Nancy was joined by other iconic women leaders from the world of arts and museums: Dr Maria Balshaw, Director of The Tate, Professor Sook-Kyung Lee, Director of the , and Dr Carla van de Puttelaar, acclaimed Dutch portrait photographer. 

Prior to the portrait unveiling, they participated in an 鈥榠n conversation鈥� to debate the importance of universities supporting art.  Chancellor of Swag直播, Nazir Afzal, presided over the portrait unveiling, in the presence of invited University guests. 

An eminent physiologist, Nancy is acclaimed for furthering the understanding of brain injury and stroke. Along with other distinguished academic leadership roles, she served on the Council of the Royal Society, co-chaired the Prime Minister鈥檚 Council for Science and Health and was a non-executive Director of AstraZeneca. 

As President and Vice-Chancellor of Swag直播 since 2010, she has grown the university, built its reputation and developed much of the campus. 

 So how is Swag直播鈥檚 first female leader, acclaimed for transformative global and local impact, to be depicted for posterity? Whilst traditional for university leaders to have a portrait painted when they finish their role, Nancy has chosen to have her image captured by Carla van de Puttelaar, the eminent Dutch photographer who specialises in female portraits, shooting against black backgrounds and using only natural light.

In particular, Carla is known for her series of portraits of prominent leading women from across the globe 鈥� from artists and directors to cultural policy makers. By capturing the image of Swag直播鈥檚 first female President and Vice-Chancellor, this commission continues the important celebration of global women leaders in portraiture.  

鈥淚 really wanted to have a different kind of portrait, not another oil painting! So I was interested in having my photograph taken. Carla鈥檚 work really appealed to me 鈥� not only because she is a renowned female artist 鈥� but she is so good at capturing people naturally, with honesty and intensity. I鈥檝e really enjoyed working with her. Her professionalism and energy made this very interesting and fun for us both I hope people will like the final result as much as I do,鈥� said Nancy. 

The process of creating the portrait has also been captured in a, which was shown at the Whitworth. The portrait will be hung, along with portraits of previous University leaders, in The Christie Building, in the main University quad on Oxford Road.

Nancy鈥檚 term of office comes to an end on 31 July 2024, when she hands over the reins to Professor Duncan Ivison, former Vice-President for Research from the University of Sydney. She will continue to inspire the University in her position as Emerita Professor. Her successful tenure as President and Vice-Chancellor will also be marked by the naming of the engineering building, one of the largest educational spaces in Europe, as the Nancy Rothwell Building, on 24 July.  

Read more on the .

• Director of Creative Swag直播 and Professor of Poetry,
• Writer, illustrator and opera-maker, Dr Rebecca Hurst, who was commissioned to write a poem celebrating the University鈥檚 2024 bicentennial year
• Swag直播-based poet and critic, Maryam Hessavi

Participants are invited to write a micropoem, of no more than 280 characters, and submit via email or on X (formerly Twitter) using the hashtag #micropoem24. Submissions are open to anybody and can explore Greater Swag直播鈥檚 industrial past, dive into the modern-day city and everything it has to offer, or even imagine its blossoming future.

"Swag直播鈥檚 micropoetry competition sets the challenging task of translating a theme into a short, tweet-like form,鈥� said Lemn. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a craft to tell a story in such a manner and I鈥檓 looking forward to reading the 2024 entries, centred around the chosen theme. As someone who published a book of tweets in the form of quatrains, I urge you to pen your poem and enter our micropoetry competition.鈥�

Entries must be submitted by Wednesday 10 April 2024, with winners to be announced Friday 17 May.

Prizes will be awarded for first place (拢500) and the two runners-up (拢250), with a 拢25 book token for winner of the under-18s category. Authors of the top three micropoems and the winner of the under-18 category will also be invited to attend Swag直播鈥檚 Community Festival on Saturday 8 June 2024.

"With the University celebrating 200 years of learning, innovation and research, it made sense to focus our competition theme on Swag直播 this year," John added. 鈥淎s a city with a global reach that celebrates its connections across the world, we look forward to seeing people鈥檚 different takes on our beloved city.鈥�

Find out more and try your hand at the #micropoem24 competition here: Uom.link/micropoem24

鈥淭he Appeal is a unique opportunity for us to reach a huge audience and to bring in donations for our #HackMusic Catalyst Fund initiative,鈥� said the charity鈥檚 CEO and Artistic Director, Ruth Daniel. 鈥淭his campaign supports the development of grassroots music projects in places affected by conflict, where music is used to bring communities together. These projects offer a tangible alternative to violence, provide a platform to marginalised voices, and empower those wanting to create lasting change to use creativity to transform a culture of conflict and suffering into hope, opportunity and freedom."

In Place of War selects projects to receive the #HackMusic Catalyst Fund from its network of more than 130 change-maker partner organisations, where music is used to impact positive social change. Recipients of the Catalyst Fund are chosen via an application and judging process, and the successful organisations are supported with a seed funding grant of 拢3,000.

This is boosted by the guidance of a carefully selected mentor from the international music industry, matched to the requirements of the local change-maker team running the project on the ground. Music manufacturer partners including Ableton, Native Instruments, Pioneer DJ and Roland, offer additional support in resourcing through equipment donations. 

Current recipients of the Fund include an organisation using music and theatre to rehabilitate former ISIS members in Lebanon; an organisation working to protect the culture of indigenous communities in the Peruvian-Colombian border area affected by climate change; and an organisation using music to provide an alternative to gang violence in Colombia.

Tune in to BBC Radio 4 at these times to hear the appeal:

Sunday 4th February at 07:54 and 21:25
Thursday 8th February at 15:27

See the for further details.

鈥淭his APPG report鈥檚 findings illuminate not just the challenges but also the opportunities that lie ahead. The underrepresentation of individuals from global majority backgrounds, the clear class crisis, and gender disparities highlight an urgent call to action,鈥� said Chi Onwurah MP, Co-Chair of the APPG for Creative Diversity. 鈥淭his report critically sets out 鈥榃hat Works鈥� to begin building a more equitable creative education system for those aged 16+ and to dismantling the obstacles facing the next generation of creative talent. If we are to remain a creative nation, systemic change is not just necessary but absolutely vital.鈥�

For more information on this report, visit . 

This event, coinciding with Black History Month, provides a unique opportunity to directly engage with the insights of BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) scholars, advocates, and activists on the harms of colonialism and how to recognise and overcome them. 

The lecture will take place on Thursday 12 October from 6-8pm. Admission is free, but booking in advance is essential - to confirm your attendance, please book a ticket on .

 

Lee will join from London鈥檚 , where she is a Senior Curator of International Art. Since 2019 she has led the 鈥楬yundai Tate Research Centre: Transnational鈥�, a major research initiative in partnership with Hyundai Motor, exploring new perspectives on global art histories. In 2021 she was also appointed Artistic Director of South Korea鈥檚 14^th Gwangju Biennale, which opened in April 2023.

During her tenure at Tate Modern, Lee curated several major exhibitions and displays including Richard Bell: Embassy (2023), A Year in Art: Australia 1992 (2021-23), and Nam June Paik (2019-20), which went on to tour to Europe, USA and Asia. She also played an invaluable role in shaping Tate's international art collection strategy by leading such initiatives as Asia Pacific Acquisitions Committee and the co-acquisition programme with Museum of Contemporary Art, Australia, in partnership with the Qantas Foundation.

She will take up her role at the Whitworth in August 2023 and will become Honorary Professor of Transcultural Curating at the University.

Speaking about her forthcoming position as the Whitworth鈥檚 Director, Sook-Kyung Lee said: 鈥淚t is a huge honour for me to take up the role of Director at the Whitworth, one of the most innovative and audience-focused art institutions in the UK and internationally. I have admired the Whitworth's commitment to work with local communities and to use art for positive social change. I would like to further develop the gallery in its artistic rigour and social impacts and to widen its global connections, along with the gallery's dedicated staff and Swag直播.鈥�

The Whitworth operates as a convening space between the University and the people of the city. It was founded in 1889 as The Whitworth Institute and Park in memory of the industrialist Sir Joseph Whitworth for 鈥渢he perpetual gratification of the people of Swag直播鈥� and continues this mission today in new contexts.

Nalin Thakkar, Vice-President for Social Responsibility at Swag直播 said: 鈥淚 am delighted that Sook-Kyung Lee is joining us as the new Director of the Whitworth art gallery and will take up the position as Honorary Professor of Transcultural Curating. There is a fantastic opportunity to build on the Whitworth鈥檚 international renown as a leading cultural institution, whilst working closely with the University, the city of Swag直播, our community partners and other stakeholders to strengthen its current focus and explore new exciting directions for the future.鈥�

In 2015 the gallery undertook a 拢17 million redevelopment by architects MUMA, which doubled the public space, creating new facilities to house the collection of over 65,000 works of art, textiles, and wallpaper. Along with expanded gallery spaces, a study centre, learning studio, and collections care centre, the gallery reconnected with its park, with communal gardens and outdoor programmes.

