Carried out by scientists at the Universities of Manchester and Oxford working in collaboration with the KEMRI/Wellcome Trust Unity in Kenya, the study is published in the journal Nature Communications and funded by the Wellcome Trust. 

The findings come amid recent reports showing Gonorrhoea - a sexually transmitted disease - is becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics and could become untreatable in the future. 

People infected with gonorrhoea may experience pain or burning though, if untreated, they may go on to develop more serious problems including infertility, systemic infection and increased risk of HIV/AIDS. 

There are now multidrug resistant strains of the Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng) bacterium -  which causes gonorrhoea - making many antibiotics ineffective as first-line treatments.

The bacterium has a range of mechanisms to dampen immune responses, meaning there is insufficient immunological ‘memory’ to combat subsequent infections.

Attempts to develop a vaccine against gonorrhoea have been largely unsuccessful; however, in 2017 a study showed that vaccination against a related bacterium Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) led to a reduction in the incidence of gonorrhoea.

Although the efficacy of the Nm vaccine against Ng was limited, it provided an important clue to making an effective Ng vaccine.

Working with a marginalised community of sex workers in coastal Kenya who have high exposure to gonorrhoea, Prof Ed Sanders and his team in Kenya conducted a trial of an Nm vaccine to examine their immune responses.

Prof Jeremy Derrick and the team in 91ֱ�� then identified the pattern of antibody responses in the vaccine recipients and compared them to individuals infected with gonorrhoea.

To unpick the complicated antibody responses, the 91ֱ�� team fabricated a ‘microarray’- a library of the different components, or antigens, which could react with the antibodies induced by the Nm vaccine.

Using this powerful technology, the complex profiles of antibodies against the different components were determined for each vaccinee, or each infected individual.

Comparison of the profiles revealed a detailed picture of the antibody responses to the vaccine, and showing how they differ to those following infection.

The project lead Professor Chris Tang from The University of Oxford said: “This work takes an important step along the road to developing Ng vaccines, as we have a better idea of which responses are generated by partially protective vaccination compared with infection.”

Professor Derrick added: “This study has wide implications about revisiting vaccine design for other bacterial pathogens using these new methods, including those where antimicrobial resistance is a problem.

“We hope that the application of these technologies will enable progress towards vaccines against other pathogens.”

Image : raw microarray scan. Each spot is an antibody reacting with a specific antigen or protein from the bacterium Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Stejskal et al 2024 ‘Profiling IgG and IgA antibody responses during vaccination and infection in a high-risk gonorrhoea population’ is published in nature Communications and is available

In a first for the world-famous event held from Tues 21 to Sat 25 May 2024, Dermatologists and specialist nurses will be welcoming visitors to the Burma Skincare Initiative ‘Spirit of Partnership Garden’ during the week.

The charity, co-founded by Chris Griffiths OBE, emeritus professor at The University of Manchester, is an innovative global partnership providing research, education, and clinical services to dermatologists working in one of the world’s poorest health care systems.

Currently fewer than 50 dermatologists and three dermatology centres serve 55 million people in the impoverished country.

It is also the first time a Burmese garden has featured at Chelsea and in another first, it is a debut design by someone not in the profession.

The designer, the charity and the sponsors behind the first Burmese and skin-themed garden at the world’s most famous flower show say it’s a unique opportunity to put Burma and skin health in the spotlight.

Professor Griffiths said: “Skin disease has a major impact on a person’s quality of life and mental health and can impose severe limitations on their ability to work. In Myanmar, we met many people, including hundreds of children in orphanages, with skin diseases.

Their suffering and resilience motivated us to improve access to skincare in the country through partnerships between international and local dermatology communities and industry.”

Co-founder, Dr Su Lwin, a Burmese-born dermatology registrar and honorary lecturer at St John’s Institute of Dermatology and King’s College London, added: “My beautiful country faces many challenges. We are focussed on creating opportunities in education and research for our colleagues in Myanmar so that together, we may achieve our vision of equal access to quality skin care for its people. I am absolutely thrilled that through the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, we are able to put Myanmar and skin health on the world stage. This is also the first time a garden at Chelsea tells the story of skin disease, and the importance of partnership in its management, and we hope people love it.”

Garden designer Helen Olney, working with landscaper Conquest Creative Spaces, has juggled her day job, to create her Chelsea debut.

She said: “The garden is full of texture, including timber from a Thames jetty, crumbling red bricks and weathered stone with moss and lichen. Along with plants such as Acer davidii and Betula utilis (Himalayan birch), they represent skin disease.

All the plants are found in Burma and grow happily in the UK and many have value for wildlife. The planting is naturalistic in a palette of greens, lilacs, yellows and whites. The diversity of Myanmar is shown through different planting zones and features. That includes the part-ruined ‘stupa’, a spiritual structure found across Myanmar, which symbolise the challenging environments in which the BSI work.

A stilt house, above a water lily pool, indicates the sanctuary the charity provides. Seating is inspired by a letter in the Burmese alphabet meaning ‘coming together’. This is how this garden came about, and how the charity works,” added Helen.

For more information about the BSI visit the website

Images:

• L-R Prof Chris Griffiths OBE, RHS's Esta Morris and Doctor Su Lwin on the plot where the show garden will appear in May.
• The BSI garden uses education research and clinical care to support Burmese health Credit The3DGardener

As well as making a big difference in their local communities and beyond, international students bring a £41 billion annual contribution to the UK, meaning on average, each of the 650 parliamentary constituencies in the UK is £58 million better off – equivalent to approximately £560 per citizen. In the North West alone, international students contribute £3.04bn to the regional economy.

Jamie Arrowsmith, Director of UUKi said: “It’s never felt more important to acknowledge the important contributions that international students make to their university and local communities, and to the UK more broadly. It’s not just about the economic side of it – international students give back through cultural exchange, volunteering, and so much more. We’re proud to be sharing their stories through the latest phase of the #WeAreInternational campaign.” 

In a paper published in the leading journal Lancet Infectious Diseases, David Denning, a professor of infectious disease at The University of Manchester also calculates an annual total at about 6.55 million acute cases using data from over .

Though fungal disease has multiple causes, the updated mortality figures nevertheless dwarf deaths from other single pathogens, killing six times more people than , and almost 3 times as many than .

The work is the result of a collaboration of over 300 professionals across the world who contributed to published estimates for their country and individual fungal diseases.

Previous estimates were imprecise, argues Professor Denning, as many fungal disease exacerbate an existing disorder, itself often severe, such as leukaemia or AIDS.

However according to the study, of the deaths linked to fungal disease, around 68% - or 2.55 million were likely to have been directly caused by it.

Around 1.2 million deaths (32%) had other underlying disease, with fungal disease contributing.

Around a third of 3.23 million chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) deaths worldwide are linked to infection with the fungus Aspergillus finds Professor Denning.

Though pulmonary tuberculosis was classified as the cause of death in 1.2 million people in 2019, as many as 340,000 (28%) of these could actually be fungal disease deaths he estimates.

Of the estimated 311,594 leukaemia deaths globally in 2020, 14,000 (4.5%) could be attributable to aspergillosis, and some to other fungal infections they find.

Lung and bronchus cancer annual deaths stand at 1.8 million, with the new estimate indicating that aspergillosis is implicated in 49,000 deaths (2.7%) of them.

Candida -  another type of fungal infection-   is a serious problem in intensive care, complex surgical patients, diabetes, cancer and renal failure, as well as premature babies.

The researchers estimate that about 1.57 million people suffer from Candida bloodstream infection or invasive candidiasis with 995,000 deaths (63.6%), each year.

Professor Denning said: “This work is the first global comprehensive annual incidence estimate of fungal disease, yet many gaps and uncertainties remain.

“Our prior estimates of annual mortality were 1.5 to 2 million, yet we now find the probable number dying with or of a fungal infection is double this at about 3.75 million.

“This estimate was inspired by massive changes in fungal disease awareness and diagnostic capabilities driven by Global Action For Fungal Infections (), working in partnership with The University of Manchester, the , : Threats and Opportunities program and GAFFI’s global .

“This work would also not have been possible without the remarkable collaboration of over 300 professionals across the world who contributed to published estimates for their country and individual fungal diseases.”

The qualitative study - led by Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno from The University of Manchester - is published today  in the journal of social welfare and family law.

The mothers had taken violent partners to court only for some of them to lose custody and residence of their children over counterclaims of parental alienation.

