Andy Westwood: The government has massive choices to make on Budget day
“To govern is to choose” said Nigel Lawson, the former Conservative Chancellor. And this Budget is where the government of Boris Johnson really begins and where he must make choices about his real priorities as Prime Minister
Nalin Thakkar: Decarbonising our investments
The climate crisis is the most serious threat the planet faces today. All other issues that we worry about, and try to find solutions for – if I can pinch a line from Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca –‘don’t amount to a hill of beans’ if we cannot tackle the climate crisis.
Keith Brown: University employment contracts
I would like to spend some time on one particular issue that appears to have gained traction within the sector over the last year or so. That is the issue of so-called precarious employment within universities.
Vikki Goddard: Under-representation, does it matter?
Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) are principles and values that many of us hold dear. We believe that we act in ways that foster their delivery and that achieving them makes our lives, and our University, a better place. But the reality of our position is different. We have very substantial under-representation of several groups across our staff base. Does this matter?
Malcolm Whitehouse: Becoming a digital University together
In the higher education sector we’re seeing an upwards trend in the use of digital teaching interventions – to better support learning and to help students develop the skills and experience to use and exploit digital technologies in their chosen field of study and future work.
Peter Gries: Pathogens and Prejudice. Will the coronavirus infect our community?
The Year of the Rat has not started well. In China, over 10,000 people have been infected by the Coronavirus, and hundreds have died. Things don’t look great in the UK either. In London, East Asians report feeling stereotyped as agents of disease, creating a hostile environment for them. In Sheffield, a Chinese student walking towards the University was verbally abused about wearing a mask. Anxiety is high.
Andy Westwood: Levelling up the economy post Brexit
Getting Brexit done might have been the dominant theme in December’s General Election but ‘levelling up’ the economy across all parts of the UK has quickly become the most important domestic challenge for the new Conservative Government. Of course this is rather easier said than done.
Matt Atkin: Developing our new vision and strategic plan
It’s over two years since Nancy asked me to help with the development of our new vision and strategic plan and I clearly remember the key message from our first meeting. This was not a document to be developed in a darkened room by a few people, rather it must be created by engaging as many of our people – staff, students, alumni and stakeholders – as possible.
April McMahon: Introductory message
Absolutely the best thing since my arrival at Manchester has been the daily discovery of more and more colleagues who are also devoted to ensuring that we support our students as they learn, gain mastery of their academic disciplines, build their many and varied student experiences, and juggle their often complicated lives. If that’s you, then regardless of your job title or where in our University you work, I’m delighted to welcome you to ‘Team April’, whether or not we have met yet.
Patrick Hackett: All change?
When I’m out and about meeting staff I hear much debate about the why, what, when and how of change in our University. I wanted to share my thoughts on this often contentious topic – and hear your views too.