The Whitworth is home to exhibitions and projects which often represent and explore the experiences of our local and global communities. Currently the (Un)Defining Queer exhibition delves into the Whitworth's collection to examine how we can use a queer lens to define what the term 'queer鈥� means, co-led by an intersectional group of people who self-identify as LGBTQIA+.

Later this month, the gallery will showcase new project and exhibition Economics the Blockbuster presented as part of Swag直播 International Festival 2023. Economics the Blockbuster will explore how art and artists are shaping the economy and will include works by artists and artist groups based in the UK and internationally.

The gallery is driven by a mission to work with communities to use art for positive social change, and actively address what matters most in people鈥檚 lives. This new vision has been developed as part of an international dialogue about how to evolve and adapt museums to a constantly changing world. This work is underpinned by three key concepts: learning together, through making and doing; creating a place of care, consideration, and community; taking action.

 

Gallery opening times:

Tuesday to Sunday 10am-5pm, Thursday late opening until 9pm.

鈥淗is murals transcend traditional models of history painting by focusing on the idea of human vitality. As Brown saw it, history painting should be an exercise in understanding how ordinary people interact with broader social forces and powers. The displays of exuberance in the murals confirm Brown's concern with the idea of human freedom - and what people do when confronted by representatives of the political establishment.鈥�

Renowned broadcaster Sir Peter Bazalgette has said he is “here to learn things”, as he marked his appointment as Swag直播’s first-ever Honorary Professor of Creative Industries in a lecture to students and academics.

Sir Peter has driven the development of the UK’s booming TV independent production sector, and introduced hit TV shows including Big Brother, Deal or No Deal and Changing Rooms to our screens.

He was knighted in 2012 for services to broadcasting, and currently serves as non-executive Chairman at ITV. As well as being the former President of the Royal Television Society, he was previously on the Board of Channel 4 and was Deputy Chair of the National Film and Television School. He received a Bafta Fellowship in 2000.

His appointment at the university will provide our students and researchers with the opportunity to learn from someone who has been described as 'the most influential man in British broadcasting'.

At Sir Peter’s inaugural lecture, he spoke about how the creative industries can flourish in partnership with policymakers, higher education institutions and the wider public sector. He also highlighted the talent pipeline that comes from Swag直播, which has produced many of the country’s leading actors, producers and writers over the years.

He emphasised the importance of interdisciplinarity in the creative industries, and how great culture cannot live without great STEM and vice versa - he cited the university and the wider city as an example of best practice for working in this way.

Sir Peter said he was looking forward to working with students, academics and other stakeholders at the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures, and throughout the wider university.

“I’ve come here to learn things, because doing this enables me to interact with this university, with Creative Swag直播 and the exciting things happening in this city,” he said.

You can listen to his lecture by clicking below.

Science fiction may seem resolutely modern, but the genre could actually be considered hundreds of years old. There are the alien green “”, who appeared in 12th-century Suffolk and were reported to have spoken a language no one could understand. There’s also the story of the 11th-century monk, who constructed a pair of wings and flew from the top of Malmesbury Abbey. And there’s the , a 15th-century book written in an unknowable script, full of illustrations of otherworldly plants and surreal landscapes.

These are just some of the science fictions to be discovered within the literatures and cultures of the Middle Ages. There are also tales to be found of robots entertaining royal courts, communities speculating about utopian or dystopian futures, and literary maps measuring and exploring the outer reaches of time and space.

The influence of the genre we call “fantasy”, which often looks back to the medieval past in order to escape a techno-scientific future, means that the Middle Ages have rarely been associated with science fiction. But, as , peering into the complex history of the genre, while also examining the scientific achievements of the medieval period, reveals that things are not quite what they seem.

Origins

Science fiction is particularly troublesome when it comes to matters of classification and origin. Indeed, there remains no agreed-upon definition of the genre. A variety of commentators have located the beginnings of SF in the early-20th-century explosion of , and in the work of Hugo Gernsback (1884-1967), who proposed the term “scientifiction” when editing and publishing the first issue of Amazing Stories, in 1926.

“By ‘scientifiction’,” Gernsback wrote, “I mean the Jules Verne, H G Wells and Edgar Allan Poe type of story – a charming romance intermingled with scientific fact and prophetic vision … Not only do these amazing tales make tremendously interesting reading – they are always instructive.”

But here Gernsback was already looking backwards in time to earlier writers to define SF. His “definition”, too, was one that could also be applied to literary creations from much further into the past.

Science and fiction

Another longstanding idea is that the “science” in science fiction is key: SF can only begin, many historians of the genre , following the birth of modern science.

Alongside histories of SF, histories of science have long avoided the medieval period (over a thousand years in which, presumably, nothing happened). Yet the Middle Ages was no dark, static, ignorant time of magic and superstition, nor was it an aberration in the neat progression from enlightened ancients to our modern age. It was actually a time of enormous advances in science and technology.

The compass and gunpowder were developed and improved upon, and spectacles, the mechanical clock and blast furnace were invented. The period also laid the foundations for modern science through founding universities, advanced the scientific learning of the classical world, and helped focus natural philosophy on the physics of creation. The medieval science of “computus”, for instance, was a complex measuring of time and space.

Scholars the convergence of science, technology and the imagination in medieval literary culture, demonstrating that this era could be characterised by inventiveness and a preoccupation with novelty and discovery. Take the medieval romances that feature soaring heavenwards in a flying machine and exploring the depths of the ocean in his proto-submarine. Or that of the famous medieval traveller, Sir John Mandeville, who tells of marvellous, automated golden birds that beat their wings at the table of the Great Chan.

Like those of more modern science fictions, medieval writers tempered this sense of wonder with scepticism and rational inquiry. Geoffrey Chaucer the procedures and instruments of alchemy (an early form of chemistry) in such precise terms that it is tempting to think that the author must have had some experience of the practice. Yet his also displays a lively distrust of fraudulent alchemists, sending up their pseudo-science while imagining and dramatising its harmful effects in the world.

The medieval future

Modern science fiction has dreamt up many worlds based on the Middle Ages, using it as a place to be revisited, as a space beyond earth, or as an alternate or future history. The representation of the medieval past is not always simplistic, nor always confined to “back then”.

William M Miller’s immensely detailed medieval future in (1959), for instance, dwells on the way the past consistently reemerges in the fragments, materials and conflicts of a distant future. Connie Willis’s (1992), meanwhile, follows a time-travelling researcher of the near-future back to a medieval Oxford in the grip of the Black Death.

Although “medieval science fiction” may sound like an impossible fantasy, it’s a concept that can encourage us to ask new questions about an of literary and scientific history. Who knows? The many wonders, cosmologies and technologies of the Middle Ages may have an important part to play in a future yet to come.

, Lecturer in Old and Middle English before 1400, and , Lecturer in Early Medieval Literature,

This article is republished from under a Creative Commons license. Read the .

,

Scafell Pike, England’s highest mountain is a popular place to climb, both as part of the and for walkers in search of the sublime Lake District scenery. But it wasn’t always this way.

In the early 19th century – when mountaineering at all was – Scafell Pike was rarely climbed. But that didn’t stop Dorothy Wordsworth and her friend Mary Barker ascending the mountain in October 1818. In an age when women walking by themselves – let alone in the remote uplands – was frowned upon, this was a daring feat.

Wordsworth is best known as the poet William Wordsworth’s sister. The siblings lived together for most of their lives, and Dorothy was an important influence over William’s verse. But she was also an important figure in her own right, and her account of climbing Scafell Pike is among the first written records of a recreational ascent of the mountain – and it’s the earliest such account to be written by a woman.

, Wordsworth and Barker’s climb of Scafell Pike was not simply a mountain climb, but a rebellious act that opened up mountains – and mountaineering – for successive generations of women.

Natural strength

Walking was an important part of the Wordsworths’ daily routine, but they were well aware and proud of the fact that . The Wordsworth siblings walked together most days for the best part of four decades – estimated that William walked 175,000 miles over his lifetime, and Dorothy can’t have fallen far short of this figure.

In her letters, Dorothy repeatedly bragged about the speed with which she could walk – and how little fatigued she was afterwards – until her mid-50s. In 1818, when she was 46, she boasted to the writer “walk 16 miles in four hours and three quarters, with short rests between, on a blustering cold day, without having felt any fatigue”. That’s an impressive pace of a little under four miles an hour around the Lake District hills.

The climb

Climbing up Scafell Pike with Barker was perhaps Wordsworth’s most significant walking achievement. in which she describes this feat suggests her way of understanding the mountains went well beyond tales of sporting prowess. She saw that examining the details of a mountainside could be just as rewarding as the view from the summit.