Parental Alienation is a that asserts when a child has a negative stance towards one parent, typically the father, the child’s preferred parent, typically the mother, is to blame.

When victim-survivors report abuse and violence, parental alienation is often used to denounce and disqualify reports of abuse, implying that mothers are lying and manipulating children.

A law introduced in Brazil in solidified the concept into legislation.

The current Government under President Lula da Silva shows no sign of a revoking it. In fact, the country is on track to making so-called parental alienation a criminal offence, .

Speaking publicly about this abuse in the family court and inability to pay child support can result in a prison sentence for mothers in Brazil, whereas child rape and other acts of violence including illegal firearms possession and associated violence by fathers did not, the study found.

In the study, all the mothers reported multiple health conditions associated with family court proceedings, conceptualised by the researchers as Court and Perpetrator Induced Trauma (CPIT).

Eight of the 13 cases included child sexual abuse. Five mothers reported that police-led criminal investigations into child sexual abuse were closed due to allegations of parental alienation in family court.

Some mothers were being sued or threatened with being sued for slanderous defamation, and another was propositioned by the state prosecutor to withdraw the criminal charges of domestic violence and child sexual abuse , in exchange for the father’s custody application to be withdrawn.

All the mothers had been accused of Parental Alienation and all the fathers had been accused of domestic violence by the mothers.

The mothers reported being subjected to much harsher treatment by the courts than fathers accused of DV, and reported maternity problems, musculoskeletal, autoimmune, and respiratory conditions and a broad range of mental health implications including suicide and other trauma responses.

The study also found:

• Irrespective of the abuse or violence reported by mothers and children, the fathers maintained some form of direct contact with the children.
• Three mothers lost custody of their children with one having no contact at all.
• Five out of eight criminal investigations into child sexual abuse, child rape and domestic violence by fathers were closed following parental alienation claims in the family courts.
• None of the mothers’ allegations of violent crime raised in court by mothers and children were passed on to police and criminal prosecutors.

Lead author Dr Dalgarno said: “There are growing concerns around the world about the weaponisation of the pseudo-concept ‘Parental Alienation’ in the family courts against women.

“In a country which has one of the highest rates of femicide in the world, it’s fair to argue that Brazil is a very difficult country to be a victim of domestic abuse .

“, around one-third of Brazilian girls and women were found to have suffered Intimate Partner Violence with more than half of the perpetrators current or former ‘partners’.

“The family courts in Brazil provide an opportunity for this violence to increase, where perpetrator fathers use ‘Parental Alienation’ and similar variations, to penalise mothers and children.

“We call on the Brazilian government to urgently investigate links between harm to health and the family courts and to strengthen human rights protection for women and child victims.”

Quotes from some of the women in the paper:

Helena: “It is a feeling of injustice, helplessness . . . I understood that you get into that [court] to lose. We don’t have any chance, any chance. That’s just staging, you are going to lose it, you can be sure about it. We are only used to fill the experts and the lawyers’ pockets, our own lawyers . . . we don’t have any chance . . . I felt betrayed”.

Vania : “I think that what hurts me the most is the fact that, despite I knew I was a victim-survivor, just like my son was, I was feeling like a criminal. . .I never had criminal incidents, I had never been involved with drugs, I always had a straight life. On the other hand, the father already had criminal records, but they haven’t even taken that into consideration. Nothing, nothing, nothing . . . the more we report the more we are punished. That was my fear. I would say, by using an expression “Swim, swim and die at the beach”.

Beatrice: “It’s like you’re the prey for years . . . No animal could survive that, I think, would die of stress, I don’t know, if you put in a small cage a zebra, and a bunch of lions around about, what would happen to the zebra in the cage? I don’t know.”

Helen: “I think it was also due to stress, cortisol, stress hormone, gastritis, nightmares . . . for there were so many petitions accusing me of so many nonsense things. I was called a hooker, then a bad wife, then a murderer . . . there was no point in proving in the Family Court that that was not like that for they would just keep going “No, it is”. We become the dead dog that everybody kicks.”

The paper Swim, swim and die at the beach’: family court and perpetrator induced trauma (CPIT) experiences of mothers in Brazil is available

The new partnership will promote and facilitate increased levels of research engagement between our two institutions with several areas of mutual interest and complementarity already identified. Thematic research areas to be explored are as follows, which mirror the research and innovation priorities of our respective governments: Environmental Sustainability, Advanced Materials including Photonic Materials and Nanomaterials, Biological Science and Biotechnology, and Quantum Materials and Technologies.

The UK and Japanese governments reaffirmed their mutual commitment to strengthening science and innovation ties after agreeing to renew the two countries’ longstanding Science and Technology Agreement in May 2023.  It’s anticipated that funding opportunities such as the UK’s International Sciences Partnerships Fund and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science funding programmes will be able to support collaboration between our two institutions as we seek to address global challenges and strive for cutting edge innovations.

, Associate Vice President for Internationalisation for The University of Manchester, commented “This is an exciting development in global partnering around key research themes for our universities. It aligns perfectly with both regional and national priorities and the UK becoming a member of the CPTPP Pacific trade group”.

Professor Manabu Tanaka, Executive Vice President for Global Engagement at Osaka University commented “We are delighted and thrilled to embark on this strategic partnership with The University of Manchester as a university located in Osaka, once known as the ‘91ֱ�� of the East’ as Japan’s leading industrial city. We wish to further foster our academic partnership to create and deepen scientific knowledge, as well as develop advanced technologies contributing to our community, nations, and global society.”

Professor Beverley Yamamoto, Executive Vice President for International Affairs (Education) at Osaka University commented “This is an exciting new chapter in the partnership between The University of Manchester and Osaka University. As we move to a new strategic partnership level, we will be able to work together to identify and secure new sources of research funding to greatly enhance our joint research profiles. At the same time, opportunities for joint educational programs to foster the next generation of researchers working at the cutting-edge of science and technology. We have already been actively involved in identifying mutual priority areas around key research themes that we will pursue as we move head based on this renewed shared commitment.”

, Head of Internationalisation for ASEAN, Japan, and Korea, Faculty of Science and Engineering,  The University of Manchester, said “We sincerely thank our counterparts at the University of Osaka for their dedication to building bridges between our academic communities. This partnership underscores our shared commitment to advancing the frontiers of knowledge and preparing the next generation of leaders in science and engineering.”

Councillor Bev Craig, Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “91ֱ�� recognises forging closer links with Japan, a leading and innovative economy, as a mutually beneficial opportunity and The University of Manchester has an important role to play.

"We’re an outward-looking city and co-operation such as this, combining the academic expertise we have here with the knowledge which exists in Osaka, will strengthen our research specialisms and open up new avenues for innovation.”

This collaborative study between the University of the Witwatersrand’s and the University of Manchester’s programme will analyse the programme’s  impact  on their development. It is funded by the UK's Medical Research Council.

Prof Claudine Storbeck  Primary Investigator: South Africa said: “Around 6,000 deaf children are born in South Africa each year, but the lack of universal newborn hearing screening means that the average age of diagnosis of hearing loss in South Africa is 28 months old.

“The availability of data on deaf child development and impact of early intervention is sparce and structured early intervention programmes to promote early childhood development in the first three years of life are minimal

“Those offering South African Sign Language (SASL) as a language option are very rare and largely unavailable to families.”

“As a result, the linguistic, communicative, cognitive, and socio-emotional development of deaf and hard-of-hearing children in South Africa can be delayed, often significantly.”

Prof Alys Young – Primary Investigator said: “Results from high-income countries show that identification and diagnosis by 3 months of age with family support and early intervention by 6 months of age drastically improve the developmental progress of deaf children.

“The project will investigate the extent and character of the impact of such a home-based early intervention programme, alongside an understanding of what might mitigate the effectiveness of such a programme of intervention.

“This is important because home-based early intervention for deaf infants is not universal and the case for its effectiveness is not proven within the wider context of school readiness in South Africa.”

The researchers will investigate the HI HOPES early intervention and family support programme, which supports families with deaf and hard of hearing children

Founded in 2006 by the Wits Centre for Deaf Studies as a non-profit programme, it provides families with specialised home-based early childhood development  programme for children from birth to 6.

The project also aims to provide large scale data on the development of deaf children in South Africa that will help to inform the South African Government/UNICEF National Early Learning and Development Standards (NELDS) from birth to four years.

