of these fossil tubes remarkably still matches that of the leaf on which the caterpillars fed.”

Call for more frequent mammograms

New lead on rheumatoid arthritis A new international study has revealed how genetics could explain why different environmental exposures can trigger the onset of different forms of rheumatoid arthritis. A team at the Arthritis Research UK Centre for Genetics and Genomics at the University, part of a large international consortium involving scientists from across 15 academic institutions, have better defined the genetic distinction between two disease subtypes. Centre Director Professor Jane Worthington added: “We hope it will lead to patients receiving a swifter, accurate diagnosis and more appropriate, targeted treatment.”

Approximately one third of women are at higher risk of developing cancer and might benefit from more frequent mammograms, research by Professor Gareth Evans, in the Institute of Cancer Sciences, shows. The study looked at over 50,000 women participating in the UK NHS Breast Screening Programme. Professor Evans said: “Our results suggest that three-yearly screening is very effective for around 70% of the female population, but that those women who have a higher than average risk of developing breast cancer probably require more frequent screening.”

Professor Jane Worthington.

Feature

Dr Guyda Armstrong.

Close encounters with the 15th century The University’s new Learning Through Research programme teaches our undergraduate students about their subject by having them look at – or do – research. This will not only enhance our students’ learning experience, it will improve their employability by increasing the scope of their studies and skills base. Here UniLife meets one of the academics showing our students a new way of learning… Students of Italian Medieval Literature get to hold history in their hands at Manchester. The remarkable collection of 15th century books at The John Rylands Library takes the subject out of the classroom and brings it to extraordinary life. Senior lecturer in Italian, Dr Guyda Armstrong, focuses on Dante’s “Divine Comedy” in all its guises from manuscript through print and even as a mobile phone app. Her “Beyond The Text” course examines the cultural and technological history of the iconic poem – which is constantly being regenerated. But it’s when her students feel the pages of the centuries-old books themselves that they truly celebrate the learning experience. It’s through those primary sources that they learn to develop a critical approach to research. “We call them encounter sessions or close-ups,” says Dr Armstrong, who has won teaching awards from both Harvard University and The University of Manchester. “It’s absolutely mind-blowing for the students to handle something that was made in the 15th century. It gives them a real sense of themselves. It makes them think.

“There aren’t many places you could do this kind of work. It’s individual to Manchester, using the cultural heritage of the city to teach our students, our unique offering, you might say.

“My students have made some really important discoveries, identifying new features of the books, for example, that have all contributed to the Library’s font of existing knowledge.

“The Library is one of the leading places in the world to hold these Dante editions. We have virtually all the early printed editions of Dante – in the UK our holdings are only rivalled by the British Library, Oxford, and Cambridge.

“They also see how their own learning maps onto the other research cultures at the University. “We are all learning from this material – learning together and collectively – and it’s really important to model that collaboration.”

“Manchester students can work with the historic artefacts and their research into those artefacts is fed back into library catalogues.”

Not surprisingly the work has given many graduates a taste for further research – acting as a trajectory for Masters and PhDs.

Dr Armstrong has worked closely with Rylands Rare Books and Maps Manager, Julianne Simpson, and Manuscripts and Archives Manager, John Hodgson, since she began teaching this course seven years ago. Last year the John Rylands Research Institute was set up to develop research on the collections.

Sarah Todd graduated from Manchester in French and Italian in 2010, completed her Masters in Italian in 2011 and is now completing her PhD on medieval Italian literature in Leeds.

“Our students are becoming independent researchers in their own right,” says Dr Armstrong. “They are doing at undergraduate level what we would normally expect senior researchers to do. “There are millions of books at the Rylands and experts just don’t have time to examine each and every one.

“I definitely wouldn't have pursued a career in academia were it not for the amazing resources available in the library,” she says. “My entire MA was pretty much centred on the study of rare books and manuscripts in the Rylands, and because of the richness of both the collections – and the teaching – I was trained how to effectively carry out my own research, not just how to write an essay. I graduated as a competent bibliographer.”

Feature

Professor Dame Tina Lavender.