In one moment she describes a landscape that stretches out for miles from the summit on which she stands. But at the next, when she looks down, she realises that though the summit seemed lifeless at first glance, beauty could be found clinging to the rocks:

I ought to have described the last part of our ascent to Scaw Fell pike. There, not a blade of grass was to be seen – hardly a cushion of moss, and that was parched and brown; and only growing rarely between the huge blocks and stones which cover the summit and lie in heaps all round to a great distance, like Skeletons or bones of the Earth not wanted at the creation, and here left to be covered with never-dying lichens, which the clouds and dews nourish; and adorn with colours of the most vivid and exquisite beauty, and endless in variety. (quoted with permission from The Wordsworth Trust.)

In focusing on these details close to hand, rather than only rhapsodising on the distant prospect, Wordsworth anticipates writers like – who is best known for her account of the Cairngorms, The Living Mountain – by proposing an alternative to more familiar accounts of mountaineering exploits that emphasise a victory over a feminised Mother Nature when the climber conquers the summit. Instead, Wordsworth recognises that paying close attention reveals unexpected features even on a barren mountaintop.

Dorothy’s Legacy

Wordsworth’s account of the ascent of Scafell was later included – without attribution – in William Wordsworth’s . The implication was that it was William who had undertaken the ascent. As a result, her legacy in climbing Scafell is blurred into William’s, and many of the people who followed in her footsteps were unaware that it was her they were emulating.

Despite this, her ambitious walking practices helped to establish women’s walking as an accepted habit – with many following in her footsteps. Wordsworth and countless others after her made it clear that walking and other forms of mountaineering were as much for women as for men, and in this way they helped to make the mountains more culturally accessible places for everyone to explore.

, Presidential Academic Fellow in Digital Humanities,

This article was originally published on . Read the .

Swag直播 Museum has appointed Esme Ward as its Director, the first woman to hold the role in the Museum’s 125-year history

Esme will take up her new role at the Museum, the largest of its kind in the UK, on Monday 9 April, succeeding Nick Merriman.

Esme, currently Head of Learning & Engagement at and , said: “I am thrilled to be appointed the new Director of Swag直播 Museum. The vision to use its collections to promote understanding between cultures and a sustainable world could not be more timely or relevant.”

She says her career has been driven by a social purpose and longstanding commitment to make museums even more inclusive and relevant to a wider audience. These range from babies to people living with dementia.

It is something Esme wants to explore even further in her new role, adding: “I am hugely excited to lead the Museum at this critical time, build upon its excellent work to date and realise its potential as the UK’s most inclusive, imaginative and caring museum.”

Esme joined the Whitworth as its Education Officer in 1998 before becoming Head of Learning & Engagement across the Whitworth and Swag直播 Museum in 2010. In recent years she also worked alongside Maria Balshaw to transform the Whitworth and help it win Art Fund Museum of the Year in 2015. Esme also recently completed a year-long , including a placement with the Heritage Lottery Fund.

Professor James Thompson, Vice President for Social Responsibility at Swag直播, said: “I am absolutely delighted that we have appointed the first woman director of Swag直播 Museum.

“Esme will bring vision and innovation to the Museum, continuing its excellent work with academics, students and its commitment to engagement with diverse local, national and international communities.

“The Museum is thriving with record visitor numbers and now, as we build the new , Esme is an ideal appointment for this exciting phase in the Museum’s development.”

Experts have called for a significant and urgent increase in resources to support the mental health of young people in schools, after a study uncovered a ‘perfect storm’ of increased need and decreased provision.

The study explored the impact of current policies on the mental health work that school staff are involved in. The results showed that young people are increasingly talking to school staff about mental health issues – with welfare reform and broader cuts to other services adding significantly to the pressures people face - but there are fewer resources available, and staff feel under-equipped to deal with the increasing level of emotional concerns.

The researchers believe that this will potentially lead to an increase in the number of teachers leaving the profession.

The Prime Minister has noted her desire to reform children and young people’s mental health services, and the Government has recently published a Green Paper on the issue. However, the researchers have found that the proposals in the paper do not satisfactorily address the fundamental concern that further funding and resources are required to provide a suitably skilled workforce.

They recommend that the proposals need to take account of the impact of social and political factors on student wellbeing and extend to include the statutory provision of counsellors in all schools. Mental health awareness courses have been suggested for those working in schools, but the researchers say that these are not a substitute for qualified mental health professionals.

“Schools are under pressure to ensure that young people succeed academically and their mental health needs are catered for, but staff are highlighting that they are at the limits of what they can do to support the emotional wellbeing of pupils, and that austerity is putting them under more pressure,” said .

Download the full report: ''.

A comprehensive report on Brexit and public opinion has revealed that the UK is a country deeply divided by class, place and age, and a values divide is emerging which could dramatically impact on politics in the years to come.

Nineteen months on from the EU referendum, University of Swag直播 Professors Rob Ford and Maria Sobolewska have co-authored the report by The UK in a Changing Europe, which underlines the divisions in UK society:

• The emergence of a values divide around differing attitudes to diversity
• Brexit has created new political identities: Leavers and Remainers view the world through prisms which shape their receptiveness to evidence based arguments
• The generations are divided: 73% of 18-24 year olds voted Remain; 60% of over 65s voted Leave. This division has grown even more stark following the general election and is turning into a political cleavage
• Brexit exposed the growing distinction between public attitudes in towns and cities, which relates to their contrasting economic trajectories: areas that experienced the most decline in recent decades voted Leave; whereas areas of relative growth were more likely to vote Remain
• Divisions exist between the individual nations of the UK over fundamental constitutional questions
• Divisions are also apparent between .

The report highlights a potentially emergent divide. Those who thought equal opportunities for ethnic minorities have gone too far voted heavily for Leave, and those who felt equal opportunities have not gone far enough were much more likely to have voted Remain.

The report warns that the robust link between views about ethnic equality and votes in the EU referendum could be a sign of an emergent values divide in the UK.

“There’s little evidence to support the prime minister’s statement that ‘the country has come together after Brexit’. Instead she is presiding over a divided and polarised nation," he continued.

The report is written by 27 academics, and is the most comprehensive and authoritative analysis of Brexit and public opinion to date. It analyses the referendum, last year’s general election, emerging Brexit identities and the public’s views of the Brexit negotiations.

The authors make several arguments as to why it is highly unlikely people will change their minds about the UK leaving the EU:

1. people’s preferences about EU membership are tied up with values, which are entrenched and unlikely to shift
2. ‘confirmation bias’ leads Remainers and Leavers to discount information that does not correspond with their values
3. for many Leavers, the attraction of Brexit was about identity politics more than economic calculus

Most of the academics who contributed to the report are part of The UK in a Changing Europe, including John Curtice, Matthew Goodwin, Sara Hobolt, Rob Ford, Anand Menon and Maria Sobolewska.

To read the full report, .

This month has seen Swag直播 City Football Club Captain, Vincent Kompany graduate from Alliance Swag直播 Business School with a Master's in Business Administration (MBA).

Vincent studied , which is made up of core business and management courses, specialist electives and two practical business projects. He was awarded a merit grade and achieved a distinction with a score of 72 on his dissertation project, which looked at how professional football clubs in the Premier League can benefit from home game advantage and achieve game-changing levels of improvement.

Commenting on his achievement, Vincent said: “I’ve always felt education is very important and this was instilled into me by my late mother from an early age. It felt like a fitting tribute to my mother to pursue my academic career by studying an MBA. The programme at Alliance Swag直播 Business School was the ideal option for me.

“When you’re playing football at the top levels, even managing your personal finances starts to become like running a business. It was important to me that I understood what my accountant was talking about and that I could confidently assess a business plan to take ownership of this area of my life. I’m an entrepreneur at the core so have a natural interest in business. The MBA was about backing this up with academic learning and research.

“The MBA itself was extremely rewarding and quickly demonstrated how our learning could be applied practically. It was a huge personal challenge initially and I really had to persevere but the academic staff and other students on my course provided vital support and positivity, which I continuously learned from. I was reassured by the fact other people on the course, who were clearly brilliant in their own professional fields, also faced real human challenges and limitations. Swag直播 has a brilliant ‘get up and get on’ attitude. The Global MBA provided me with the flexibility around my football career to be able to complete the course around the demands of the day job.

“Football is more than a sport. It impacts social issues and is big business. I was able to focus my research on the football industry and how clubs can benefit from home advantage. Part of this involved interviewing 25 footballers who have played at the top levels of international football. I feel I have crossed the finishing line of the course much better than when I started and although I want to continue playing football as long as possible, I may look to use this combination of academic learning and years of playing experience in the future.”