It will also support, age-normed and standardised Early Learning Outcomes Measure (ELOM) 4 & 5 Years assessment tool, developed by South African early learning charity .

An important part of the  work will be the adaptation of the ELOM to ensure suitability for deaf children as well as developing a standardised South African Sign Language (SASL) version to ensure the validity of all items for children who are SASL users.

Prof Storbeck added: “It will be possible for the first time in South Africa to accurately evaluate deaf children’s developmental progress and needs in all domains (not just language) at point of school entry.

For more information on the overall research project, contact: Prof Claudine Storbeck – Primary Investigator: South Africa,  The University of the Witwatersrand,  claudine.storbeck@wits.ac.za  and Prof Alys Young – Primary Investigator: UK,  The University of Manchester, alys.young@manchester.ac.uk

Visiting Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi, the roadshow comes just three weeks after the UK and India signed a landmark agreement to collaborate on science and innovation to help drive economic growth, create skilled jobs and improve lives in the two regions and worldwide.

The UK-India agreement mentions the joint award PhD programme between The University of Manchester and The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) which is an example of the growing links between the two regions. The joint award serves to consolidate and build on existing research collaborations across a number of thematic areas including biomaterials, graphene, environmental sciences (including atmospheric sciences), advanced manufacturing and artificial intelligence/machine learning application in agriculture, health and industry.

Commenting on the partnership, Professor Stephen Flint, Associate Vice President International said: “The joint PhD programme with IISc is testament to the University’s strategic ambitions to build world-class research links with India and to encourage more student mobility between the two countries.

“The University of Manchester established research partnerships with IISc some years ago and this PhD programme is the next step in deepening our relationship, with academic colleagues in both institutions sharing supervision of the PhD students, who will spend two years in 91ֱ�� and two years in Bengaluru."

Professor Govindan Rangarajan, Director, Indian Institute of Science, said: “Indian Institute of Science is pleased to partner with The University of Manchester for the joint PhD programme. Given multiple areas of mutual interest to both institutions, we are confident that this will be a very productive partnership that further strengthens our ties.”

The University of Manchester is developing a global health strategy around the origins of non-communicable diseases in people living outside of Europe and North America, and on predictions that there will be a deficit of 14.5 million healthcare workers globally, of which 32 per cent will be in South and Southeast Asia. This is in response to the issues identified by the World Health Organization and while in India, the University will explore how working in partnership with Indian institutions can address some of these healthcare challenges.

91ֱ��’s global health care strategy and developing UK-India relationships has resulted in the launch of the NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Neurodevelopment and Autism in South Asia Treatment and Evidence (NAMASTE). The Unit builds on 91ֱ��’s own autism programme to implement a novel integrated detection-care pathway for young children with autism and their families in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal, using lay health workers.

NAMASTE is a culmination of development work between The University of Manchester and South Asia partners, particularly Sangath in India, and is in collaboration with Autism Care Nepal, the College of Paediatrics Sri Lanka, Harvard Medical School, La Trobe University, Kings College London, the World Health Organisation and Ummeed, Mumbai.

Earlier this year, 91ֱ�� showcased its research strengths including graphene and 2D materials when it hosted a number of Indian dignitaries including the High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom, Mr. Vikram Doraiswami and Dr S Chandrasekhar, the Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Science & Technology. In a separate event, the University celebrated the achievements of four Indian alumni including actress Parineeti Chopra, who were honoured for their success following academic careers in the UK.

The institution, which is preparing for its bicentenary in 2024, was praised for attracting the most top graduate employers for its range of university careers fairs, on-campus employer presentations, university-specific virtual events, careers service promotions and initiatives, alongside other locally-run publicity over the last 12 months.

‘Meet 91ֱ��’ networking events for alumni, University offer holders and their parents, are taking place in Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai, providing opportunities to meet 91ֱ�� academics and admissions personnel.

The University of Manchester has strategic partnerships and collaborations worldwide and has a history of creating strong links with business, public authorities and students in India. 

For more information about our work with India visit: /collaborate/global-influence/collaborations/regional/india/. 

Postgraduate researchers will be jointly selected and spend time in 91ֱ�� and Tokyo, benefiting from the expertise, facilities and infrastructure of two globally renowned institutions. The wider partnership activity will also see The University of Manchester hosting postgraduate researchers from the University of Tokyo as part of the SPRING GX Programme.

Successful applicants to the programme will split their time between 91ֱ�� and Tokyo according to the project requirements as determined by the supervisors and the Joint Programme Board. The students will be awarded a degree from both institutions, based on a single research experience managed cooperatively by both institutions.

For the Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, Japan’s leading University, this represents their second dual award doctoral programme and the first with a UK partner. For The University of Manchester, this follows the highly successful launch of similar dual and joint PhD programmes with Tsinghua University, University of Melbourne, Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, and the University of Chile. As a core component of its international strategy, The University of Manchester is entering into a small number of dual award PhD programmes with prestigious partner institutions around the world.

The dual award PhD programme was formally announced during a University of Manchester delegation visit to the University of Tokyo in April. The visit provided the opportunity for colleagues from the Faculty of Science and Engineering to engage with leading researchers from the University of Tokyo with a view to identifying opportunities for future collaboration. The UK Government has recently launched the International Science Partnerships Fund, for which Japan is a priority partner country, and will provide a funding mechanism to support UK-Japan collaboration.

The Dean of the School of Science, University of Tokyo, Professor Shinichi Ohkoshi, said: “The University of Manchester is one of the UK's leading universities conducting world-class research, and it also has a global reputation for the strategic activities for the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For the University of Tokyo, collaboration with such a university will be a great privilege from the viewpoints of both research and education. The School of Science, the University of Tokyo is very positive about launching the dual-degree program with The University of Manchester and is planning to prepare a scholarship for students participating in the programme.”

Professor Stephen Flint, Associate Vice President International, The University of Manchester, added: “We are delighted to be launching this dual award PhD programme with the Graduate School of Science of the world famous University of Tokyo. In our experience, the co-supervision and co-responsibility for PhD students is a highly effective way of growing long-term research collaborations between academic colleagues and leads on to deeper levels of institutional partnership. The graduates from this programme will be highly trained, highly employable global citizens, at home in both Japan and the United Kingdom.”

The first PhD candidate for the new scheme has already been selected with lead supervision for the project being provided by Professor Shinichi Ohkoshi of the University of Tokyo and Professor Nicholas Chilton from The University of Manchester.

The new programme represents a significant development in consolidating the research links between our respective institutions. Data on co-authorship demonstrates that there is already a significant level of engagement between research groups and the new programme will support our aspirations to cement these links.

The  two-page leaflet from the University’s Parenting and Families Research Group, has been made available, with support from the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Prevention Treatment and Rehabilitation Section (UNODC)

It is available in Turkish, Arabic and English and also as an audio recording in the languages for download on a dedicated UNODC website developed for the earthquake response.

The website also contains a number of other caregiver resources specifically for emergencies like the earthquake and is available  

The leaflets ,booklets and audio resources provide basic, evidence-based guidance on best ways to help both caregivers and children to live through crisis, and have been updates to ensure its relevance for the current emergency.

It  is designed to help parents and caregivers cope with their own emotions and stress and   will help them to understand common reactions in children and how best to care for them.

The Global Initiative to Support Parents (GISP)  - an interagency collaboration formed  to ensure every parent and caregiver around the world has access to parenting support - has shared the resources across their networks and newsletters.

GISP was formed by UNICEF, WHO, Parenting for Lifelong Health at the University of Oxford, the Early Childhood Development Action Network (ECDAN), and the Global Partnership to End Violence.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime are  also working through the Regional Office for Middle East and North Africa - covering Syria, Lebanon and Jordan -  and South East Europe Office (Turkey) to disseminate them through the respective UN Emergency Relief Country Teams. 

The resources were originally created in collaboration with Syrian families and Turkish and Syrian humanitarian workers as a response to the stresses of flight and displacement.  Caregivers rate them highly.

The earthquakes have hit an area which is already home to many displaced Syrian families.

Dr El-Khani and Prof Calam have been working with UNODC for several years to develop a full set of resources for families living through the stresses of flight and displacement.

Prof Rachel Calam said: “ Our hearts go out to everyone affected by these terrible earthquakes. However hard it is to keep going in such difficult times, understanding common reactions, and supporting and encouraging children and young people emotionally and practically can help them to cope.”