Saving babies’ skin – and new mums’ peace of mind The Research Excellence Framework – the new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions – asks us to show the impact that our research has on the world. Here UniLife looks at how our researchers really are changing the world… New mums can rest easy over their babies’ skincare thanks to University researchers. Trials into the effects of specific branded products like bath wash and baby wipes show they are as safe as water.

“The NICE guidelines, which are outdated now, recommended water only but there wasn’t any robust evidence out there.

But olive oil can damage the skin barrier, promoting and exacerbating atopic eczema.

“We worked with mums, midwives and health visitors to find out what they thought about skin regimes and it became clear there was a lot of conflicting advice.

As a result of the study many hospital neonatal units have removed it from their store cupboards – and midwives and health visitors have changed their advice to mothers.

“Women were using products but trying to hide it from health professionals. It seemed wrong that they were feeling guilty about using a product that’s on the shelves – branded for babies.

Professor of Midwifery, Dame Tina Lavender, who led the research team at Manchester, said eczema affected around 30% of babies and was on the rise – partly because of environmental factors.

“They wanted to use baby wipes because it was convenient. With bath products some mothers felt their baby was cleaner and it helped with bedtime routine. Even midwives and health visitors were saying ‘we’re not supposed to recommend anything but…’

Yet there was no real evidence-based research into products parents could buy from supermarket shelves. “Eczema has been a growing issue in midwifery and there have been huge debates in the media about whether you should use any products on your skin or whether water is best,” said Dame Tina. “I became interested in it in terms of getting the evidence out there so parents could make informed choices.

“That was the starting point. There were clearly important questions that needed answering.” Dame Tina’s team used clinical observations and sensitive biophysical assessment tools to trial the products of market leader, Johnson and Johnson – who part-funded the research.

The test were designed to show whether they were equivalent to water and measured skin hydration, PH, and water evaporation. Mums were asked to keep a diary and midwives recorded blemishes on the skin. It’s thought that as a result of the findings NICE may change its guidelines next year. Dame Tina moved to Manchester five years ago because of its reputation for nursing and midwifery research. The main focus of her work is prolonged labour and she has worked across Africa where it accounts for one in every 22 maternal deaths. She believes the link between academia and industry is valuable provided research is conducted rigorously with eminent researchers in the field. “Most commercial companies will do their own in-house investigations but have never subjected their baby products to a randomised pragmatic clinical trial,” she says. “We would have reported regardless of the results. The impact of this is that parents can choose what’s best for them. It’s the way we should go.”

Listings

What’s On

Manchester Museum EXHIBITIONS

All exhibitions at The Manchester Museum are FREE until 7 September From the War of Nature Sat 24 May – 5 Oct, FREE Whitworth Park: Pleasure, Play and Politics FAMILY ACTIVITIES Most activities are free and drop-in, some activities may need to be booked and may cost up to £1.50, all ages Every Sat and Sun, 11am-4pm Discovery Centre Drop into the Discovery Centre for drawing and other art activities inspired by the Museum’s collection and pick up one of our free Museum activity sheets. Available Sat and Sun 10am or 2pm – bookings one month in advance New! Children’s Birthday Parties

Tues 13 & 27 May, 10.30am, 11.30am and 1pm, FREE (booking essential) Baby Explorers Sensory play and interactive story sessions for babies who aren't walking yet. Sat 24 May, 11am-4pm, FREE Big Saturday: World of Reptiles Mon 26 May – Fri 30 May, 11am-4pm, FREE May Half Term – The Vivarium Fri 30 May, 10.30am & 11.30am, FREE (booking essential) Magic Carpet Story making and activity sessions. For toddlers up to 5yrs and their families/carers. THINGS TO DO Thurs 22 May, 6.30pm, FREE Afterhours: Survival TALKS, TOURS AND WORKSHOPS FOR ADULTS Every Tues and Thurs, 12pm, FREE Vivarium Tours Every Weds and Thurs, 1pm, FREE Taster Tours