This international MBA promises to fit around a student’s career and personal commitments, providing a flexible and cohesive blend of face-to-face workshop residentials and online interactive elements. The workshops allow students to learn in small group environments through the University of Swag直播’s network of global centres (Swag直播, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Shanghai or Sao Paulo) from expert faculty and peers who are well-respected professionals. This learning is complemented by online interactions with academics, business professionals and peers from all over the world.

The learning in the MBA is applied throughout the programme of studies with a Business Simulation, a live business project, and intensive group work at the workshop residentials, leaving graduates with practical business and management skills to propel their careers.

MBA Programmes Director at Alliance Swag直播 Business School, Xavier Duran added: “Vincent’s remarkable academic performance culminated with an excellent final MBA project that, following robust methodology, concluded with strong and timely strategic recommendations. His graduation is an impressive achievement.

“Having met Vincent on his first day on the course, it has been a joy to watch his progress through to graduation. At the business school, we use a teaching approach we call the Swag直播 Method, which Vincent fully embraced. This focuses on group work, practice-based critical learning and personal reflection.”

Find out more about the 

A new £5m donation will allow Swag直播 to establish . It will seek to improve mutual understanding in UK-China relations, and establish a new Chinese culture gallery at the Swag直播 Museum.

The donation, by retired Hong Kong businessman, philanthropist and Honorary Graduate of the University of Swag直播, Dr Lee Kai Hung is a major investment which will promote world-leading research, community outreach activities, and public lectures in Swag直播 and China.

It will also create a new ‘Lee Kai Hung Chinese Culture Gallery’ at , the largest University museum in the UK, displaying artefacts such as ancient bronze sculptures, carved jade and textiles.

With growing links between Swag直播 and China, and the global significance of Chinese policies such as the ‘One Belt, One Road’ strategy, the Swag直播 China Institute is set to play a major role in improving understanding between the China and the UK.

The Centre’s new Director is Professor of Chinese Politics Peter Gries, who has worked extensively on China’s foreign relations.

He said: “The UK and China lie on opposite ends of the Eurasian landmass which is the focus of China’s ‘One Belt, One Road’ policy. Swag直播, in particular, has a large Chinese community and historic ties with China which were only strengthened by to Swag直播 and the University in 2015.

“To realise the full potential of UK-China bilateral relations, however, greater mutual trust and understanding are urgently needed. We are therefore extremely grateful to Dr Lee for his generous gift, which is set to put Swag直播 at the forefront of China studies in the UK.”

As well as research, the Centre will have a particular emphasis on working with the local Chinese community and the thousands of Chinese students in the city. It will also seek to serve local businesses and promote peaceful UK-China relations.

Swag直播 has more academics engaged in China and China-related studies than almost any other UK university – working on everything from the arts and humanities to health and science.

It also has a which focuses on teaching Chinese. The new Swag直播 China Institute will be based in its own listed historic building, which will be named in honour of Dr Lee.

Dr Lee said: “The development of China-UK relations is a subject very close to my heart, so I am delighted to be able to help create this Institute at Swag直播. China’s ties with this city, the university and the many Chinese staff and students make this an ideal place to locate the Institute and the China Gallery.”

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of Swag直播 said: “We are very grateful to Dr Lee for this gift, which will greatly increase knowledge in a subject of global significance. Alongside the important research outputs, this gift will enable the greater promotion of understanding between the two countries, not least through the programme of outreach and the new gallery at the Swag直播 Museum.”

Find out more at or

Swag直播 has changed dramatically over the last decade, but the benefits of the new skyscrapers and other developments springing up across the city have not been felt by all of its residents, according to a new book edited by researchers from Swag直播.

Realising the City reveals a city of contradictions, where strong leadership, aspiration, vision, cultural growth and a proud local identity exist alongside economic recession, public sector cuts, pockets of deprivation and political disengagement. It highlights the conflicting dynamics of a city where people both benefit from, and are troubled by, changes at a local and national level.

Using ethnography - where researchers observe society from the point of view of its people - the researchers have gone beyond the city’s official rhetoric and marketing, by showing how it works from a local perspective.Their research demonstrates the complexity of urban life from a range of vantage points, including the city's football clubs, the airport, the Gay Village, housing estates and the city's annual parade.

It shows how Swag直播 continues to be made and remade, and reveals how its residents have been involved in - or excluded from - the restructuring of the city. The stories emphasise the everyday and often mundane work of all of those involved in the creation of contemporary Swag直播.

“The city always reinvents itself, and Swag直播's contemporary version of this script is famously shaped by its new mayor and the changes that will bring,” said Professor Michael Keith, Co-Director of the University of Oxford’s Future of Cities programme. “Through vivid snapshots, this book provides unique insights into the new Swag直播, and a vindication of the ongoing value of ethnography.”

For more information, visit .

New research has found that the introduction of academies is deepening divisions within the English education system.

The results of this research have been published in a new book by Swag直播 professor, Mel Ainscow CBE, written with Maija Salokangas of Trinity College Dublin. ‘Inside the autonomous school: making sense of a global trend’ provides a unique account of developments over more than ten years in one of the first English academies, and analyses how this led to remarkable progress over the first few years, followed by a subsequent decline.

The study was carried out over a period of ten years, up to 2012. A considerable body of evidence drawn from teachers, support staff, school leaders, governors and sponsor representatives was generated - as a result, the book provides a rich account of practices, leadership and governance in the school.

Linking the analysis to wider research, including studies of charter schools in the USA, Australian independent public schools and free schools in Sweden, the book points to both the potential and dangers of school autonomy initiatives - particularly when they are set within policy contexts that emphasise competition, high stakes testing and parental choice.

The research points to the fact that the vast majority of new academies have struggled to live up to their ambitious promises, especially in relation to raising attainment amongst low income families.

In addition, rather than introducing reforms that lead to improvements in educational approaches, they have mainly focused on structural reforms that focus on organisation and management.

“We hope that our book will stimulate and inform further debate of this hot topic - in this country and more widely,” added Maija Salokangas.

 is published by Routledge.

New research is showing how being connected with their local community has reaped enormous benefits for people with dementia.

Research Associate Sarah Campbell, from Swag直播, says familiarity with people in local shops, cafes and even on the street, was crucial to the participants of the study.

Acts of kindness by neighbours like taking the bins out each week, she said had a huge effect on their wellbeing.

The researchers also found that some people with dementia still had a valuable role in their neighbourhoods by ‘keeping an eye’ out, collecting newspapers and caring for grandchildren.

The research is part of a funded by theand the 

It is one of the first and largest studies to investigate how people living with dementia, and their partners, experience their local neighbourhoods.

56 people -29 with dementia and 27 Family carers - from across Greater Swag直播 were interviewed about their experience for the study.

The research team say their findings will encourage others to think about people living with dementia currently thought to be 850,000 people Alzheimer’s Research UK.

The figure worldwide is 44 million people, which is set to treble to 135 million by 2050, Alzheimer’s Research UK.

She said: “These findings together indicate how the neighbourhood operates through a series of links between people and place from the dementia café, to the local newsagents, and the neighbour two doors down.

“Many people with dementia will be living independently in neighbourhoods and communities, with the support of family, friends, neighbours and formal and informal service provides.

“But understanding the nature of support available in neighbourhood settings is crucial to ensuring everyone affected by dementia is able to live life as best they can.

‘Routines and habit’ are also an essential part of everyday life in connecting people to their neighbourhoods and to others. Such as using the same routes to walk the dog, or visiting the same café or attending dementia peer support groups.”

She added: “We would also encourage the public to come along to our drop-in event on 8 November and record their own experiences and thoughts about neighbouring, neighbourhoods and day-to-day life in relation to dementia.

“We’d like the public to also think about how they might be able to help people living with dementia in their own neighbourhoods and reflect on what it might be like to live in their own neighbourhoods with a diagnosis of dementia.”

A free drop in interactive event at the aims to inform the public on how people living with dementia experience everyday life in local places.

Location: Swag直播 Central Library on Wed 8 November between 11am and 3pm. The drop-in event is jointly organised by University of Swag直播 and University of Salford academics.

People with dementia or memory problems, their carers, and anyone who is interested, can sign up to Join - an NIHR scheme designed to recruit participants for clinical research studies that can that can help us understand what causes the disease, develop effective treatments, improve care and hopefully one day find a cure. 

The  research project is led by Dr  from The Universityof Salford. Professor John Keady from Swag直播 is the Chief Investigator for the wider programme of research.

The UK’s people, places and businesses will only achieve their potential if there is a complete overhaul of how the government views industrial strategy, according to a major new report published today by the Industrial Strategy Commission.

The report argues that the new industrial strategy must be an ambitious long-term plan with a positive vision for the UK, and it must be rethought as a broad, long-term and non-partisan commitment to strategic management of the economy.