Dr Aala El-Khani said: “We know that one of the most important predictors for the mental health of children who experience a crisis is the way they are cared for by their families. We hope these resources will be shared with those families so terribly affected by the earthquake in Syria, Turkey  and Lebanon, who need help and support.”

The High Commissioner of India to the United Kingdom, Mr. Vikram Doraiswami, and the Consul General of India, Birmingham, Dr. Shashank Vikram, visited the National Graphene Institute (NGI) - arranged through the University’s participation in the 91ֱ�� India Partnership. 

This showcased 91ֱ��’s research strengths in 2D materials and was an opportunity to highlight deepening relationships with Indian institutions including the Indian Institute of Science, and the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) both located in Bangalore.

In a separate visit, the NGI, in collaboration with UK Science and Innovation Network, hosted the Secretary to the Government of India, Department for Science and Technology (DST), Dr. Srivari Chandrasekhar and a team of senior advisers. 

The DST were undertaking a familiarisation week in the UK, with a particular focus on the nation’s research strengths in hydrogen, advanced manufacturing and space, concluding their time in 91ֱ�� at Jodrell Bank Observatory and Discovery Centre.

Stephen Flint, Associate Vice President International, The University of Manchester, said: “Our relationship with India is growing at pace and spans many of our activities including the recruitment of top- quality students, joint research and PhD student training and business engagement. These senior government visits underscore our engagement with the region”.

The experts from three Indian teaching hospitals: AIIMS, New Delhi, AIIMS Kalyani, West Bengal and PGIMER, Chandigarh along with The University of Manchester estimate that 57 million - or  4.4% of the 1.3 billion people who live in India - are likely to be affected.

The comprehensive review of data from over 400 published academic articles is published in the journal .

Vaginal thrush - or yeast infection - they found, affected around 24 million women of reproductive age, with repeated attacks.

Hair fungal infection - known as tinea capitis - in school-age children affected a similar number. It causes a painful infected scalp and leaving many with hair loss.

Major contributors to death were mould infections affecting lungs and sinuses, affecting over 250,000 people.  Another 1,738,400 people had chronic aspergillosis and 3.5 million with serious allergic lung mould disease.

Over 1 million are thought to have potentially blinding fungal eye disease and nearly 200,000 with had mucormycosis (so called ‘Black mould’).

Dr Animesh Ray of AIIMS in Delhi, the lead author of the article, said: “The total burden due to fungal diseases is huge but under-appreciated.

“While tuberculosis affects less than 3 million people in a year in India, the number of Indians affected by fungal disease are several times higher.”

Professor David Denning of The University of Manchester and Global Action For Fungal Disease added: “There have been major diagnostic improvements in recent years, with public health services in India catching up with private hospitals in terms of capability.

“H�Ƿɱ𱹱��, fungal disease continues to be threat to  public health and a cause of significant  morbidity and mortality representing a considerable socioeconomic burden to those who are infected by them.

“And there remain large parts of India with limited diagnostic capability, as evidenced by our inability to estimate some important diseases such as histoplasmosis and fungal asthma in children.”

“My lifelong career objectives are to enhance self-sufficiency and to ensure dignified access to basic services among vulnerable communities - despite how aspirant these goals might seem, I truly believe that passion, hard work, and the opportunity to study at 91ֱ�� will assist me to go steps further towards this goal,” Sally added.

Another recipient is Alona Deriabina, a Clinical and Health Psychology student who fled to Poland after the Russian invasion forced her to leave her hometown near Kyiv. “Despite becoming a refugee, I remain desperate to continue my education no matter the circumstances,” said Alona. “My dream is to gain deep knowledge and skills in the field of clinical and health psychology, so I can promote mental health in Ukraine and abroad, particularly for Ukrainian refugees who are spread now all over the world.”

Electrical Engineering student Yefym Lunev is from Kharkiv in Ukraine, and he had to flee with his family as the city was being destroyed by Russian bombs. “Russia has been bombarding my city, especially residential areas, day and night since the war began,” he said. “More than 1100 high rise residential buildings, 60 schools, dozens of nurseries, hospitals, libraries and even our famous opera house and fine arts museum are in ruins. Several of my university buildings were destroyed by bombs, and some students and faculty members are reported to have been killed.”

“I want to graduate with high marks and gain a deep knowledge of engineering. I am really interested in renewable energy and global warming problems, and want to focus on mastering my knowledge in this sphere – I am sure the university will help me to achieve this,” Yefym added.

Syrian Medical Microbiology student Mahmoud Komy is another recipient - he is now able to study for a Master's Degree after his family were twice displaced during the ongoing civil war, and he and his father were both imprisoned for belonging to a minority group associated with the opposition. He has previously worked for Syrian Arab Red Crescent as a humanitarian field doctor, helping to treat his fellow countrymen wounded in the conflict.

“Epidemiology and microbiology affects everyone around the world, which was evident during the COVID­-19 pandemic when microbiologists were on the front line fighting the virus and making crucial decisions – however, the Syrian health system allocates little interest to epidemiology and microbiological studies,” said Mahmoud. “After more than ten years of a brutal war, securing a future inside Syria became a dream that could never come true - now, the only solution is to look for opportunities abroad. Therefore, I need to take this path to fulfil the needs of my country.”

“It means a lot for me to be here, and I will do my best to give back to this city - I will always be grateful.”

The University would like to thank Gian Fulgoni for his financial contribution to the scheme. It is one of many programs supporting the University’s social responsibility agenda - these include our Equity and Merit Scholarships for students from sub-Saharan Africa, and our Undergraduate Access Scholarships for UK applicants who have been in care or estranged from their parents. 

For more information, visit .

The partnership will serve to consolidate and build on existing research collaborations across a number of thematic areas including Biomaterials, Graphene, Environmental Sciences (including atmospheric sciences), Advanced Manufacturing and artificial intelligence/machine learning application in agriculture, health and industry.

Students will be jointly selected and spend time in both 91ֱ�� and Bengaluru, benefiting from the expertise, facilities and infrastructure of two globally renowned institutions. The partnership will be further strengthened by a Seed Fund that will support the incubation of new collaborations and projects between the two partner institutions.

The programme was formally signed by Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, and Captain Sridhar Warrier, Registrar of the Indian Institute of Science at a ceremony at IISc, Bangalore. Prof Rothwell was accompanied by Prof Stephen Flint, Associate Vice President for International and other internationalisation leads from the and the on her visit to IISc, as part of the University’s delegation visit in India. The delegation met with the Director of IISc, Prof. Govindan Rangarajan, and other senior colleagues for the signing ceremony.

Successful candidates will spend the first year at IISc with the remaining time on the programme split between The University of Manchester and IISc according to the project requirements as determined by the supervisors and the Joint Programme Board. The students will be awarded a joint degree from both institutions, based on a single research experience managed cooperatively by both institutions.

For IISc, India’s leading University for Science and Technology, this represents only their third Joint Doctoral Programme and the first with a European partner. For the University of Manchester, this follows the highly successful launch of similar Dual PhD programmes with the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, University of Toronto, University of Melbourne, and the University of Chile. As a core component of its international strategy, The University of Manchester is entering into a small number of dual award PhD programmes with prestigious partner institutions around the world.

“We are delighted to enter into this joint PhD agreement with IISc, the leading science and technology University in India. Graduates from this programme will have the unique advantage of acquiring the best knowledge and skills offered by both these eminent institutions.”, said Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-chancellor

The Director of IISc, Professor Govindan Rangajaran, said “Indian Institute of Science is pleased to partner with The University of Manchester for the joint PhD programme. Given multiple areas of mutual interest to both institutions, we are confident that this will be a very productive partnership that further strengthens our ties.”

Professor Stephen Flint said: “The joint PhD programme with IISc is testament to the University’s strategic ambitions to build world-class research links with India and to encourage more student mobility between the two countries.” He further added, “The University of Manchester established research partnerships with IISc some years ago and this PhD programme is the next step in deepening our relationship, with academic colleagues in both institutions sharing supervision of the PhD students, who will spend 2 years in 91ֱ�� and 2 years in Bengaluru. This agreement reflects the growing strength of partnership between the UK and India."