Wed 7 May, 1pm, FREE Collection Bites: From the War of Nature Fri 16, 23 & 30 May, 1pm, FREE Lunchtime exhibition talks: From the War of Nature Opening times Open: Every day 10am-5pm Sun-Mon (and Bank Holidays) 11am-4pm FREE admission Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester 0161 275 2648 www.manchester.ac.uk/museum Follow us on Twitter @McrMuseum www.facebook.com/ ManchesterMuseum

From the War of Nature at Manchester Museum

The Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama FREE LUNCHTIME CONCERTS Thurs 8 May, 1.10pm Quatuor Danel EVENING CONCERTS Fri 9 May, 7.30pm, £13.50/£8/£3 Quatuor Danel The Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama Bridgeford Street, Manchester, M13 9PL 0161 275 8951 email boxoffice@manchester.ac.uk www.manchester.ac.uk/ martinharriscentre

Whitworth Art Gallery

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

Re-opening 25 October 2014

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!

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. We look forward to welcoming you back on Saturday 25 October 2014. Visit our website for details of our forthcoming outreach events….. Whitworth Art Gallery Oxford Road, Manchester 0161 275 7450 email whitworth@manchester.ac.uk www.manchester.ac.uk/whitworth

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. Sat 10 May York Sun 11 May North Wales visiting Anglesey (with full day guided tour) Sat 17 May The Lake District with a ride on the Lakeside and Haverthwaite Railway, a cruise on Lake Windermere and a visit to the Lake District Visitors Centre Sun 18 May Knowsley Safari Park Sat 24 May North Wales visiting the Snowdon Mountain Railway, Swallow Falls and Betws-y-coed Sun 25 May Warwick Castle Sat 31 May Hadrian’s Wall (with full day guided tour) Sat 31 May Oxford (with guided tour) Sun 1 Jun The Lake District visiting Windermere and Holker Hall’s Garden Festival 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 www.internationalsociety.org.uk

EVENTS Sat 24 May – Sun 1 Jun Amazed By Science Thurs 29 May Lovell Lecture - Prof. Gary Fuller Information: Live from Jodrell Bank website Tickets: http://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 www.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 North Campus Mosque Basement of Joule Library, Sackville Street Building Jammaat (Group Prayer) Daily Juma Prayer Friday 12.30pm 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.

The John Rylands Library (Deansgate)

Gig Guide Manchester Academy 1, 2 and 3

EXHIBITIONS Until 22 Jun Bus Stop Stories Until 29 Jun Aftermath (exhibition to mark the centenary of the IWW) Until 3 Aug The Space Between: exhibition of artworks by Anthony McCarthy

Wed 7 May

Clean Bandit - £11 The Hold Steady - £17 Janelle Monae + Cody Chesnutt - £26.50

Thurs 8 May

Martin Stephenson and The Daintees + Helen McCookery Book + The Old Town Quartet £16.50

Sat 10 May

The Clone Roses + DJ Clint Boon - £12 Jagwar Ma - £12.50 Y Key Operators + Double Fret - £6

FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES Thurs 8 May, 10.30am-11.30am Toddler Tales Sat 10 May, 11am-12pm Enchanting Tales Fri 16 May – Sat 17 May, 5pm-9am (booking essential) Ahoy, there! Piratical Pandemonium Sun 25 May, 1pm-4pm Aftermath: Wartime Tea Dance Fri 30 May, 1pm-4pm Build a castle THINGS TO DO Tues 6 May, 2pm-3pm (booking essential) Katherine Tynan: diary of a woman during wartime Mon 19 May, 3pm-4pm (booking essential) Unusual Views Tues 20 May, 11am-4pm Marbling Thurs 22 May, 5pm Aftermath: Stefan Boness TOURS Booking required for all tours. Sat 10 May, 12pm-1pm Here be Dragons! A tour of the Library for children Thurs 15 May, 2pm-3pm Tours and Treasures Tues 20 May, 11am-12pm Aftermath: Curator tour Wed 28 May, 11.30am-12.30pm Conservation studio tours 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 General and Reader Enquiries Telephone: 0161 275 3764 Email: uml.specialcollections@manchester.ac.uk Visitor and Event Enquiries Telephone: 0161 306 0555 Email: jrl.visitors@manchester.ac.uk

Mon 12 May Action Bronson - £16.50 Tue 13 May

Pentatonix - £16.50

Wed 14 May Lit + Blame - £17.50 Sat 17 May

CASH – The No.1 Jonny Cash Tribute - £10 Capone-N-Noreaga and Onyx - £20 Embrace - £19.50

Mon 19 May H.E.A.T + Supercharger £7 Wed 21 May Fishbone + Clay Pigeon £15 Thurs 22 May The Hoosiers - £10 The Slam Dunk Ska Punk Tour – Goldfinger/ Zebrahead + Fandangle £15 Sat 24 May

Gigantic – Classic Indie All Dayer – Ned’s Atomic Dustbin + The Wedding Present + CUD + The Sultans Of Ping + The Frank & Walters (from 1.30pm) - £25

Sun 25 May

Escape presents CULMINATION – Marcel Woods/ TV Noise/ Harry Shotta Show Live/ Sandy B Live/Paul Taylor/ Original Sin/Whelan and Di Scala + many more £23 Dodgy (Acoustic) - £15

Wed 28 May The War On Drugs - £14 The Three Johns - £10 Thurs 29 May AWOLNATION + Eliza And The Bear + Odjbox - £13 FutureProof + Connor Harris + Canary Swing + Rewind - £8 Fri 30 May

P A N T H E R featuring Patrick Hagenaar - £7 Francis Dunnery Band – The Best Of Tour - £22.50

Sat 31 May

The Enemy - £15

Sun 1 Jun

Schoolboy Q - £16

Mon 2 Jun

Mashrou Leila - £15

Tickets from Students' Union, Oxford Road Piccadilly Box Office @ easy Internet Café (c/c) 0871 2200260 Royal Court (Liverpool) 0151 709 4321 (c/c) Students’ Union Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL 0161 275 2930 www.manchesteracademy.net

Feature

Inspiring the next generation 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. Our new engagement campaign to encourage staﬀ to highlight how they are ‘making a diﬀerence’ to society was launched featuring campus installations and a new blog. Here UniLife looks at a colleague we can be proud of…

immy Pickering stands outside the iconic Salford Lads Club, made famous by one of Manchester’s best known, most loved bands The Smiths when they posed outside for an album cover.

But it’s not just a pose. Jimmy has attended events here as part of his work as a mentor for Reclaim, the multi-award winning charity that works to inspire and enthuse youngsters in the North West’s disadvantaged communities.

Jimmy Pickering.

Reclaim helps young people engage directly with the decision makers influencing their lives. Directed by the agenda of its young members, promoting leadership and facilitating dialogue with the police, council, politicians and media, it helps those who are often marginalised to realise their voice – and gain confidence and self belief. Student Recruitment and Widening Participation Coordinator Jimmy spent six months mentoring fifteen Year 9 boys. He recalls: “We mentors attended Reclaim every month, playing football, rapping (not very well!) and showing academic staff around Salford to highlight the way the boys on the project perceived their local area. “Reclaim spreads a fantastic message that young people should be proud of their local area, and it was great to see the change in a number of the boys as they gained in confidence and took inspiration from meeting so many new people from around Manchester and Salford.” Mentoring young people is a theme for his working life as well.

Jimmy coordinates our flagship post-16 widening participation scheme the Manchester Access Programme (MAP). With more than 560 local state college students on the programme this year, all with no history of higher education in their family, the team encourages and supports them to work towards gaining entry to a research-intensive university. He organises on-campus events and skills workshops for the students and helps 125 academic colleagues supervise up to six students each in producing a fully academically researched and referenced essay. And he has just become Local Authority governor at Heald Place Primary School in Rusholme. Jimmy says: “Working with local young people is something which I both enjoy and think is vital for the future of Manchester, both in ensuring the student body of the University represents the diversity of the area’s inhabitants and for allowing as many young people as possible the chance the pursue the opportunities they deserve.”

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Next Issue 2 June 2014 M1076 02.14 The University of Manchester, Oxford Road, Manchester M13 9PL Royal Charter Number RC000797

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