Chaired by Dame Kate Barker, the Commission is an independent joint initiative by Swag直播 and the University of Sheffield. Its bold new recommendations include:

• The new strategy should commit to providing Universal Basic Infrastructure. All citizens in all places should be served by a good standard of physical infrastructure and have access to high quality and universal health and education services.
• Health & social care must be part of the industrial strategy. As well as offering potential for productivity gains and new markets, achieving better wellbeing outcomes must be placed at the centre of the strategy.
• The new strategy should be organised around meeting the long-term strategic goals of the state. These include decarbonisation of the economy, investing in infrastructure and increasing export capacity.
• Innovation policy should focus on using the state’s purchasing power to create new markets and drive demand for innovation in areas such as healthcare and low carbon energy.
• A new powerful industrial strategy division should be established in the Treasury to ensure the new strategy is driven from the centre and embedded across government.
• A new independent expert body - The Office for Strategic Economic Management - should be created to monitor the new strategy. It should be created on the model of the Office for Budgetary Responsibility.

The Commission says the new strategy must have an ambitious plan to tackle our major regional imbalances. Its report argues that an industrial strategy should not try to do everything everywhere, but it should seek to do something for everywhere.

The Commission calls for a national framework within which all places will need their own plan to suit their needs. Decisions are best made by people close to the ground so the new strategy requires further and faster devolution to towns, cities and regions from Whitehall.

Dame Kate Barker, Chair of the Industrial Strategy Commission, said: “The UK’s people, places and industries have great strengths and untapped potential, but we must accept the reality that the economy also contains many long-established weaknesses. Industrial strategy needs to be embraced as a long-term plan to manage the economy strategically and embedded throughout government. If we get the new strategy right it can build on these strengths, tackle our weaknesses and above all have a positive, long-lasting impact on people’s everyday lives. This implies that sometimes it will be right to choose equity and long-term-gains over short-term efficiency.”

Dr Craig Berry, Deputy Director of SPERI at the University of Sheffield, added: “Industrial strategy isn’t just about supporting a small number of sectors. It should focus on big strategic challenges like decarbonisation and population ageing – and ultimately it should aim to material differences to people’s everyday lives. This will mean rethinking how government makes policies and chooses its investments. Cost-benefit analysis should apply to the real world, not just to a spreadsheet.”

Professor Andy Westwood, Professor of Government Practice at Swag直播, said: “The government has been keen to stress the importance of technical skills in the industrial strategy, but our track record in policy has been poor for many years. To create a step change in skills and productivity, we must look beyond ‘T Levels’, Institutes of Technology and other supply side reforms and make sure universities and colleges are better linked to wider objectives including sector strategies and tackling regional inequality. This will require careful consideration of how recent reforms in further and higher education can complement, rather than contradict, an effective industrial strategy.”

Researchers from Swag直播 have teamed up with a theatre group to shine a light on the issue of migration.

Be//Longing is new multi-media theatre production by the University’s new Migration Lab and Take Back Theatre, which was founded by actor Julie Hesmondhalgh, writer Becx Harrison and visual artist Grant Archer in 2015 to produce theatre pieces in response to as an artistic response to social and political events.

Co-produced by Hope Mill Theatre in Swag直播’s Ancoats district, the immersive production will use installations, an exhibition, music and video alongside scripted theatre to highlight the findings of the Migration Lab’s research and boldly address perceptions and myths about migration. All proceeds will go to migration charities Revive, United for Change, Operation Florian and Migrant Offshore Aid Station (MOAS).

The theatre will be completely transformed to resemble a warehouse on the edge of a border, and after making their journey to the theatre, audience members will reach an arrivals area where their tickets will be checked and processed before they cross the border to Be//Longing.

They will then receive a map to a world of performed narrative, film, music and installation which will touch upon everything from everyday bordering, to second generations experiencing racism. It will also look at the effects of Brexit on EU workers, the hierarchy of belonging and how we redefine borders.

Screenings will include Grant Archer’s film 'Borders', featuring dancer Yandass Ndlovu, and Go Golden, a collaboration between animation filmmaker Elisa Morais and Swag直播-based electronic duo Gymnast.

The video to 'Risk to Exist' by indie band MaxÏmo Park, which was created to raise awareness of MOAS, will also be screened. "We felt the song’s issues aligned perfectly with the organisation’s founding ideal – that to do nothing when people are in danger is immoral," the band said.

Formed in January 2017, the Swag直播 Migration Lab brings together more than 70 researchers across the University. Be//Longing is the flagship production in the Lab’s plan to use writing, theatre and live events to inform debate in local, national and global communities to support and communicate its work.

“Public opinion on migration has been manipulated for political and ideological reasons by the right-wing press, and a lot of popular discourse is very far removed from the actual facts,” said Lab Coordinator Dr Cathy Wilcock. “This is one of the reasons we’re keen to collaborate with creative practitioners – it’s essential that academic researchers make use of as many communication channels as possible, in order to expose these myths and raise awareness of migration research at Swag直播.”

For further information and to book tickets, visit 

October is the University of Swag直播’s first-ever Swag直播 Migration Month, when a host of public events and activities are taking place across campus exploring migration’s relationship with inequalities, social justice, belonging and Brexit. The programme can be found at 

Swag直播 and Swag直播 City Council have today announced that Alistair Hudson, currently Director of the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (mima), will be the new Director of Swag直播 Art Gallery and the Whitworth.

Alistair will take up his role in the New Year. He succeeds Maria Balshaw at and following her appointment as Director of Tate earlier this year.

He brings with him a wealth of experience at the forefront of the culture sector and a strong record of championing art as a tool for social change and education. During the last three years as Director at mima, he set out the institution’s vision as a ‘Useful Museum’, successfully engaging its local communities and responding to the town’s industrial heritage, as well as placing it amongst the most prestigious galleries in the UK.

Alistair began his career at the Anthony d’Offay Gallery, London (1994-2000), before joining The Government Art Collection (2000-04) where, as Projects Curator, he devised a public art strategy for the new Home Office building with Liam Gillick.

As Deputy Director of Grizedale Arts (2004-14) in the Lake District, he helped the institution gain critical acclaim for its radical approaches to working with artists and communities, based on the idea that art should be useful and not just an object of contemplation.

Outside of these roles he is also Chair of , an open network of partnerships between higher education and the cultural sector across the North, and co-director of the Asociación de Arte Útil with Tania Bruguera. He was a 2015 jury member for the Turner Prize.

Alistair said: “I am completely thrilled to be taking up this post in Swag直播. The city’s cultural scene is one of the most dynamic and diverse in the country and Swag直播 Art Gallery and the Whitworth are at the heart of this. Maria Balshaw and her teams have established both institutions at the forefront of the democratisation of art, working for all of society. I look forward to driving this mission forward and working across the region in projects that have real impact in people’s lives.”

The dual Directorship role reflects the unique partnership over the last five years between Swag直播 and Swag直播 City Council that has brought the two institutions and Swag直播’s historic and modern art collections into complementary alliance.

Retaining their separate governance arrangements and their distinctive personalities, the two galleries have evolved complementary programmes and joint exhibition projects that build on the strength of the city collections.

after a £17 million transformation. Following the renovation, which doubled its former size and added a new glass wing overlooking Whitworth Park, the gallery has welcomed over 900,000 visitors, more than doubled its previous annual records and won numerous prizes, including .

Professor James Thompson, Vice-President for at Swag直播, said: “The Whitworth is a hugely important cultural asset for the University and for the many thousands of visitors from the local community and further afield who use it every year.

“Alistair is dedicated to the idea of cultural institutions as a force for promoting social change, and this fits precisely with the mission of the Whitworth. We are delighted that he will be leading the gallery into the next phase of its development.”

Designed by Sir Charles Barry, Swag直播 Art Gallery opened in 1835 to showcase the best art and ideas from around the world. A £35m four year expansion project, completed in 2002, transformed the gallery by connecting it to the adjacent Athenaeum Theatre building – also designed by Barry – and significantly expanded its exhibition space and facilities. As well as having a collection of works spanning six centuries, and an outstanding collection of Pre-Raphaelite paintings, the gallery also has a strong reputation for staging new work.

Councillor Luthfur Rahman, Executive Member Schools Culture and Leisure, Swag直播 City Council, said: “Swag直播 already has an unrivalled reputation for culture and the arts that is acknowledged not just nationally but also internationally.

"However we're determined that more Swag直播 residents will benefit from and enjoy the amazing cultural facilities right on their doorstep.

"This makes Alistair's very welcome appointment as Director not just of one but two of the country's leading galleries - both of which happen to be based here in Swag直播 - a hugely significant moment in terms of our future aspirations for the galleries themselves and for the city."

In response to revelations of malpractice in the poultry supply chain following an undercover investigation by and the , Jon Spencer, Dr Nicholas Lord and Dr Cecilia Flores Elizondo – from Swag直播’s – make the case for questioning the functionality of the whole food system.