Academics from the two institutions will liaise to define projects which are approved by a Joint Programme Board. The research Seed Fund will support staff and student exchange, workshops and other modes of engagement to facilitate the establishment of these projects and new collaborations. Initial areas of focus will include Industry 4.0, Advanced Manufacturing, Environmental Science and Advanced Materials.  Under this programme, full and partial funding will be available on a competitive basis, and we expect the opportunity to benefit from the expertise and infrastructure of two globally renowned institutions will present an attractive prospect for talented aspiring researchers.

The NIHR Global Health Research Unit on Neurodevelopment and Autism in South Asia Treatment and Evidence  -known as NAMASTE - has been awarded by the National Institute of Health and Care Research (NIHR) using UK aid from the UK Government which supports global health research.

NAMASTE builds on 91ֱ��’s own autism programme and more than a decade of partnership with India, to implement a novel integrated detection-care pathway for young children with autism and their families in India, Sri Lanka and Nepal, using lay health workers.

NAMASTE will also develop much needed research capacity in the field of neurodevelopmental disorders in South Asia.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (‘Autism’) is a severe neurodevelopmental disability with significant impact on children’s social development and independence into adulthood and profound economic consequences. The WHO included autism as a key priority in its Mental Health Action Plan in 2014.

About five million families in India live with a young autistic child, the great majority with no access to services. Over a 10-year collaboration, Sangath and The University of Manchester have carefully adapted an autism programme developed for the UK to the South Asian context. The resulting 'Parent-mediated Autism Social Communication Intervention for non-Specialists Plus’  (PASS Plus), delivered by lay-health workers, is the first of its kind and has shown real-world impact in two initial randomised controlled trials, with large-scale evaluation underway in New Delhi.

NAMASTE will be a collaboration between the two lead organisations and Autism Care Nepal, the College of Paediatrics Sri Lanka, Harvard Medical School, La Trobe University, Kings College London, the World Health Organisation and Ummeed, Mumbai.

Prof Jonathan Green, the Lead Investigator from the University of Manchester said, "I am delighted and proud at the launch of the NIHR Global Health Research Unit NAMASTE. This is the culmination of more than a decade of development work between University of Manchester and South Asia partners, particularly Sangath in India. It is a tremendous award for Global Health Research and Development in Autism; initiating for the first time an evidenced integrated detection and care support pathway adapted to the needs of low resource settings with non-specialist delivery. NAMASTE has the potential to initiate a step-change in the reach and effectiveness of Autism health care in low-resource settings and support ongoing clinical research developments to benefit the whole region and beyond."

Dr. Gauri Divan, co-principle investigator from Sangath stated: “This is the result of over ten years of systematic research in the area of community care for autism which we have been doing in Sangath. We know that families continue to struggle to receive a diagnosis and then to find proven affordable care. We hope to use our experience with working with ASHA workers in Delhi, who have been delivering the PASS Plus intervention in the homes of families. This experience has given us confidence that we can implement this across districts in South Asia by collaborating with existing health care providers and provide examples for scaling up services.

Parent advocate Gopika Kapoor, who will be part of the programme shared “ As a parent of a child with autism, living in an urban areas, with access to resources and no financial constraints, I am aware of my privileges, as I am of the fact that my son and I form a minority in the Indian subcontinent. NAMASTE will help families across the subcontinent access evidence based care techniques which will help them support their children to thrive.”

Dr Sunita Amatya, Chairperson, AutismCare Nepal Society stated that “NAMASTE is a potential game changer in the arena of developmental disabilities and autism and is an absolute need of the time in Nepal. The need for early detection and intervention services has not yet been identified at a policy level in Nepal, and this program will facilitate this step.”

Dr Asiri Hewamalahe, Consultant Community Physician, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka and Dr Dilini Vipulaguna a community paediatrician, who will together be leading the work in Sri Lanka are clear that

"Namaste will complement the existing system of early detection and early interventions for developmental disorders including autism in Sri Lanka. Most importantly, it will fill the gap in caregiver training and parent advocacy which is a timely need for families. During the current context of economic hardships to Sri Lanka 'Namaste' is indeed a blessing".

Prof Vikram Patel from Harvard Medical School, is pleased that the work that his team has supported in Sangath involving the use of digital platforms to help non-specialists to learn and then deliver pyscho-social interventions will be incorporated in NAMASTE. “Digital tools offer the most exciting opportunity to rapidly scale up, and assure the quality of, psychosocial interventions for mental health. NAMASTE will be the first program in the world to do so for autism”.

Ms Bessiso was also named in the Arab Power List 2021, and among the 30 most influential women in the Arab World 2019, also published by Arabian Business.

Randa Bessiso believes in the power of continuous education to transform lives for the better and has been deeply involved with learning and development through her entire career. A Lebanese national of Palestinian origin, Ms Bessiso is the Founding Director of the Middle East Centre for The University of Manchester, established in Dubai in 2006, which is now the largest and fastest growing in the University’s international network.

Ms Bessiso leads a regional team responsible for a portfolio of part-time flexible learning Master’s programmes for working professionals covering student recruitment, student support, corporate engagement, and supporting careers services and alumni relations. She has led the introduction of new educational products, services and initiatives, as well as additional industry-led specialist part-time Master’s programmes.

She is also responsible for regional engagement across governments, corporate strategic talent partnerships and social responsibility programmes, as well as collaborations with industry groups, government and professional bodies. Today, the Middle East Centre has supported over 3,000 part-time Master’s students in the region making it one of the largest professional communities of its kind in the region.

Prior to joining the University, Ms Bessiso was already involved in higher education as the regional lead for the UK government’s UK eUniversities Worldwide programme. Before moving into education, she was Vice President at PROJACS International (professional management and consulting services) in Kuwait.

Randa Bessiso’s success as an influential female leader has been highlighted with a number of regional recognitions, including annual inclusion in the Forbes Middle East 100 Most Influential Women/Most Powerful Arab Businesswomen lists, from 2014 to 2018. She was also included in the Arabian Business annual Arab Power List 2021 and was also named among the 30 Most Influential Women in the Arab World by Arabian Business in 2019. Ms Bessiso is a regular media commentator and speaker at executive forums in the UAE on her special area of interest – women in business.

Commenting on the recognition, Randa Bessiso said: “It is gratifying to be recognised with inclusion in this list of distinguished people, and of course, there any many others in the region who equally deserve recognition. I am very fortunate to work with groups of remarkable people – our students and alumni, people at our social responsibility and corporate partners, and my own regional team – who are all making an impact and a real difference. I congratulate all of those whose efforts are rewarded and encourage all those who go unrewarded to sustain their commitment because people can make a difference.” 

The University of Manchester has a global mission focusing on the three pillars of teaching, research and social responsibility. The Middle East Centre supports all three pillars and in addition to the extensive teaching programme, it has also been active in regional and local research, and in social responsibility through its support for a range of local community initiatives. The University of Manchester was named as the world’s 27th best university in the QS World University Rankings 2022, sixth in the UK, and eighth in Europe.

The announcements follow the signing of a Strategic Alliance between the three institutions last year, and represents the first steps in expanding the relationship – enhancing cooperation between academics on three continents. The agreements were signed in 91ֱ�� following a joint visit on 21 April.

The first, the 91ֱ��-Melbourne-Toronto (MMT) Research Fund 2022, has been jointly funded to a total of £300,000 by the three universities to create partnerships between two or three of the institutions. This follows several years of successful bilateral seed funding programmes between 91ֱ�� and Melbourne and 91ֱ�� and Toronto.

Academic teams can suggest a project and the fund will help create long-term research collaborations with a view to subsequently attracting external funding. They can be from any research discipline and projects will build on the joint strengths of the three universities involved.

Further details and how to apply can be found on the University website.

The International Centre for Translational Digital Health will add Melbourne to an existing partnership between Toronto and 91ֱ��. The expanded Centre will work on topics such as remote monitoring and virtual care, health policy and implementation, data science and AI and digital health inequity. All three cities have similarities in terms of population, how healthcare is funded and organised, and the combined expertise of the universities.

It is envisaged that the new partnership will jointly develop research papers, student exchanges, new technology and secure external funding. The translational nature of the centre means that an emphasis will be placed on using research to improve healthcare in the three partner cities and beyond.

Professor Steve Flint, Associate Vice-President International at The University of Manchester, said: “This is a major step in realising our strategic plans for this Alliance. There are many similarities between our three cities and universities, so our research can only benefit from forming more links like this. By combining at the level of individual and discipline we can be greater than the sum of our parts and have a greater impact on society as a result.”