Last week, ITV News and the Guardian revealed details of an undercover investigation at a 2 Sisters Food Group plant into food safety breaches. Video evidence was released of employees of the UK’s largest supplier of chicken to UK supermarkets allegedly tampering with food safety dates and engaging in unhygienic processing practices.

More specifically, these employees were re-labelling the ‘kill dates’ of the poultry meat, most likely in order to extend the commercial value of these products as this in turn lengthened the use-by dates on show in the supermarkets. 2 Sisters produces a third of all poultry products eaten in the UK and supplies supermarkets such as Tesco, Marks & Spencer, Aldi, Lidl and Sainsbury’s.

As this story came to our attention, we were not surprised by the nature of the alleged malpractice, but by the fact that the practices had come to public attention at all. Though this scandal is the latest in a long line of such incidents.

We say this as one key finding from our research for the Economic and Social Research Council’s “Understanding the Challenges of the Food Supply System” call was that the structure of, and operating cultures within, the food market are such that unethical practices are embedded in routine, daily food processing, production and distribution systems and procedures.

Opportunities for varying forms of business deviance, such as fraud, food safety violations or unethical practice, are available throughout the food system. The presence of an opportunity does not mean that the deviance will actually take place, but the economic demands that exist at every level of the food system can make decisions to engage in malpractice seem rational to businesses.

For instance, small margins, just-in-time delivery clauses, unfair contractual practices and the need to squeeze profit at every level create conditions whereby some businesses can barely survive, making the food market highly dysfunctional, except for those corporate actors that are able to shape the structure of these markets.

What is apparent is that there is an interaction between market (dys)functionality and criminal opportunity in legitimate businesses, as unethical behaviours can be easily concealed behind the normal, common business practices carried out by otherwise legitimate market actors. If we look at the large number of food fraud incidents, these are in the main ‘inside jobs’ and not the work of external criminal enterprises, such as organised crime groups, trying to make a fast buck.

However, accompanying allegations of food frauds, such as those related 2 Sisters, is often a temptation to ‘individualise’ malpractice within the particular supplier. That is, calls for full investigations into individual suppliers and their deviance, as we have seen by many social commentators on the back of the 2 Sisters scandal, direct attention away from how the food system itself creates conditions whereby fraudulent or deviant practices become a ‘normal’ response to the pressures of the market. Questions need asking of the whole food system.

For example, why did 2 Sisters end up with a surplus of chicken meat when commercial transactions are organised in advance? Surplus and overproduction does not happen by accident. The trading practices of the major buyers also need investigating to establish how the nature of commerce in the food system, while functional for those with power within the market, creates dysfunctionality for many other food businesses, and consequently consumers.

Here are just handfall of such women, staff and students, from the University's Faculty of Science and Engineering.

Professor Danielle George, Vice Dean for Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Science and Engineering, and a Professor of Radio Frequency Engineering. 

Originally from Newcastle, Danielle has a long association with the University of Swag直播 having studied her undergrad, masters and PhD at the University.

She then went on to work at the University’s Jodrell Bank Observatory as a senior Radio Frequency Engineer, before taking up a lectureship post in the School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering.

On her numerous roles at the University, she says: ‘My days are never the same, but that is what I love most about my job. It challenges me many different ways. One minute, I am a researcher, some days I teach undergraduates, the next I am inventing a Robot Orchestra!”

Danielle also devotes a lot of time to outreach and public engagement activities and is huge advocate of promoting careers and study in engineering for women and young girls.

She added: ‘I am passionate about raising public awareness of the positive impact engineering has on our everyday lives! Especially highlighting to young people the immense depth and breadth of opportunities a career in engineering can offer. One of my key aims is to get across just how creative engineering is.’

Neha Chandarana, PhD Research Student, Materials for Demanding Environments

Neha is originally from Leicester and moved to Swag直播 for her undergrad. Having been in the city for six years, she now calls Swag直播 home. But it was at school in Leicester that her love of science began.

She explains: “I was a bit of a science and maths nerd, but I also really enjoyed textile technology, so for my A-Levels I decided to study them all! I took Chemistry, Maths, Physics, Textiles and Biology. Then I studied Textile Science and Technology at University Swag直播, but it took me a long time to decide what I wanted to do at university.”

Now researching her PhD at the University’s Northwest Composites Centre, she says its important all students get the support they need to succeed: “I am a woman who loves science and engineering, and I get to live that every day. Every female should have access to STEM subjects and be encouraged to study them. And so should every male. For me it’s not about getting more women into engineering. It’s about ensuring that every student is supported in the decisions they make on their education journey."

Caroline Gaju, MSc Student, Engineering Project Management, Rowland Equity and Merit Scholarship

Caroline comes from Rwanda and has an Equity and Merit Scholarship funded by a donor to the University. The Equity and Merit Scholarship scheme, , offers talented students from some of the world’s poorest countries the opportunity to gain vital skills that will benefit their communities back home.

She says: “The Dylan Thomas line, ‘rage and rage against the dying of the light’, is something that inspires me a lot. It speaks about fighting to keep your inspiration burning, and that is underlying theme of my life.”

It is this inspiration that is the driving force behind her ambition to excel in a “male-dominated profession” and encourage girls to follow careers in engineering.

Caroline adds: “My experience in engineering, both at university and in the professional world, has revealed a male-dominated profession. In this patriarchal society, there is a huge need for more women to be given the opportunity to gain more knowledge and exposure, so that that genuine gender equality can be realised.”

Caroline also uses her own experiences to educate and inspire the next generation by taking part is mentorship programmes designed specifically to encourage girls to embrace the ICT industry in Rwanda.

Ellie Townsend, MEng Student, Civil Engineering, MEng Civil Engineering with an integrated Foundation Year

Ellie joined the University’s Civil Engineering programme through the University’s Foundation Scholarship scheme, because she lacked the Physics A Level needed for her course. Foundation Scholarships offer a ‘Year 0’ for students from diverse educational backgrounds or those without the appropriate qualifications for their chosen degree.

Having completed the one-year foundation programme, students are able to progress onto their chosen undergraduate course.

Ellie’s Foundation Scholarship is generously funded by Engineering Manufacture and Management alumnus Humphrey Cadoux-Hudson, who this week was in the Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to secure low-carbon electricity.

She says: ‘Lacking a Physics A-level, my confidence in progressing onto an engineering career was low. Entry requirements to do civil/structural engineering required both maths and physics at most universities, but once I discovered the foundation year, I believed this was my chance to work hard and get where I wanted to be.”

Her hard work paid off and Ellie is now taking full advantage of what she describes as a second chance: “I am a strong believer in the fact that if someone wants it enough, they will work hard enough for it. And that is what I did. Being a foundation year student feels like a second chance to try and prove what I'm capable of and I am thrilled to be given that chance.”

So why did Ellie have such an ambition to study civil engineering? She explains: “I really wanted to choose a profession that allowed me to give back to the community. Plus, I also wanted to thrive in a male-orientated career!”

A group of young designers from Swag直播 are launching a new exhibition on Monday, 5 December, showcasing innovative designs at Swag直播 Art Gallery to help raise awareness of musculoskeletal disorders.

#DesignforMSK, is supported by NIHR Swag直播 Musculoskeletal Biomedical Research Unit, jointly run by Swag直播 and was delivered by the Public Programmes Team at Central Swag直播 University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It aims to highlight the experiences of young people with musculoskeletal conditions via an exhibition of new products designed collaboratively to support the daily life of those with the conditions.

Many believe that musculoskeletal conditions only affect older generations, but thousands of young people are also living with these painful and debilitating conditions.

Musculoskeletal conditions in young people include autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and arthritis. This means that the body’s own immune system, which normally protects us against harmful bacteria and other pathogens, starts attacking the body. This can lead to pain, swelling and damage to the joints and other parts of the body. Along with fatigue and other limitations, this can make daily life a challenge.

The group, made up of four designers, three medical researchers, twelve young people and three curators, have held numerous workshops over the past few months to develop attractive but functional products to help overcome the obstacles young people with musculoskeletal conditions face every day.

A key feature of many of the products is their ability to be personalised or to adapt to fit the user’s own style. A seat and back support, with the appearance of a large, geometric necklace, can be adjusted by the user to suit their individual needs.

Another design is adaptable bag straps, which have been created to attach to any fashionable bag. Often, thin straps cause discomfort for people with musculoskeletal conditions, so the wide strap attachment helps to spread the weight of the bag across a wider area as well as containing pockets for either heat or ice packs to soothe joint pain.

Zainab Saleem, 23 years old from Chorlton, was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis at 19. She explains: “We met as a group for the first time in August to talk about the day-to-day issues young people with musculoskeletal conditions face. It was great to hear all the suggestions and solutions that came out of the group. Being a young person with a condition, you don't want to be treated differently when in groups or with friends. This can be the case if you need to use certain products, such as a walking stick or wrist splint.