Professor Justin Zobel, Pro-Vice Chancellor (Graduate and International Research) at the University of Melbourne, said: “We are delighted that, as part of the new alliance, Melbourne can join the Centre and collaborate with like-minded partners on strengthening research in the critical area of public and digital health.

“With this fund announcement, we also welcome the opportunities for our institutions to support greater collaboration among our early career researchers. These are the great minds of the future, and the research partnerships that grow from this alliance will help shape our world in years to come.”

Professor Alex Mihailidis, Associate Vice-President of International Partnerships at the University of Toronto, said: “The trilateral alliance has generated huge opportunities to grow our collaborations. We are thrilled that these first steps are being taken to facilitate research that is truly global in scope and across three continents. From this foundation, we will see networks of researchers engage in developing solutions to our most pressing global problems.”

It proposes different phase-out dates for oil and gas producing countries in line with the Paris Agreement’s goals and commitment to a fair transition. Taking into account countries’ differing levels of wealth, development and economic reliance on fossil fuels, it says the poorest nations should be given until 2050 to end production but will also need significant financial support to transition their economies.

The report, by Professor Kevin Anderson, a leading researcher at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, and Dr Dan Calverley, warns that there is no room for any nation to increase production, with all having to make significant cuts this decade. The richest, which produce over a third of the world’s oil and gas, must cut output by 74% by 2030; the poorest, which supply just one ninth of global demand, must cut back by 14%.

Kevin Anderson, Professor of Energy and Climate Change at The University of Manchester, said: “Responding to the ongoing climate emergency requires a rapid shift away from a fossil fuel economy, but this must be done fairly. There are huge differences in the ability of countries to end oil and gas production, while maintaining vibrant economies and delivering a just transition for their citizens.  We have developed a schedule for phasing out oil and gas production that – with sufficient support for developing countries – meets our very challenging climate commitments and does so in a fair way.

“The research was completed prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Our first thoughts are with the Ukrainian people and indeed with all of those caught up in the war. But the resulting high energy prices also remind us that oil and gas are volatile global commodities, and economies that depend on them will continue to face repeated shocks and disruption. The efficient and sensible use of energy combined with a rapid shift to renewables will increase energy security, build resilient economies, and help avoid the worst impacts of climate change.”

The report, commissioned by the International Institute for Sustainable Development, notes that some poorer nations are so reliant on fossil fuel revenues that rapidly removing this income could threaten their political stability. Countries like South Sudan, Congo-Brazzaville, and Gabon, despite being small producers, have little economic revenue apart from oil and gas production.

By contrast, it observes: “Wealthy nations that are major producers, typically remain wealthy even once the oil and gas revenue is removed.” Oil and gas revenue contribute 8% to US GDP but without it the country’s GDP per head would still be around $60,000 – the second highest globally.

When countries signed the UN Paris Agreement, they agreed that wealthy nations should take bigger and faster steps to decarbonise their economies and also provide financial support to help poorer countries move away from fossil fuels. This principle has been applied to coal power generation, with the UN calling on wealthy OECD countries to phase our coal use by 2030 and the rest of the world by 2040.

The report, , applies similar principles to oil and gas. It quantifies how much future production is consistent with the Paris climate targets and what this implies for the 88 countries responsible for 99.97% of all oil and gas supply. It sets viable phase-out pathways for five different groups of countries based on their differing capacities to make a rapid and just transition away from fossil fuels.

For a 50% chance of limiting the global temperature rise to 1.5°C, it finds that:

• 19 Highest Capacity countries, with average non-oil GDP per person (GDP/capita) of over $50,000, must end production by 2034, with a 74% cut by 2030. This group produces 35% of global oil and gas and includes the USA, UK, Norway, Canada, Australia and the United Arab Emirates.
   
• 14 High Capacity countries, with average non-oil GDP/capita of nearly $28,000, must end production by 2039, with a 43% cut by 2030. They produce 30% of global oil and gas and include Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Kazakhstan.
   
• 11 Medium Capacity countries, with average non-oil GDP/capita of $17,000, must end production by 2043, with a 28% cut by 2030. They produce 11% of global oil and gas and include China, Brazil and Mexico.
   
• 19 Low Capacity countries with average non-oil GDP/capita of $10,000, must end production by 2045, with an 18% cut by 2030. They produce 13% of global oil and gas and include Indonesia, Iran and Egypt.
   
• 25 Lowest Capacity countries, with average non-oil GDP/capita of $3,600, must end production by 2050 with a 14% cut by 2030. They produce 11% of global oil and gas and include Iraq, Libya, Angola and South Sudan.

Dr Dan Calverley said: “There is very little room for manoeuvre if we want to limit warming to 1.5°C. Although this schedule gives poorer countries longer to phase out oil and gas production, they will be hit hard by the loss of income. An equitable transition will require substantial levels of financial assistance for poorer producers, so they can meet their development needs while they switch to low-carbon economies and deal with growing climate impacts.”

Commenting on the report, Connie Hedegaard, former European Commissioner for Climate Action and Danish Minister for Climate and Energy, said: “While it is largely understood that there needs to be an urgent phase-out of coal production globally, this report illustrates only too clearly why there also needs to be a phase-out of oil and gas production. And it shows that the pace and end date of the wind-down needs to be rapid. This urgency has only been tragically underscored by recent geopolitical events, which have made it abundantly clear that there are numerous reasons why the world needs to get off its dependence on fossil fuels and accelerate the transition to clean energy”.

Saber H. Chowdhury, Member of the Bangladesh Parliament and Honorary President of the Inter-Parliamentary Union, said: "The science is conclusive - fossil fuels need to be phased out now and a fossil fuel free future world realised soon. Wealthy nations have the means to transition fastest and have a moral duty to do this. At same time, they have an obligation to support countries in the global south with finance and technology to assist them in transitioning to renewables to secure their energy needs."

The proposed schedules for winding down oil and gas production depend on a rapid global phase-out of coal. The report notes that many poorer countries rely on domestic coal production for their energy needs: nearly three quarters of all the world’s coal is produced and consumed in developing countries. However, to achieve 1.5°C without even tighter reductions on oil and gas, coal production must peak in developing countries by 2022 and end by 2040, while developed countries must phase out all coal production by 2030.

The scholarship aims to increase opportunities for women and girls studying in those fields and will cover full tuition fees and most expenses associated with study overseas including flights, visa and a monthly stipend, with provision also made for accompanying children.

According to data from the (UNESCO), fewer than 30% of researchers worldwide are women and only 30% of female students select STEM-related fields in higher education. Globally, female students’ enrolment is particularly low in information and communications technology (3%), natural science, mathematics and statistics (5%), and engineering, manufacturing and construction (8%).

David Polya, Associate Dean for Internationalisation and Professor of Environmental Geochemistry at The University of Manchester, said: “As the world’s top university in the Times Higher Education (THE) 2021 impact rankings for action on sustainable development goals (SDGs), The University of Manchester is one of the world’s leading research institutes. This scholarship is symbolic of our core social responsibility goals. With the new scholarship offering we hope we can help to further address the gender imbalance seen within STEM subjects alongside giving a passport to a successful career and a lifetime of achievement. We are also particularly proud of our further involvement, led by Dr Laura Richards, partnering with the British Council and India’s Department of Science and Technology (DST) on the GATI (Gender Advancement through Transforming Institutions) project advancing women in STEM in India.”

The University of Manchester, led by President and Vice-Chancellor, Dame Nancy Rothwell, has a proud history of innovation in STEM. 91ֱ�� was the birthplace of the nuclear age, when Ernest Rutherford's pioneering research led to the splitting of the atom. The computer revolution started here in June 1948 when a machine built by Tom Kilburn and Sir Freddie Williams, known affectionately as 'The Baby', ran its first stored program. More recently, it is known as the University that isolated graphene, the material of the future, and for its leading role in informing climate change and energy policy, notably through the Head of the School of Engineering, Professor Alice Larkin.

Barbara Wickham, Country Director British Council India, said: “Based on the overwhelmingly positive experience and feedback from earlier scholarships, we are excited to offer this fourth round of scholarships for women in STEM. With the UK widely recognised as home to some of the world’s top-ranked universities offering quality programmes in STEM, we hope to enable women from across India to access a master’s degree or an academic fellowship at leading UK universities. The British Council is committed to girls’ education and addressing gender imbalance in science, technology and innovation, including in academia. Since 2018, over 180 Indian women have been able to pursue a master’s in STEM subjects in the UK and these new scholarships will support even more women in making transformational changes in their lives and then go on to make a mark in the world and inspire future generations.”

Potential students are encouraged to apply ahead of the deadline on 10^th April 2022 and applicants must be in receipt of a University of Manchester offer. Applicants must demonstrate a case for financial support and that they are active in the field of study with work experience or with a proven interest in the course area they are applying for. In addition, they must demonstrate plans for future contribution to capacity-building and socio-economic advancement, and a plan and passion to engage other women and girls in STEM.

For more information and to apply visit: .

The University of Manchester offers a range of alternative scholarships for STEM and other subject areas. More information can be found at /study/international/finance-and-scholarships/funding/

Announced today (15 November), the Alliance sees the Universities - which have a combined 187,000 students and 45,000 staff and are all in the world top 50 - commit to collaborate more closely than ever, drawing on joint expertise and resources and taking advantage of new ways of studying, working and collaborating that have emerged during the pandemic.

For students this means global classroom programmes that provide interaction with world leading teachers and researchers on three continents via lectures, seminars, and practical classes. There will be exchanges providing global experiences to boost career prospects and dual PhD programmes with opportunities to visit the third institutions.

Researchers will also gain access to specialist facilities and the opportunities to work on joint research programmes on areas of interest such as environmental sustainability, cancer treatment and advanced materials. Several of these are already in place (see case study below).

This will be supported by access to global experience in funding, links to industry and researchers at the other member institutions. There will be support for mutual sabbaticals, exchanges, visits, and residencies between the alliance members.

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: “91ֱ�� is a global university and the pandemic has shown more than ever how collaborative working can solve our greatest challenges. This new alliance between three of the world’s leading universities will embed that spirit of collaboration and provide world-class opportunities for our researchers and our students.”

Professor Duncan Maskell, University of Melbourne Vice-Chancellor said: “The new alliance between Melbourne, 91ֱ��, and Toronto universities will create opportunities to address global challenges across all fields of education and research. The alliance will enable existing funding projects, joint research programmes and PhD programmes to grow in scale across all three institutions and their regions.”

Professor Meric Gertler, President of the University of Toronto, said: “The University of Toronto is excited to build on its strong, long-standing relationships with our peer institutions in Melbourne and 91ֱ��. This new collaboration will amplify our individual strengths and enhance our collective contributions in teaching, research and innovation across a wide range of disciplines.”

The MoU, signed at the Royal College of Physicians by Health and Social Care Secretary Sajid Javid and Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Labour Cooperation, Simon Chelugi, was also attended by President Uhuru Kenyatta.

As part of the agreement, prevention and management of cancer in Kenya will be improved through a partnership between Kenyatta University Teaching Referral and Research Hospital (KUTRRH) and the University of Manchester, Christie NHS Foundation Trust and 91ֱ�� University NHS Foundation Trust.

This will see the promotion of KUTRRH as a regional hub for cancer treatment, linking to eleven regional cancer centres across Kenya and The Christie hospital through telemedicine. It will also monitor clinical outcomes to support innovation and improvement in cancer treatment.

The hub and spoke model will mirror the clinical service in Greater 91ֱ��, which has seen cancer outcomes improve faster than anywhere else in the UK.

The Alliance’s first grant application, which is submitted to National Institute for Health Research, seeks to establish such a service for squamous cell carcinoma of the oesophagus, a poorly understood cancer that is common in Kenya.

They also propose the development of a world-leading cancer research centre at KUTRRH to develop novel personalised therapies for East Africans. And they will help create a centre of excellence for health education and training at Kisii University using modern educational and pedagogical approaches to train nurses, doctors and pharmacists.

The Christie and 91ֱ�� University Foundation Trust will also provide training places for current healthcare workforce to obtain specialised oncology training and an understanding of how the hub and spoke model for cancer care services works in Greater 91ֱ��.

To mark the launch of the Alliance, The University of Manchester and The Christie will establish two scholarships each, the President Jomo Kenyatta scholarships to help support Kenyans to undertake Masters level studies at the University or a clinical fellowship at The Christie.

The collaboration with Kenya follows the naming of The University of Manchester in April as the world's best university for action on sustainable development in the Times Higher Education (THE) Impact Rankings.

The University topped the table of more than 1,200 universities from around the world on action taken towards the United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Professor Graham Lord, Vice-President and Dean of the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health at The University of Manchester said: “Not only do we strive for research and teaching excellence like all universities but we also have a third and unique goal around social responsibility. We want to see our research and teaching make a difference, locally in 91ֱ��, nationally in the UK and internationally.

“It is now time for us to build on this success and take on bigger challenges and leading and successfully delivering the Kenya UK Healthcare Alliance is one of these challenges, as we seek to make a difference to the healthcare system of an important strategic ally to the UK through clinical services, research and education.

“So as an institution with long standing links with Kenya, we look forward to working with the country to developing a modern and resilient healthcare workforce capable of dealing with the rising tide of all forms of non-communicable diseases in the country.”

The President’s visit to the UK delivers on the Strategic Partnership between the two countries, agreed by President Kenyatta and Prime Minister Boris Johnson in January 2020.

kenyan Principal Secretary for Health, Susan Mochache said: “The Kenya UK Healthcare Alliance is a key achievement in the development of the Health Sector in Kenya. The agreement on health workers will not only avail employment opportunities for the many unemployed Health workers, it will in a big way build their capacity to further improve Health Service Delivery in Kenya and enhance their global competitiveness. It is a big win for Kenya; the Health Workers Exchange programme will help strengthen Health Human Resource capacity in the country and will help accelerate attainment of the Universal Health Coverage goal . The donation of the Astrazeneca vaccine will boost Kenya’s COVID-19 response efforts.”

Jane Marriott, the British High Commissioner to Kenya, said: “Our Health Partnership with Kenya is 30 years old and growing stronger by the month. This new agreement on health workers allows us to share skills and expertise even further, and is a fantastic opportunity for Kenyans to work in the UK.

“From COVID-19 vaccines and genomic sequencing, to exchanges on cancer research and treatment to help Kenya treatment more cancer patients at home, the UK has a long and proud history of support for Kenya’s health sector. The signing of the Kenya-UK Health Alliance is the latest chapter in our flourishing partnership.”

James Ongwae, Governor of Kisii county which one of the regions where a teaching hospital will be located, sent a message of thanks to the University and the other agencies involved in the plans.

Images:

• Two images of President  Kenyatta with the British delegation from last year
• This year's ceremony from left to right Professor Graham Lord, President  Kenyatta, Kenyan Cabinet Secretary for Labour Cooperation, Simon Chelugi, Health Secretary Sajid Javid and Professor Keith Brennan.
• Professor Graham Lord chatting to Health Secretary Sajid Javid and President Jomo Kenyatta
• The President delivering his speech

The idea for this dual PhD degree initiative originated after a joint research project between The University of Manchester and University of Chile was awarded the prestigious in 2018.

The grant was awarded for ‘smart’ ways of restoring electricity supplies following natural disasters. The work has influenced energy policy in Chile and has led to global applications, including countries located around the Pacific Ring of Fire which are exposed to the risk of earthquakes and tsunamis.

The University of Manchester’s President and Vice Chancellor, Dame Nancy Rothwell, said: “At 91ֱ�� a cornerstone of our international strategy is partnerships. No single country has a monopoly on talent and it is only through global partnerships that we can address the major challenges to our planet and our society. These partnerships are also essential for producing future generations of skilled global citizens, capable of carrying forward our values and ensuring world peace.”

This new initiative will see the implantation of a new dual PhD degree involving the collaborative scoping of projects by project supervisors from each side and certificates to be issued by both institutions upon successful completion of the programme.

Candidates on the programme can expect to benefit from the world-class academic supervision and research infrastructure of two globally renowned universities. The initial area of focus is in electrical but it is the intention of both universities to expand the range of research areas under the scheme across science and engineering, to humanities, social sciences and medicine.

Professor Ennio Vivaldi, President, University of Chile, said: "This dual PHD program is part of a long-term collaboration of both universities, including the Newton Fund grant awarded in 2018 to enhance resilience by restoring the electricity supply following socio-natural disasters. We believe that these kinds of collaborative activities are the best contribution we can do at the moment of uncertainty that mankind faces. Transdisciplinary efforts, the relationship of the universities, and the complementarity of our efforts moving forward in social engagement are essential to provide solutions in this context. Probably, these joint efforts for creating new knowledge are one of the best ways that both institutions can contribute to society."

This new partnership programme will present a unique opportunity for talented researchers to address complex global challenges. Apart from the very attractive proposition this presents to aspiring young researchers, this initiative will consolidate the partnership between our two institutions as academic colleagues drive forward research initiatives that have material impacts in the progress of developing countries.

HMA Louise De Sousa, British Ambassador to Chile, said: “At the beginning of this year, our Prime Minister unveiled the UK’s ambitious plan to become a global science superpower, recognising not only the UK’s world-class research and innovation, but also emphasising the need to encourage collaborations and promote the environment to attract the world’s top scientists and research to our shores. This dual PhD reflects his vision.”

The PhD programme will be four years in total with two years spent at The University of Chile and two years spent at The University of Manchester. The dual PhD programme was launched at a special online ceremony hosted by the University of Chile on 1 July. Attendees included HMA Louise De Sousa, British Ambassador to Chile, HE David Gallagher, Chilean Ambassador to the UK, and Aisen Etcheverry, Director, Chilean National Agency for Research and Development (ANID).

And the programme, say scientists at the (ASI) in Guatemala City and The University of Manchester, will save lives in countries across the developing world if implemented.

The study is published in the and funded by The Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections.

The research team studied 2,127 Guatemalan HIV patients between the ages of 25 and 41 of which 385 - or 18% - had a life-threatening fungal infection or tuberculosis.

The Mayan ethnic group in Guatemala had a high rate of advanced HIV disease - 65% - and fewer were on antiretroviral therapy.

Histoplasmosis - caused by a fungus called Histoplasma - was the most frequent infection (7.9%), followed by tuberculosis (7.1%)– which is often confused with fungal disease - and cryptococcosis (4.8%). Some patients had 2 or 3 concurrent infections.

Guatemala has a high incidence of the Histoplasma, which grows in soil and bat caves.

The team found that infection gave a 5-fold greater chance of dying; however overall the program decreased mortality by 7%. This reduction was achieved by rapid diagnosis and earlier, appropriate treatment.

Without diagnostic and educational support, doctors, they argue, are more likely to base their diagnosis on guesswork often resulting in incorrect diagnosis.

Breathed in, most people are unaffected, but if exposure is high or people have depressed immunity, as in AIDS, it can travel through the body and cause lethal infection.

Guatamala has the worst record of identifying and treating HIV disease early in the Americas, resulting the large numbers of people with severe disease.

The Program Director at ASI, a non-profit organization which specializes in HIV and infectious diseases Dr Eduardo Arathoon said:

“This diagnostic and educational program has been transformational for patients with HIV in Guatemala – inspiring confidence in our healthcare workers, providing rapid diagnostic answers in complex medical cases and saving lives.”

Rapid testing in the urine or blood is critical for choosing antifungal treatment – the mistaken diagnosis of tuberculosis is all too common, leading to patient’s death.

Other hyperendemic areas for Histoplasma include the Guiana Shield, other Central American and Caribbean countries, Myanmar, Thailand and parts of the Philippines and Indonesia, as well as the Mississippi Basin in the USA.

Dr David Denning is Professor of Infectious Diseases in Global Health at The University of Manchester and Chief executive of the Global Action Fund for Fungal Infections that coordinated the project.

He said: “We believe this is this first population level demonstration of the power of diagnostics for fungal disease to saves lives. The combination of rapid diagnostic testing, expert training, online and mobile test ordering and reporting clearly show a survival benefit.

“More patients with AIDS die of fungal disease than tuberculosis, and we show that rapid diagnosis can save their lives. We hope other communities and countries can adopt simar approaches.”

The programme, launching this July, will be open to IIT and IISc graduates from India during its initial phase. Successful candidates will be required to enrol at both institutions spending the first year at IIT Kharagpur with the remaining time on the programme split between The University of Manchester and IIT Kharagpur according to the project requirements as determined by the supervisors and the Joint Programme Board.

Both institutions will be responsible for making their own award but the two components would form a single research experience managed cooperatively by both institutions. The successful doctoral candidates will receive parchments from both Institutions - each prominently mentioning the joint nature of the work and the partner institute’s name.

While IIT Kharagpur has already established similar programmes with universities in Australia, New Zealand and Canada, this is the first time such a joint programme has been set up with a British university.

Professor Baidurya Bhattacharya, Former Dean International Relations at IIT Kharagpur who was instrumental in setting up this programme remarked: “This Dual Award PhD is a unique partnership made possible by the trust and respect we have developed over the years for each other's research quality and academic standards. Starting from defining the doctoral project, selection and admission of the student, to supervision, thesis work and evaluation, and finally award of the degree, everything is jointly administered. I believe this programme will provide the template for equal partnership between IITs and top British universities in the future.”

As a core component of its international strategy, The University of Manchester is entering into a small number of dual award PhD programmes with prestigious partner institutions around the world.

Professor Stephen Flint, Associate Vice-President International, The University of Manchester, said: “The dual PhD with IIT Kharagpur is testament to the University’s strategic ambitions to build world-class research links with India and to encourage more student mobility between the two regions.” He further added, “The University of Manchester established research partnerships with IIT Kharagpur some years ago and this dual award PhD programme is the next step in deepening our relationship, with academic colleagues in both institutions sharing supervision of the PhD students, who will spend 2 years in 91ֱ�� and 2 years in Kharagpur."

Faculty members from the two institutions will jointly define projects which are approved by a Joint Progamme Board. As per the umbrella MoU signed in 2017, some of the areas for potential joint projects include Biomedical Informatics, Advanced Materials, Smart Textiles, and Earth-Environment-Water Sciences. Several potential collaborations between faculty members of both institutions have already been identified with encouragement of the development of further collaborations. Under this programme, full and partial funding will be available on a competitive basis for four years for a select number of suitably qualified and progressing students.

Between 1 and 1.4 million fungal eye infections occur in the developing world per year, leaving over 600,000 people blind in one eye, find researchers from 91ֱ��, London and Nairobi.

Lead researcher Lottie Brown from the University of Manchester today publishes the first estimation of global fungal keratitis figures in

Infection of the transparent cornea of the eye can be devastating, especially if it is caused by fungal keratitis, say the team.

The infection - which often sets in after an agricultural accident - results in visual impairment, blindness and disfiguration. It can lead to discrimination, loss of employment and social isolation, reinforcing the cycle of poverty.

Outcomes of fungal keratitis cases, which are usually diagnosed too late to save vision, are poor: 60% of sufferers will go blind in the affected eye and 10% will need surgical removal of the eye. In contrast early diagnosis usually saves both vision and the eye, although a high level of expertise, antifungal therapy and often surgery is required.

The researchers identified high rates of fungal keratitis in a number of African countries as well as Nepal, Pakistan and India. Lower rates were identified in Europe.

of The University of Manchester and Chief Executive of the (GAFFI) said: “Fungal keratitis is so neglected among neglected tropical diseases, even the WHO and G-Finder don’t list it. Poor agricultural workers are most affected, yet high quality care can takes days to access in most high incidence areas.

Professor Matthew Burton, practicing ophthalmologist at part of the London School of Hygiene &Tropical Medicine, declared: “Among all the major causes of eye infection in adults, fungal keratitis is too often devastating. My own experiences in Tanzania, Uganda, Nepal and India taught me what a challenge this problem can be – but enabled my team to develop pathways for major improvements in care.”

Lottie Brown, a final year medical student in 91ֱ��, said: “Having seen these patients first hand in Nepal, I can testify to how awful fungal keratitis is. It has been a privilege to contribute to a better understanding of this ‘infectious accident’ which could affect anyone.”

The authors examined all 241 papers published listing the causes of microbial keratitis to derive country and regional estimates of annual incidence. In Kenya, Dr Michael Gichangi from the Ministry of Health had collected cases from each district over several years, enabling an estimate for Africa. The authors also checked for the ratio between fungal and bacterial keratitis which varied from 1% in Spain to 60% in Vietnam, typically ~45% in tropical and subtropical areas.

* rates are ~40% higher if culture and microscopy negative cases are assumed to be fungal.

The global incidence and diagnosis of fungal keratitis is publoshed in Lancet Infectious Diseases