“I think that product design can give users more confidence when using these products. The highlight of the #DesignforMSK process for me would be making a number of friends. After participating in the workshops I now feel I'm not alone and I am glad I can provide support to others.”

Susannah Williams, #DesignforMSK Project Manager from the Public Programmes Team, said: “This has been a really exciting and rewarding project for all involved. It has been wonderful to see the product ideas grow and develop, as well as to see the personal benefit being involved in the project has had for the participants.

“Because of the varied themes that came up in our group discussions, we have expanded the exhibition to include artists’ interpretations of being a young person with a musculoskeletal condition, as well as the product prototypes. We hope that #DesignforMSK: the Invisible (Visible) raises awareness that musculoskeletal conditions don’t just affect older people, and showcases designs that really could make a difference to young people’s lives.”

More details on the exhibition are available on .

Twitter / Instagram: @DesignforMSK

Facebook:

Deputy Governor for Financial Stability, Sir Jon Cunliffe, delivered a speech to students at Swag直播 this week where he discussed his career and current role at the Bank of England and explained the outlook for the UK economy.

Sir Jon, who graduated from the University in 1977 with a BA (Hons) English Language and Literature and MA Arts, discussed the factors that have influenced the level of interest rates over recent years and examined the policy challenges posed by a prolonged period of low underlying interest rates. Students were educated on the reasons why current rates are so low and why it is necessary to analyse the drivers of rates, including the trend real rate of interest and the natural real interest rate.

He went on to describe that the trend real rate is a longer-term measure which balances the demand for investment with the supply of saving when the economy is growing at trend. The natural real interest rate is a shorter-term concept and is necessary to offset the impact of unexpected shocks hitting the economy.

After his speech, Sir Jon was introduced to the University’s flagship initiative which is a platform for researchers, academics and policy experts to discuss topical issues, and he learned about the University’s commitment to carrying out high impact research which engages with policy makers and aims to provide solutions to the world’s most pressing problems.

Ruth Ellul, Senior Development Officer, University of Swag直播 said, “It was a pleasure to welcome Sir Jon back to Swag直播 and we are delighted he was able to make the time in his busy schedule.

“After his lecture, Sir Jon met with students to offer personal reflections on his transition from arts to economics and provided ample encouragement and inspiration for current English students to consider their skills and degree as highly desirable by employers from a wide range of sectors – not just the obvious. As always, Sir Jon offered great inspiration to our students and we look forward to welcoming him again to Swag直播 in the near future.”

A unique art project showing how artificial and natural sight have been combined for the first time in history has is launched at Swag直播 Science Festival.

An exciting new project is exploring the damage of sight loss caused by Age Related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and the use of the ground-breaking bionic eye for vision restoration.

Artist, Lucy Burscough is bringing the pioneering work of Paulo Stanga, Professor of Ophthalmology and Retinal Regeneration, to life with Ocular Bionica, an exquisitely painted stop-frame animated film made in a hospital setting with support from Arts Council England’s National Lottery funded Grants for the Arts programme.

, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Vitreoretinal Surgeon for the Swag直播 Vision Regeneration (MVR) Lab at Swag直播 Royal Eye Hospital (MREH) and NIHR/Wellcome Trust Swag直播 Clinical Research Facility, , Ray Flynn, with the Argus® II ‘bionic eye’. Ray is the first person in the world to have combined artificial and natural vision.

The art project, part of , tells the story of Ray, who underwent the four-hour operation to have the bionic eye implanted in June 2015. With the Argus II system switched on, Ray is able to make out the outline of people and objects even with his eyes closed. With his eyes open, Ray successfully combines vision from his artificial vision with his remaining natural vision. Lucy’s film is a world first – because it shows what this looks like for Ray.

Lucy spent time interviewing Ray about how he got involved in the clinical research trial and his experiences of taking part. She has painted detailed and vivid pictures including Ray, Professor Stanga and his team, to illustrate the development of the study and how it came to change Ray’s life.

Lucy said: “This work has been inspired by remarkable, cutting-edge technologies that hint at a future of biomedical bionics and the hacking of humanity. The film seeks to show viewers the world through Ray’s eyes, both before and after the device was fitted.

”The film was created in Lime Arts Studios, actually on site in CMFT and follows my previous work including celebrating Swag直播 Royal Eye Hospital’s 200^th anniversary in 2014.

“I am intrigued by perception and the differences between how different people see the same things. I am also interested in finding narratives in biomedical science and showcasing clinical research to a wider audience. I hope that the film inspires people to find out more about research here at Central Swag直播 University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.”

Professor Stanga, who is also Professor of Ophthalmology & Retinal Regeneration at Swag直播 and Principal Investigator on the trial to test the usefulness of the Argus II in patients with total central vision loss due to AMD, said: “Lucy’s work depicts two unique aspects of sight loss for the very first time, which greatly adds to our understanding – and empathy with – a blind patient’s experience.

“The first is that Lucy has interpreted Ray’s ability to successfully combine artificial vision from the Argus II in his central visual field with his remaining natural vision, which is at the periphery of his sight.

“On a personal level, this is a very moving as well as an exciting experience, to literally see through Ray’s eyes and experience the real visual function benefits Ray has gained from his artificial vision. The film clearly shows how the Argus II system provides basic shapes and outlines of objects (or people) to fill in a gap in the centre of Ray’s sight destroyed by AMD, while he is still able to discern detail and colour using his natural vision, not affected by the AMD, at the corners of his eye.

“Ray is only one of five people in the world who have been implanted with the Argus II on the current AMD trial at Swag直播 Royal Eye Hospital, to have combined natural and artificial vision. Ray is a very special bionic man, and thanks to Lucy, to be able to see through his eyes, will help people to understand more fully, the real impact that artificial vision can make to blind individuals.”

Audenshaw resident Ray (aged 81), who once had dinner with LS Lowry at the Grand Hotel in Swag直播 said: “I was delighted to be asked to take part in the film. I very much enjoyed working with Lucy, who visited me on two occasions to take photos and recordings. Art’s an excellent way of explaining medicine and research, and I’m looking forward to seeing the film for the first time.”

The film will be on exhibition at the Swag直播 Museum 27–30 October 2016. Further information is available on , and the project’s and feeds.

Details are also on .

The research study is now closed for recruitment and is currently not looking for patients to take part. However, if you are interested in taking part in research conducted by Professor Stanga, please email MVR.lab@cmft.nhs.uk and/or visit: .

In the event of a close result on Friday, the following experts are available to speak to the media about the constitutional, political and economic implications on Britain.

, Professor of Economics at Swag直播, said: “Obviously there's uncertainty about what would happen if there were to be a Leave vote, but the risks to the economy are obvious and large.“Many have spoken out about the likely economic damage including 12 Nobel Prize winners, all the important institutions from the International Monetary Fund to the Institute for Fiscal Studies, and hundreds of individual economists in universities, finance and business.

“All but a handful of economists expect there would quickly be a drop in the pound, higher prices for food and other imports, and more expensive holidays. Beyond that there is a chance of a recession with job losses and lower investment. Share prices would fall, which is bad for pensioners. The uncertainty about what access British business would have to the rest of the EU would last for a long period and could seriously damage the economy. 

“The benefits 'Leave' campaigners claim for the economy border on the delusional; they make assumptions our trading partners like the US have already stated are untrue. And there are further untruths such as the entirely false claim about how much the UK pays into the EU."

Professor Coyle is a leading UK economist, former vice-chair of the BBC Trust and former Economics Editor at The Independent. She joined the University of Swag直播 in September 2014.

Constitutional and political implications

, Professor of Government at Swag直播 said: “Whatever the outcome (unless it’s a much more decisive ‘remain’ than polls are suggesting) David Cameron will not be PM for much longer and there will be a Tory leadership contest. If there is – Boris will probably win but (rather like Corbyn) be leading a Parliamentary party whose majority is opposed to him on a central issue.

“If it’s ‘out’ the legal complications of withdrawal are going to be immense – and will likely trigger huge political tides in the rest of the EU.

“Nor is it clear what an 'out' vote actually means: leave EU but stay in The European Economic Area? Leave both? I'm not sure even ‘Leave’ agree what they’re after but suspect it will be more completely ‘out’ than not.”

Professor Talbot says that if Friday results in Brexit, which is widely expected to trigger another Scottish referendum, it could initiate an independence vote before UK/EU has even finished ‘leave’ negotiations (under Section 50 – 24 months).

“If we remain in the EU” continues Professor Talbot, “then David Cameron may last a little longer but I suspect Boris Johnson will be leader before long. He will switch to a ‘the people have decided and I accept their verdict’ line but to satisfy the Tory grass-roots, will pledge yet another renegotiation of our membership.”

Colin Talbot is a Professor of Government, a former Specialist Advisor to the House of Commons Treasury Select Committee and the Public Administration Select Committee and has appeared as expert witness many times in Parliament, the Scottish Parliament and NI Assembly.

But , a professor of politics at Swag直播 whose interest lies in European affairs, he thinks the referendum “has been a huge mistake and a political miscalculation.”

He said: “Whatever the result on Friday, one thing is clear: the British people are today no better informed on the EU that they were a year ago. The divisions over Europe among the British political elites and the public at large will not heal on Friday; they will be further entrenched.

“If Remain wins, it won’t do so because people’s perceptions on the EU have changed towards a more constructive attitude to our European partners. This was very much a ‘project fear’ that will perpetuate public distrust toward the EU.

“If Leave wins, Britain is heading towards an economic disaster and a political crisis. Divorce proceedings may start on Friday, but the UK’s decoupling from the EU is likely to spill into the next Parliament.”

Dimitris Papadimitriou is a Professor of Politics, his interest lies in European affairs, particularly contemporary Greek politics and the European Union's relations with Eastern Europe. He is Director of the Swag直播 Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence (JMCE), the Co-Convenor of the ECPR Standing Group on Southeast Europe and the Co-Editor of the book series on European Policy and Contemporary Greece. An experienced media commentator, his analysis was regularly heard in the media during the recent Eurozone crises.

A University of Swag直播 scientist is stepping out of the lab in order to write and perform on the latest research into chronic pain, as part of a new theatre tour.

Pain, the Brain and a Little Bit of Magic is an empowering performance talk by which takes a look inside the brain, exploring how we feel pain, how pain is signalled in the body and how we develop chronic conditions.

Based on pioneering research, ‘Pain, the Brain and a Little Bit of Magic’ offers an optimistic message of how chronic pain may be better understood and treated.

Starting with the history of pain treatment including electric eels and drilling holes in the skull, the performance moves on to modern treatments and the concept that pain can be reversed.

is a performance for chronic pain sufferers and the people who support them, medical professionals and absolutely anybody who wants to know more about what makes the brain tick.

“When people are more informed about their condition they are able to develop coping mechanisms to deal with it on a daily basis. Pain, the Brain and a Little Bit of Magic gives patients and medical professionals an insight into the nature of pain and a greater awareness of its effects on people’s everyday lives,” said Val Derbyshire of , who is also taking part in the performance.

Professor Anthony Jones is a leading neuro-rheumatology researcher at Swag直播. He pioneered the use of functional brain imaging to understand the brain mechanisms of chronic pain and is now using his discoveries to develop new therapies.

He said: “Medical science can often be perceived as too complex for patients and the general public to understand, but it’s important that people have an awareness of the causes and treatments for their conditions.

“This performance started out as an idea to communicate the information in a different way and now with patient involvement it’s also become an important way for medical professionals to understand better the feelings of those people they are treating.”

Also performing is Sam Redway, an award-winning actor and theatre maker (Broadway Baby, Golden Bobby, NSDF Commendation for Acting), RADA graduate and one half of Knaïve Theatre. He has performed and devised with some of Britain’s and Europe’s leading Theatre companies including Theatre Ad Infinitum, The Awake Project and Maison du Theatre.

This project is directed by Tyrrell Jones, produced by Jenny Gaskell, with model design from Elisa Artesero and is accompanied by speaker Val Derbyshire. The lecture is assisted by Tim Rainey and Javin Javin Sandhu.

Pain, the Brain and a Little Bit of Magic is supported by , , Swag直播 and .

Cast and Creative Team

Performer and writer – Professor Anthony Jones

Performer: Sam Redway

Director – Tyrrell Jones

Speaker - Val Derbyshire

Set/model designer – Elisa Artesero

Assistants: Javin Sandhu, Karina Lovell and Timothy Rainey.

Producer - Jenny Gaskell

Poetry: Ben Mellor

Listings Information

To book all tickets, visit:

Or call: 0161 206 4265

Spring 2016 tour:

Saturday 2 April Salford Mayo Building

Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, Stott Lane, Salford, M6 8HD

1:30pm | Tickets Free

Saturday 23 April Royal Blackburn Hospital

The Auditorium, Learning & Development, Park View Offices (Library entrance at rear), Royal Blackburn Hospital, Haslingden Road, Blackburn, BB2 3HH

2:30pm | Tickets Free

Friday 29 April Liverpool Pain Relief Foundation

The Pain Relief Foundation, Clinical Sciences Centre, University Hospital Aintree, Lower Lane, Liverpool, L9 7AL

1:30pm | Tickets Free

Saturday 30 April Great Sutton Village Hall

Old Chester Road, Great Sutton, Ellesmere Port, Cheshire CH66 3NZ

1pm |Tickets Free

Thursday 5 May Lancaster Arts: OPEN

Lancaster Arts at Lancaster University. LA1 4YW

2pm | Tickets Free

Wednesday 8 June Sale - St Mary's Church Centre

44 Moss Lane, Sale, Cheshire M33 6GD

6:30pm | Tickets Free

Thursday 9th June Swag直播: Contact,

Oxford Road, Swag直播, M15 6JA

7:30pm | Tickets Free

Further national tour dates to be announced: Summer 2016.

Taking place 22-24 July at , the Cheshire observatory at the cutting edge of humanity’s quest for knowledge, is a brand new three-day festival of discovery that promises to fuse a complex mix of artists, speakers, scientists and performers into an event unlike any on earth.

Heading the music bill with a UK festival exclusive is the legendary Jean-Michel Jarre. Renowned not only for his revolutionary electronic compositions that spawned an entire genre and gave rise to a generation of experimentalists, Jean-Michel is known for his incredible live performances having pushed the very limits of light, laser and pyrotechnic technology during his performances at some of the world’s most iconic locations from the Pyramids of Giza to the Eiffel Tower.

Given the stunning backdrop of the giant Lovell radio telescope it can only be imagined that Jean-Michel’s performance at bluedot will be remembered as one of the most spectacular in his long career.

Also headlining are psych-electronica pioneers Caribou and - arguably one of the most influential British bands of the last three decades – Underworld, whose infamous live performances are the stuff of legend.

Other artists featuring on the first wave of the line-up are electro-rock darlings Everything Everything, art-rock archivists Public Service Broadcasting, neo-psychedelic titans Mercury Rev, folk experimentalist Steve Mason, post math-rock instrumentalists 65daysofstatic, genre-transcending indie rockers British Sea Power and Californian space-rock adventurers Moon Duo.

The late-night electronic line-up promises to be equally impressive with the initial bill including Erol Alkan and Richard Norris’ electro-house alter egos Beyond the Wizards Sleeve, Hessle Audio founder Ben UFO and turntable maestro DJ Yoda with many more still to be announced.

Recording an episode at the festival is Radio 4’s The Infinite Monkey Cage with and Robin Ince. Their irreverent and frequently hilarious insight into some of science’s biggest questions is guaranteed to entertain and elucidate and will undoubtedly be a highlight of the festival.

A full science and culture programme will be announced in the coming weeks but attendees can expect an incredible array of talent from across the scientific, literary and arts communities with five distinct arenas featuring space orchestras, talks, screenings, lectures, comedy and debates and a vast spectrum of hands-on activities including the Luminarium, art installations, robot workshops, a planetarium, the Galaxy Garden, pulsar hunting, graphene making classes and much more.

Created by From the Fields – the team behind Kendal Calling, Forgotten Fields and Live from Jodrell Bank – and the Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre, bluedot promises to be something new and very different.

Festival director Ben Robinson said: “bluedot is a brand new festival with a mandate to deliver a festival like nothing else on earth with a stellar programme of music, science, art, film and technology.

“Securing an amazing line-up like this in our first year is a massive coup – but bluedot isn’t just about the music, having The Infinite Monkey Cage at the festival with Brian and Robin is going to be a real highlight.

“We have a lot more still to announce including our full science and culture programme and some more big name acts that we feel will really fit the ethos of what we are trying to achieve with bluedot – a forum where music, science and the arts can really come together.”

, Associate Director of Jodrell Bank and together with Professor Teresa Anderson, one of the festival’s science directors, said: “bluedot is going to be special. We want to blow people’s minds with some amazing music and some incredible ideas – from the Big Bang to black holes, AI to climate change, and loads more.

“A nod to Carl Sagan’s pale blue dot, the festival will celebrate our planet in the vast cosmos, showcasing humanity’s creative achievements in arts, science, technology and the exploration of space.”

Bluedot is supported by and the EuroScience Open Forum (), Europe’s largest interdisciplinary science meeting taking place for the first time in Swag直播 23-27 July 2016.

For those wishing to enjoy the three-day festival, a diverse mix of culinary options will be on offer along with standard and luxury camping options.

Full weekend camping and day tickets go on sale on Wednesday 16 March at 9am. Weekend tickets start at £119 and day tickets start from £35. The full schedule will be announced in the coming weeks. More information can be found at: