China visit strengthens research and educational collaborations

On her first stop in Beijing, from 11–12 September, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell and her delegation met with key partners and institutions, including Peking University Health Science Center, China Scholarship Council and the National Natural Science Foundation Council, to enhance the significant collaborations in research and teaching in China. She looks forward to strengthening academic and research collaboration in the future. Professor Rothwell also delivered a speech on the theme of ‘A Life in Science’ during her visit to Peking University.

On the evening of 11 September, an alumni reception in Beijing was hosted by the President for over 200 alumni, where Nancy shared the university’s latest achievements. Nancy mentioned that earlier this year, the UK government announced a new prize for artificial intelligence named after The University of Manchester’s invention of the first stored program computer in 1948. It will be known as ‘The 91直播 Prize.’

Celebrating the 15^th anniversary of the China Centre

On 13 September, Professor Rothwell toured the new premises of The University of Manchester China Centre in Shanghai. Ms. Sherry Fu, Founding Director of the China Centre, hosted the visit and introduced the Centre’s low-carbon office project, support for the delivery of the Global MBA and online blended Masters courses, such as MA Education Leadership in Practice and Msc Financial Management, and the Centre’s cultural activities and social impact to the President and her delegation. Professor Rothwell said how impressed she is by the ambition and growth of the China Centre in the past 15 years. She also appreciated the support from the China Centre to ensure the best experience for all University students and alumni, and to contribute to a broader landscape of transnational education.

While in Shanghai, Professor Rothwell also met with the leadership team of Shanghai Jiao Tong University and exchanged thoughts on collaboration opportunities between the two universities in the future.

Professor Rothwell also hosted an Alumni Gala Dinner on the evening of 13 September for over 300 alumni across the country and distinguished guests to celebrate the 15th anniversary of The University of Manchester China Centre. 

Professor Rothwell especially mentioned the upcoming University’s bicentenary celebration and welcomed alumni in China to celebrate this significant milestone for the University in 2024.

“It was wonderful to meet our alumni in Beijing and Shanghai. At The University of Manchester, our alumni continue to be a part of our community, long after graduation. And we’re always proud to see Chinese alumni shining in their fields after their graduation, in China, the UK, and other places in the world,” said Professor Rothwell.

Looking ahead – a bright future

Commenting on her trip, Professor Rothwell said: “I am delighted to have had the opportunity to visit China again to reconnect with our partners and to celebrate with our esteemed alumni. The University of Manchester prides itself on being a truly international university.”

The study found that being connected to the political elite in China brings advantages to firms, despite the launch of the Anti-Corruption Campaign (ACC) by president Xi Jinping in 2012. According to the paper, recently , private firms benefit from higher subsidies if at least one director in the boardroom has ties with the ruling Communist Party’s Politburo. State-owned enterprises (SOE’s) that have at least one connected director also enjoy privileges, such as paying lower interest rates.

The findings differ between private and state owned firms, showing that connections have become more valuable for private firms following the anti-corruption campaign. According to the research, private firms face a more aggressive environment within the Chinese context, and often engage in corrupt practices as a mechanism to survive.

By contrast, corruption in state firms differs in nature, given that state firms already enjoy a privileged status within the Chinese economy and do not need to engage in corruption in order to survive. The value of connections in the state sector did not increase after the ACC, however, political connections remained important.

According to the study, in state owned firms the problem of corruption and personal connections lies in the politicisation of these companies. Whilst SOEs are tied to the Chinese Government, they can be used as a means for political interests. The researchers suggest that reducing connections between politicians and firms and introducing market rules within state companies would increase efficiency.

This research sheds light on a resource allocation mechanism that has become increasingly important in China since 2012, but which, according to the researchers, harms China’s economic growth in the long term.

Whilst the Anti-Corruption Campaign may have had some other positive effects, the researchers argue that improving market institutions in China and providing a more favourable environment for private companies requires deeper reforms.

 “We show that the value of connections in the private sector increased after the Anti-Corruption Campaign because they became a less risky alternative to pecuniary corruption. We also show that connected firms do not perform better than others, despite benefiting from advantages. The Chinese economy as a whole hence suffers due to these political economy mechanisms at play.” Said Dr , from The University of Manchester.

 A third award is still up for grabs, and the recipient is to be decided by the public. Voting for the People’s Choice Award, which comes with a prize of £500/¥4,500, is now open. Have your say by heading over to Creative 91直播’s Facebook page and ‘liking’ your favourite image in the album entitled .

A group of Chinese and American diplomats have met in the remote mountains of China's Anhui province for the 12th annual US-China Diplomatic Dialogue, co-hosted by Professor Peter Gries of the 91直播 China Institute. 

The meeting involved formal discussions of the US-China trade dispute, security competition in the South China Sea, and the future of US-China relations. It also included informal activities like hiking in the Mingtang Mountains and touring local factories and farms, giving the Chinese and American diplomats ample opportunity to get to know one another better, and further discuss bilateral issues.

Yuexi, the town where the meeting took place, is the hometown of cohost Wu Xinbo, who Directs both the Shanghai and Fudan University Institutes of American Studies.

Professor Peter Gries established the US-China Diplomatic Dialogue in 2007 to generate mutual trust and improve U.S.-China relations. It does this by creating an informal retreat-like atmosphere in which participating diplomats can establish personal relationships while frankly exchanging their views on bilateral relations.

The Americans attendees came from the US Embassy in Beijing, and the five US Consulates scattered around China. The Chinese diplomats all came from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing.

Americans and Chinese people grow up with very different ideologies and worldviews - in such a context, they can easily project their worst fears onto one another, increasing the likelihood of conflict. Professor Gries created the dialogue in the hopes that it would help each side better understand the others’ views, lessening the likelihood that misperceptions and fear would contribute to war.

Because of the working-level, informal, and intimate nature of the US-China Diplomatic Dialogue, it also allows young Chinese and American diplomats to form personal relationships that they can call upon in their future careers.

?The Chinese diplomats were Liu Jun (刘军, Counsellor, Department of North American Affairs), Shen Jie (沈杰, First Secretary, Information Department), Chi Wenyu (匙文宇, Second Secretary, Policy Planning), Zhou Yang (周洋, Second Secretary, Department of North American Affairs), Zhang Junjie (张俊杰, Third Secretary, Department of North American Affairs, Zhang Zhenliang (张振亮, Third Secretary, General Office), Li Xue (李雪, Attaché, Department of North American Affairs), Zhu Shuai (朱帅, Attaché, Personnel Department), and Xu Lang (徐浪, Department of North American Affairs).

The American diplomats were Pauline Anderson (Public Affairs, U.S. Embassy), Michael Brewer (Economic Officer, US CG in Shanghai), Andrew Duff (Economic Officer, U.S. CG in Guangzhou), Natasha Grokh (Economic Officer, U.S. CG in Shenyang), Scott Linton (Political Officer, U.S. CG in Shanghai), Mimi Lu (Trade Officer, Economic Section,), Tom Niblock (Political Officer, U.S. Embassy), and Chris Rains (Political Officer, U.S. CG in Chengdu).

His Excellency Liu Xiaoming, Chinese Ambassador to the United Kingdom, inspired the next generation of innovators during a keynote speech at , demonstrating the strong bond between the University and China and the benefits of partnership working.

Concluding his tour of the University, Ambassador Liu said it was his third campus visit since 2015, the last time as part of President Xi’s state visit to 91直播. This visit was just as symbolic as it coincided with the 40^th anniversary of the opening up of the Chinese economy to international markets.

In his speech, Ambassador Liu stated he was impressed by the University’s discipline and innovative spirit which complemented the UK’s research strengths in science, artificial intelligence, healthcare, ageing and green growth. There is also a link between the University and China’s expertise in urban transformation, engineering, technology, aerospace and nuclear energy. With this, the Ambassador commented he saw potential University-China partnerships around the regeneration of rust belt areas and building green, smart cities of the future.

He said: "I sincerely hope that the University of Manchester will continue to leverage its strengths, deepen cooperation with China on innovation in the spirit of “knowledge, wisdom and humanity”, and enhance exchanges in personnel training and technology. I am sure you will become a leading brand of China-UK cooperation on innovation."

The Ambassador, accompanied by Madam Huping Hua, was hosted by Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University, and .

The Ambassador's full speech can be found on .

The University of Manchester has celebrated a key milestone with the 10 year anniversary of launching its China Centre in Shanghai.

One of five global hubs and the largest of the University’s overseas Centres, the establishment of the China Centre was recognised by a charity event at the Sino-UK Creative Economy Business Forum, which focused on healthcare, education and art.

The event was attended by President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, along with colleagues Professor Peter Gries Director of the 91直播 China Institute, Professor Elaine Ferneley, Director, University of Manchester Worldwide, and Richard Cotton Director of Student Recruitment & International Development.

Acknowledging the University’s research strengths and its global reputation for innovation, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, said: “91直播 has long been a birthplace of creativity. The first computer was created in 91直播 and more recently so was graphene. This year, the University launches Creative 91直播 – a £3.3 million investment along with collaborative partnerships to support the creative sector.

“Our cultural institutes including the Whitworth, 91直播 Museum, the John Rylands Library, the Centre for New Writing, the Institute for Cultural Practices, Multilingual 91直播 and Digital Humanities demonstrate a long history of investment in the area.”

There are currently more than 17,500 University alumni in mainland China and more than 4,200 alumni in Hong Kong SAR.

A panel session exploring the creative economy and a souvenir sale which raised funds to support children from under-privileged backgrounds also took place. Entertainment was provided by a choir made up of the children of MBA graduates and their parents.

Professor Rothwell concluded: “In addition to continuously supporting Chinese students on campus and having established the China Centre a decade ago, the University’s engagement in China has enabled joint research and development initiatives with leading universities across China.

“The launch of and the partnerships with Chinese universities successfully illustrates our long-term commitment to China, along with its privilege, responsibility and ability in effectively bridging China and Britain in the field of education.”

Today at the UK China Business Forum in Shanghai, President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell and Nobel Laureate, Professor Sir Kostya Novoselov of The University of Manchester addressed a group of specially selected business leaders.

and shared the stage with two of China’s highest-profile business people – Jack Ma, founder and executive chairman of Alibaba Group and Li Shufu, chairman of Zhejiang Geely Holding Group Co Ltd and Volvo Cars, as well as Theresa May and Liam Fox.

Speaking at the event, the Prime Minister said: “I’m proud to have brought many inspirational women in my business delegation.

“Women like Nancy Rothwell, who spoke to you earlier and whose university, 91直播, has excellent links with Wuhan, the first stop on my visit, as well as across China.”

Dame Nancy and Sir Kostya were chosen as part of the current delegation in recognition of Manchester’s position as a global leader in research and innovation for example in the development of advanced materials, such as graphene, in business studies and in health innovation. It also recognises the longstanding role that 91直播 and its university play in UK-China relations.

There are more than 4,800 Chinese students studying in 91直播 and the University has had a centre in Shanghai since 2008 with more than 1,000 Global MBA students studying in China since it opened.

This relationship was cemented and its National Graphene Institute in 2015, where he met Dame Nancy, Sir Andre Geim and Sir Kostya and saw some of the latest developments and applications for the 2D material .

During the current trip Dame Nancy has visited 91直播’s twin city, Wuhan, alongside the Prime Minister and attended the new UK CEO Council in Beijing which took place in the Great Hall of the People. Dame Nancy is a member of the Council alongside about 20 other UK and 20 Chinese CEOs of major businesses.

This marks a new stage in the 91直播’s relationship with China and follows the recent , which was supported by a £5m donation from businessman, philanthropist and honorary graduate, Dr Lee Kai Hung.

The Institute is tasked with improving mutual understanding in UK-China relations, and the donation will also establish a new Chinese culture gallery at .

The University has also recently announced several new partnerships in China including:

• The UK-China Infrastructure Academy commissioned by the Department of International Trade, led by , and with partners from leading UK and international businesses with a strong Northern presence. The Academy is a major initiative, backed by the UK Government, involving CEOs, presidents and other senior delegates from Chinese business and government. Two five-day modules, covering energy and rail specialisms, will establish deep understanding into the benefits of investing in UK infrastructure and opportunities for joint investment in third party countries.
• The University has this week signed a memorandum of understanding with Peking University Health Science Centre to establish a Joint Technological Platform for ‘Omics 91直播 covering genomics, proteomics/metabolomics and data science to support the Experimental Medicine Research links between the two institutions, and between The University of Manchester and other major hospitals in Beijing, such as the 301 Hospital.
• A Tsinghua University collaboration, signed in January, which focuses on health research, materials and engineering.
• Another MoU signed this week with Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU) School of Medicine to establish a Clinical Research Methods Centre linking the at The University of Manchester and the Translational Medicine Centre at SJTU to support research interests at both institutions
• Huazhong University of Science and Technology (HUST) Agreement – this will see the development of joint education and research initiatives between The University of Manchester and HUST, one of China’s top universities, in Wuhan.

Dame Nancy commented: “91直播 has a vibrant Chinese cultural and business community and the country’s links with the University are growing all of the time.

“It was therefore an honour to be chosen by the Prime Minister for this delegation, to join the UK-China CEO forum and to have the opportunity to speak to fellow universities and some of China’s major businesses about ways in which we can work together to solve some of the world’s most pressing issues.”

今日，在上海举行的中英商业论坛上，曼彻斯特大学校长南希&尘颈诲诲辞迟;罗瑟薇教授、女爵士和曼彻斯特大学教授、诺贝尔奖获得者科斯特亚&尘颈诲诲辞迟;诺沃肖洛夫爵士向来自中英两国的商界领袖致词。

南希女爵士和科斯特亚爵士与两位中国知名商界人士 ——阿里巴巴集团创始人兼董事局主席马云和浙江吉利控股集团有限公司董事长兼沃尔沃汽车集团董事长李书福，以及英国首相特蕾莎•梅、英国国际贸易大臣利亚姆·福克斯同台进行了演讲。

南希女爵士和科斯特亚爵士获选访华代表团成员，不仅彰显了曼彻斯特大学在研究和创新领域的全球领导地位，例如，石墨烯等先进材料的发展，商业研究和健康医疗等方面的创新；同时也认同了曼彻斯特大学在英中关系中发挥的长期作用。

曼彻斯特现有超过4800名中国留学生。2008年，曼彻斯特大学在上海设立了中国中心，迄今在中国培养了超过1000名工商管理硕士。

2015年习近平主席对曼彻斯特的访问更加巩固了曼彻斯特与中国的密切关系。习主席访问了曼彻斯特大学及下属的国家石墨烯研究院，会见了南希女爵士、安德烈&尘颈诲诲辞迟;盖姆爵士和科斯特亚爵士，并了解了二维材料石墨烯的最新发展和应用。

此次英国首相对中国的访问中，南希女爵士陪同梅总理一起访问了曼彻斯特的友好城市武汉，并出席了在北京人民大会堂举行的新一届英国首席执行官协会会议。 除南希女爵士之外，与会的还有40多位英中两国主要公司的首席执行官。

曼彻斯特大学最近成立的中国研究所，得到了着名商人、慈善家和名誉博士李启鸿先生慷慨捐赠的500万英镑。在此基础之上，南希校长和科斯特亚爵士此次随代表团访华标志着曼彻斯特与中国的关系进入了一个全新的阶段。

曼彻斯特中国研究所的任务是增进英中两国的相互了解。李博士的捐助同时也将帮助大学在曼彻斯特博物馆建立一个全新的中国文化长廊。

曼彻斯特大学最近还宣布了一批与中国开展的最新合作，包括：

• 由曼彻斯特商学院领导、英国与世界知名公司支持、英国国际贸易部委托成立的英中基础设施学院。学院在英国政府的支持下，吸引中国公司和政府的首席执行官、总裁和其他高级代表的参与。两个各为期五天的课程模块包括了能源和铁路专项领域。它将帮助学员深入了解投资英国基础设施的益处以及联合投资第叁方国家的机遇。
• 曼彻斯特大学本周与北京大学健康医疗科学中心签署了一项谅解备忘录&尘诲补蝉丑;&尘诲补蝉丑;建立一个涵盖基因组学、蛋白质组学/代谢组学和数据科学的联合组学技术平台，以增强两机构间以及曼彻斯特大学与北京其他大型医院（如解放军总医院）之间的实验医学研究联系。
• 一月份签署的与清华大学合作开展研究的协议。研究项目包括医疗研究、材料和工程研究。
• 本周与上海交通大学医学院签署的谅解备忘录&尘诲补蝉丑;&尘诲补蝉丑;建立一个临床研究方法中心，以联系曼彻斯特大学生物医学研究中心与上海交通大学转化医学中心，促进共同研究。
• 与位于武汉的华中科技大学签订合作协议，将促进曼彻斯特大学与中国顶尖理工大学之一的华中科技大学之间的联合培养和研究项目的发展。

南希女爵士表示：&濒诲辩耻辞;曼彻斯特不仅拥有充满活力的中国文化和商业社区，曼彻斯特大学与中国的联系也在不断加强。&谤诲辩耻辞;

&濒诲辩耻辞;被首相选中参加访问代表团并参与英中颁贰翱论坛是我的荣幸。这使我们有机会与其他大学和中国的重要公司畅谈如何通过合作来解决我们共同面临的急迫难题。&谤诲辩耻辞;

Scientists have a developed a new nanocomposite material that boosts battery life and improves the performance of everyday gadgets such as smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Working with researchers from Henan Polytechnic University in China, scientists from The University of Manchester’s have developed the nanocomposite which combines the chemical structure of Lithium ion batteries with MXene, a 2D material with a ‘graphene-like’ structure and other unique properties. The research is being published in .

Lithium ion batteries are the battery of choice for all major smartphone and tablet manufacturers such as Samsung, Apple and Sony. They are also used in many other gadgets ranging from digital cameras to wearable tech like Fitbits and smartwatches.

These kinds of batteries are popular with the manufacturers because they have higher power density, larger power output and a longer lifecycle when compared to previous battery technologies. But they do have some major disadvantages as well, such as poor electronic conductivity, which can impact on performance.

Dr Xuqing Liu, from the School of Materials, explains: ‘We have successfully prepared a novel hybrid nanocomposite which has an excellent electrochemical performance for lithium ion batteries.

‘This exceptional electrochemical performance can be attributed to the improvement of electronic conductivity by nano-size lithium particles in the composite. This means the developed nanocomposite has an excellent capability for energy capacity and retention.

‘Nanocomposites are used as building blocks to design and create new materials with unprecedented flexibility and other much improved physical properties and attributes.

‘Simply put, it delivers much better energy storage, capacity and performance than current lithium ion batteries.’

MXene is used for several different purposes beyond energy storage, including sticking atoms together – a process known as adsorption. The 2D material itself is just few atoms thick and made up of layers of metal carbides, nitrides or carbonitrides.

The isolation of graphene at 91直播 led to the discovery of a whole family of 2D materials which can be combined with graphene to create new 'designer materials'. Combinations of these 2D materials are called heterostructures - tiny towers with different layers of different materials.

Any combination is possible which means new materials can be created from the ground up on an atomic level. Nanocomposites measure between 1 to 100 nanometres, which is just 0.0001 millimetres.

Dr Liu added: ‘Energy storage is one of MXene’s most promising areas and, due to its excellent electrical conductivity, it can be used as an additive in composite materials to decrease resistances and improve electron transfer in nanocomposites.

‘This could change the way our everyday gadgets are charged. Lithium ion batteries have already meant longer battery life, but this will be the next step in that technological evolution.’

The full paper, ‘The Novel Li4Ti5O12/Ti3C2Tx nanocomposite as a high rate anode material for lithium ion batteries’, will be published in  

Advanced materials

 is one of The University of Manchester’s  - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet. #ResearchBeacons

A new £5m donation will allow The University of Manchester to establish . It will seek to improve mutual understanding in UK-China relations, and establish a new Chinese culture gallery at the 91直播 Museum.

The donation, by retired Hong Kong businessman, philanthropist and Honorary Graduate of the University of Manchester, Dr Lee Kai Hung is a major investment which will promote world-leading research, community outreach activities, and public lectures in 91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 91直播 and China, and the global significance of Chinese policies such as the ‘One Belt, One Road’ strategy, the 91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. 91直播, in particular, has a large Chinese community and historic ties with China which were only strengthened by to 91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 91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.

91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 91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 The University of Manchester. 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 The University of Manchester 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 91直播 Museum.”

Find out more at or

近日，一笔五百万英镑的捐款将促成曼彻斯特大学建立一所英国领先的中国研究院。此项捐款意在寻求增进英中双边的相互理解，并在曼彻斯特博物馆建成一条中华文化廊。

此笔捐款是由前香港商人、慈善活动家、曼彻斯特大学荣誉毕业生李启鸿博士捐赠的。它将作为一项主要投资用于促进世界领先的科学研究、社团拓展相关活动以及在曼彻斯特和中国国内的公开讲座和报告。

此笔捐款也将用于在全英最大的大学博物馆&尘诲补蝉丑;曼彻斯特博物馆创建全新的&濒诲辩耻辞;李启鸿中华文化廊&谤诲辩耻辞;，&苍产蝉辫;展出中国古代的铜雕、玉雕以及纺织品等各种文物。

曼彻斯特和中国的联系日益加深，中国的&濒诲辩耻辞;一带一路&谤诲辩耻辞;等战略决策在全球范围内影响深远，在此形势下，曼彻斯特中国研究院必将在增进中英互信方面发挥重要作用。

该研究院的新任院长、中国政治教授葛小伟(Peter Gries)是中国国际问题研究的著名学者。他说：“英国和中国分别位于亚欧大陆的两端，是‘一带一路’政策的焦点所在。尤其是曼彻斯特这座城市，有庞大的华人聚居区，在历史上与中国就有密切联系。这一联系在2015年习近平主席访问曼彻斯特和曼彻斯特大学以后得到了进一步增强。然而，要充分发挥中英双边关系的巨大潜力，急需进一步的彼此信任和理解。因此我们非常感谢李启鸿博士的慷慨捐赠，此项捐赠将会把曼彻斯特大学推向中国研究的最前沿。”

除了科研方面，曼大中国研究院也将特别关注与曼彻斯特当地的华人社区以及成千上万的中国留学生之间的协作，并且寻求为当地工商业服务，促进英中友好关系的不断发展。

在曼彻斯特大学，致力于中国相关研究的学术人才的数量超过任何其他英国高校，这些学者活跃于艺术、人文、健康以及科学等各个领域。曼彻斯特大学也设有孔子学院，主要专注于汉语教学。新成立的曼彻斯特中国研究院将坐落于英国政府登记在册的历史保护建筑之内，新学院大楼将以李启鸿博士的名字命名。

李启鸿博士说：&濒诲辩耻辞;中英关系的发展是我一直关心的课题，因此我非常高兴能够帮助在曼彻斯特大学创建这所研究院。中国与曼彻斯特这座城市、曼彻斯特大学及其广大师生之间的纽带使得曼彻斯特成为设立中国研究院和中华文化廊的最理想的地点。&谤诲辩耻辞;

曼彻斯特大学校长、爵士南希·罗斯韦尔(Nancy Rothwell)教授说：“我们非常感谢李启鸿博士的馈赠，它将极大地推进我们对这门具有全球意义的学科的研究。伴随着重大科研成果的问世，特别是通过这个项目的进行以及曼彻斯特博物馆新的中华文化廊的建立，这笔捐赠将为进一步增进两国之间的相互理解提供无限可能。”

A team of scientists have created a new generation of tiny remote controlled nanorobots which could one day allow doctors to diagnose disease and deliver drugs from within the human body.

The team led by Professor Li Zhang from the , including Professor from The University of Manchester, have created the bots from a biodegradable material called spirulina algae.

The algae, sold today as a food substitute in health food shops, was a source of nourishment during the time of the Aztecs.

But it was rediscovered in the 1960s by Lake Texcoco in Mexico by French researchers.

A paper by the team, published in hails the bots’ biodegradability as a new concept, in which an iron magnetic coating helps fine-tune the rate which they degrade.

The nanorobots can be remotely controlled within complex biological fluids with high precision using magnetic fields.

The team also describes how the bots are able to release potent drug compounds that are able to attack cancer cells.

However more work still needs to be done on motion tracking, biocompatibility, biodegradation, and diagnostic and therapeutic effects before clinical trials can take place.

Professor Zhang said: “Rather than fabricate a functional microrobot from scratch using intricate laboratory techniques and processes, we set out to directly engineer smart materials in nature, which are endowed with favorable functionalities for medical applications owing to their intrinsic chemical composition. For instance, because these biohybrid bots have a naturally fluorescent biological interior and magnetic iron-oxide exterior, we can track and actuate a swarm of those agents inside the body quite easily using fluorescence imaging and magnetic resonance imaging.

“Our microrobots have the ability to sense changes in environments associated with the onset of illness and that makes them a promising probe for remote diagnostic sensing of diseases.

“We must now develop this technology further so we are able to fine tune this image–guided therapy and create a proof of concept for the engineering of multifunctional microrobotic and nanorobotic devices.”

Professor Kostarelos said: “Creating robotic systems which can be propelled and guided in the body has been and still is a holy-grail in the field of delivery system engineering.

“Our work takes advantage of some elements offered by nature such as fluorescence, degradability, shape.

“But we add engineered features such as magnetisation and biological activity to come up with a the proof-of-concept behind our bio-hybrid, magnetically propelled microrobots.

He added: “We are still in early days of development since any such robotic system would need to be either completely and safely degraded, or it will need to be removed or excreted from the body after it has finished its work.

“But nevertheless, our work provides the first ever example of how this could be possibly achieved by degradation.

“The potential of these bots for controlled navigation in hard-to-reach cavities of the human body makes them promising miniaturized robotic tools to diagnose and treat diseases which is minimally invasive.”

The research teram included the Chinese University of Hong Kong, The  University of Edinburgh and The University of Manchester.

The paper ‘Multifunctional biohybrid magnetite microrobots for imaging-guided therapy’ is published in Science Robotics (DOI: 10.1126/scirobotics.aaq1155) on 22 November, 2017.

Skyscanner co-founders, and University of Manchester alumni, Gareth Williams and Bonamy Grimes, have been honoured as Outstanding Alumni at the  graduation ceremony today (14^th July).

The Computer Science graduates finished university in 1992 before creating Skyscanner in 2001 with the simple idea of making it easier to book flights online. Since then it has grown into one of the world’s leading travel websites, employing more than 800 staff in ten global offices. Last year it was sold for a massive £1.3 billion to China’s biggest online travel company, Ctrip.

Bonamy attended the ceremony to pick up the award on behalf of them both. On returning to the university 25 years after his original graduation, he said: ‘It was fantastic. I haven’t been back into the hall since my graduation and to see all those faces and think back to when I was in the audience and my big day – it was lovely to see so much optimism and ambition in that room. It was really fantastic.’

Bonamy and Gareth met in their first year at 91直播 within hours of arriving at the University’s  accommodation in 1989 and have been friends ever since. Bonamy added: ‘We used to socialise together, we were involved in the University ski club together and we kept in touch, we developed a friendship. We kept that going, we kept in touch – and when we both found ourselves in London we used to meet up and that’s how we got the idea of “we need to create something that’s our own”. And that’s how it all started.’

From the humble beginnings of those idea sessions in London, Skyscanner now has approximately 60 million users each month with the company’s app also being downloaded more than 60 million times.

So what guidance would Bonamay give to any budding entrepreneurs graduating today? He said: 'The one piece of advice I’d have is that it’s not about the idea – it’s about the execution. The execution is so much easier if you’ve got people to help you and bounce the idea off and to help deliver and make that idea a reality. Use the contacts you made at university, keep in touch with your friends, take that critical feedback, give that critical feedback when it’s asked for and make something happen – don’t just have the idea.'

Since the company’s sale, Gareth has remained as its CEO whilst Bonamy has stepped down from day-to-day involvement and is now involved in several start-up businesses and a range of charity projects.

Although the footballing summer is now associated with English teams heading off on tours of the Far East, this year, coaches from China are in 91直播 learning skills to support their country’s dream of winning the World Cup by 2030.

Last year President Xi Jinping of China unveiled a plan that would see 50 million people playing football by 2020 in a bid to turn the country into a football superpower.

This will require a huge increase in the number of trained coaches, so the new programme run by The University of Manchester and is part of a high-level drive to learn from the rest of the world and achieve this dream.

Currently there are 57 senior level Chinese football coaches in the city, enrolled on the quality training and management programme for 12 weeks.

They will also be taking study trips to St George’s Park (the home of England’s 24 national football teams), the 91直播 City and 91直播 United training complexes and attending the FA Community Shield.

The group co-ordinator, Deng Shijun said: “It has been two weeks since we arrived at The University of Manchester, and the students have adapted to life here. Thank you to the 91直播 Football Association and The University of Manchester for providing us with good learning and living conditions. At the same time, we have had excellent lecturers for each class, and have benefited greatly from the general training.”

The course is one of three in the UK for Chinese coaches this year, supported by the Chinese Consulate, and stems from the University’s and city’s links with China.

These ties were exemplified by where he visited the National Graphene Institute and posed for a selfie with 91直播 City striker Sergio Aguero at the Etihad.

, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning & Students at The University of Manchester said: “The University’s engagement with China has a long history and is extensive in its breadth. We value our Chinese students’ and staffs’ contributions to our campus, are continuing to build upon our research and business collaborations in China and are proud of our Confucius Institute based on our campus. Our support to the delivery of this football programme is another strand to further develop our strong relationship with China.”

Colin Bridgford, Chief Executive Officer, 91直播 Football Association said: “We are delighted to be supporting coaches from China, over an intense period of 12 weeks will we be providing a coaching education programme with the key aim to make them ‘Better Coaches’.

“The coaches will be undertaking their FA International Intermediate and also their FA International Advanced qualifications. In addition to the qualifications 91直播 FA will be providing a unique insight into English football from grassroots to the professional game.”

Researchers at The University of Manchester in collaboration with Central South University (CSU), China, have created a new kind of ceramic coating that could revolutionise hypersonic travel for air, space and defense purposes.

Hypersonic travel means moving at Mach five or above, which is at least five times faster than the speed of sound. When moving at such velocity the heat generated by air and gas in the atmosphere is extremely hot and can have a serious impact on an aircraft or projectile’s structural integrity. That is because he temperatures hitting the aircraft can reach anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 °C.

The structural problems are primarily caused by processes called oxidation and ablation. This is the when extremely hot air and gas remove surface layers from the metallic materials of the aircraft or object travelling at such high speeds. To combat the problem materials called ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTCs) are needed in aero-engines and hypersonic vehicles such as rockets, re-entry spacecraft and defence projectiles.

But, at present, even conventional UHTCs can’t currently satisfy the associated ablation requirements of travelling at such extreme speeds and temperatures. However, the researchers at The University of Manchester’s and the , in collaboration with the Central South University of China, have designed and fabricated a new carbide coating that is vastly superior in resisting temperatures up to 3,000 °C, when compared to existing UHTCs.

, Regius Professor from The University of Manchester, says: “Future hypersonic aerospace vehicles offer the potential of a step jump in transit speeds. A hypersonic plane could fly from London to New York in just two hours and would revolutionise both commercial and commuter travel.

“But at present one of the biggest challenges is how to protect critical components such as leading edges, combustors and nose tips so that they survive the severe oxidation and extreme scouring of heat fluxes at such temperatures cause to excess during flight.”

So far, the carbide coating developed by teams in both University of Manchester and Central South University is proving to be 12 times better than the conventional UHTC, Zirconium carbide (ZrC). ZrC is an extremely hard refractory ceramic material commercially used in tool bits for cutting tools.

The much improved performance of the coating is due to its unique structural make-up and features manufactured at the Powder Metallurgy Institute, Central South University and studied in University of Manchester,. This includes extremely good heat resistance and massively improved oxidation resistance.

What makes this coating unique is it has been made using a process called reactive melt infiltration (RMI), which dramatically reduces the time needed to make such materials, and has been in reinforced with carbon–carbon composite (C/C composite). This makes it not only strong but extremely resistant to the usual surface degradation.

, Professor of Materials Science, who led the study in University of Manchester explains: “Current candidate UHTCs for use in extreme environments are limited and it is worthwhile exploring the potential of new single-phase ceramics in terms of reduced evaporation and better oxidation resistance. In addition, it has been shown that introducing such ceramics into carbon fibre- reinforced carbon matrix composites may be an effective way of improving thermal-shock resistance.”

Advanced Materials

 is one of The University of Manchester’s - examples of pioneering discoveries, interdisciplinary collaboration and cross-sector partnerships that are tackling some of the biggest questions facing the planet.

Referecne: "Ablation-resistant carbide Zr0.8Ti0.2C0.74B0.26 for oxidizing environments up to 3,000 °C" Yi Zeng, Dini Wang, Xiang Xiong, Xun Zhang, Philip J. Withers, Wei Sun, Matthew Smith, Mingwen Bai & Ping Xiao

Researchers from the UK and China have found that living birds have a more crouched leg posture than their ancestors, who are generally thought to have moved with straighter limbs similar to those of humans. The study, published in Nature Communications, highlights how birds shifted towards this more crouched posture.

Experts from The University of Manchester, The Royal Veterinary College and China’s Nanjing University studied the lower leg of a Confuciusornis bird, which was fossilised in volcanic ash and lake sediments in China 125-145 million years ago.

They found that the fossil had amazingly well-preserved soft tissues around the ankle joint, including cartilage and ligaments. “These soft tissues were not just preserved as an ashen replacement of the former tissue, as sometimes happens - rather, the structure of the tissues was preserved at a microscopic level”, said Professor Baoyu Jiang, a co-author of the study from Nanjing University.

Imaging methods showed that the detailed anatomical preservation extended to the molecular level, with some of the original chemistry of the bird’s tissues remaining. In particular, the team found evidence of fragments of the collagen proteins that made up the leg ligaments, which matched the preservation at the microscopic tissue level of detail.

These findings tally with an expanding body of evidence that, under special conditions, some biological molecules - including even amino acids or partial proteins - can survive over millions of years in the fossil record.

“The new information we gained about the anatomy of the cartilages and tendons show that this early bird had an ankle whose form fit an intermediate function between that of early dinosaurs and modern birds,” said Professor John R. Hutchinson from the Royal Veterinary College, who led the study. “Overall, this reinforced other lines of evidence that the more crouched, zigzag limb posture of birds evolved gradually from early dinosaurs to birds, with even these early birds having limbs that were built and worked differently from those of living birds, but were approaching the modern condition.”

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation of China, Leverhulme Trust, and the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council. It was enabled by international collaboration between many scientists from fields as diverse as palaeontology and ornithology, biomechanics, geology and geochemistry, medical imaging and physics, and shows how a combination of sophisticated technologies with fast-paced discoveries of spectacular fossils is revealing new insights into how major changes in anatomy, physiology and behaviour took place in animals.

Disabling a part of brain cells that acts as a tap to regulate the flow of proteins has been shown to cause neurodegeneration, a new study from The University of Manchester has found.

The research, which was carried out in mice, focused on the Golgi apparatus - a compartment inside all cells in the body that controls the processing and transport of proteins. It is fundamental for the growth of the cell membrane and also for the release of many types of proteins such as hormones, neurotransmitters and the proteins that make up our skeletons.

Working with Chinese colleagues, the 91直播 researchers examined the role of the Golgi apparatus in neurons, or brain cells, and found that mice in which the apparatus was disabled suffered from developmental delay, severe ataxia, and postnatal death.

Ataxia is a term for a group of disorders that affect co-ordination, balance and speech. Any part of the body can be affected, but people with ataxia often have difficulties with balance and walking, speaking, swallowing, tasks such as writing and eating, and vision. It can be inherited, brought on through incidents such as a stroke, or through old age.

Although the function of the Golgi apparatus, named after its Italian discoverer, is well understood, it has not been previously been shown to have a role in neurodegeneration. With these results the scientists think they may have found a new avenue to explore in the search for the causes of some neurodegenerative diseases.

, the lead researcher, said: “Our results, combined with previous work, suggest that during the cellular changes that occur, loss of the Golgi function could be an important intermediary step that contributes to cell death.”

How much the Golgi apparatus contributes to the major neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s is something that is currently unclear, though other studies have made this link.

Professor Lowe added: “Together with other published work our findings suggest that in certain neurodegenerative diseases the loss of function of the Golgi apparatus may contribute to the pathology that is occurring.”

The paper, ‘’, was published in PNAS. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1608576114

The study was carried out by The University of Manchester and the Shilai Bao lab at in Beijing. Funding was provided by a joint grant between The University of Manchester and the Chinese Academy of Science at Beijing, as well as separate funding to both institutions, from and the .

Key national and international figures from the Chinese community came together yesterday at The University of Manchester to celebrate the 10^th anniversary of the Confucius Institute, an organisation which endorses Chinese language and culture.

The celebratory event was hosted by Professor Keith Brown, VP and Chair of Confucius Institute Board and included speeches from Professor Zhou Zuoyu, Vice President of Beijing Normal University and Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell who shared her vision of collaboration with China.

Professor Rana Mitter was joined by the University’s Professor of Public History and filmmaker, Michael Wood to host an open discussion on China’s representation in the media where Michael spoke about his recent BBC series, The Story of China. The programme received an overwhelmingly positive response from the public in both Britain and in China, setting out to counterbalance some mainstream western narratives of the nation by showing its real heroes – the people.

Guests were treated to poem recitals by University of Manchester student Chloe Haimes as well as musical and dance performances by students from Gelddings Preparatory School, Bolton Junior Boys and St Paul’s CE Primary School, all of which were composed by University students.

The Institute, which promotes a contemporary China to the people of the North West, encourages learning, teaching and testing, and maintains and improves education exchange and engagement with China itself. It has become a centre of excellence in Chinese language teaching thanks to joint efforts of Beijing Normal University and Hanban, the headquarters of Confucius Institute which seconds teaching staff and provides invaluable resources.

The Confucius Institute has led the nation’s largest student mobility project, 91直播 China Programme, for the past ten years, enabling over 5000 UK students to visit the country, providing them with a unique opportunity to experience Chinese life, culture, language and business. The success and impact of the programme has seen it be extended over the next five years.

More details can be found on the .

Twitter: @ConfuciusMCR

As part of one of the most ambitious quests in science a senior physicist at The University of Manchester has helped to narrow the search to find a ghost-like neutrino particle – its discovery promising to be even bigger than locating the Higgs boson.

Dr Justin Evans, senior lecturer in particle physics at The University of Manchester, said the elusive ‘sterile’ neutrino, if proven to exist, has the potential to unlock the great mysteries of our Universe – even potentially explaining why we exist as we do. Researchers believe identifying this new particle would be even more significant than locating the original so-called ‘God particle’, the Higgs boson.

As part of an international collaboration Dr Evans has been the Physics Coordinator on the MINOS experiment, leading the experiment’s physics programme. As well as leading this part of the MINOS collaboration he also coordinated the research combination with another programme called Daya Bay.

- uses an intense beam of muon neutrinos that travels 735 km from the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Chicago to the Soudan Underground Laboratory in northern Minnesota. MINOS has made world-leading measurements to study how these neutrinos disappear as they travel between the two detectors.

- The looks at electron antineutrinos coming from a nuclear power plant in the Guangdong province of China. The Daya Bay project measured, for the first time, one of the parameters governing neutrino oscillations.

The joint results from these two experiments have significantly shrunk the hiding space for a sterile neutrino to be found – inspiring researchers to continue their hunt.

“Finding a sterile neutrino would be an even bigger discovery than finding the Higgs boson,” explained Dr Evans. "The Higgs boson was a prediction of the Standard Model of particle physics - a system that attempts to describe the forces, components and reactions of the basic particles that make up matter - and therefore its discovery, although momentous, wasn’t a surprise."

“The sterile neutrino could explain the puzzle of why the neutrino is so much lighter - by orders of magnitude - than any other massive particle. It could help to explain why the universe contains more matter than antimatter, ie help to explain why we exist as we do. And, if the sterile neutrino is heavy enough, it could even be part of the solution for the dark matter puzzle.”

The possibility of doing this ground-breaking measurement with MINOS is Dr Evans’s brainchild – and now, alongside co-researcher 91直播 PhD student Ashley Timmons, this milestone work has been recognised and published in the prestigious journal, Physical Review Letters.

The University of Manchester researchers are delighted to have reached this stage in their analysis because they believe its puts them are on the threshold to eventually finding the sterile neutrino.

Dr Evans added: “When I’m asked how long until we discover the sterile neutrino I tempted to say, ‘how long is a piece of string?’ However, these new 91直播-led results have really narrowed down the region where the sterile neutrino could still be hiding - and we have much more MINOS and Daya Bay data waiting to be analysed; we should be able to make an even more definitive statement in the next couple of years."

“Furthermore, at 91直播, we are part of a new project called the MicroBooNE experiment – also based at Fermilab – that is a dedicated sterile neutrino search. This can really focus over the next few years on that small region that’s left and either find the light sterile neutrino or rule out its existence completely."

“I hope that five years from now we’ll have a firm answer on the existence of these light sterile neutrinos - but it’s always hard to make predictions about the future.”

Neutrinos only interact with matter through the feeblest of forces, the weak nuclear force and gravity, yet they play critical roles in an incredible range of phenomena. They influenced the formation of the early Universe and may be the reason why matter came to dominate over antimatter shortly after the Big Bang.

A pioneering partnership between The University of Manchester and Peking University has resulted in the development of a formal post-graduate level training course in healthcare genomics for China-based doctors.

Genomic testing and precision medicine are playing increasingly important roles in diagnosing and treating conditions in clinical practice; however, the general level of knowledge of healthcare genomics is low among many medical practitioners – in the UK as well as China.

In the UK, clinical genetics has been a recognised medical specialty for over three decades with a formal training and career pathway for doctors who diagnose and manage families with genetic disorders. However in China, clinical genetics was only formally agreed as a specialist area of medicine this year, creating a need for formal training for doctors, genetic counsellors and clinical scientists to equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to deliver patient care in this rapidly expanding field.

The course – a year-long study programme conducted both online and through intensive face-to-face teaching blocks in Beijing – is specifically designed for practicing doctors in China. It will be taught by leading genetic specialists from The University of Manchester led by Professors Graeme Black, Bill Newman, Lauren Kerzin-Storrar, and Dr Tao Wang, with contributions from our collaborators at Peking University, led by Professor Yuwu Jiang, The course aims to provide leading edge knowledge and skills for doctors delivering genomic healthcare to patients and families across China.

The course is facilitated by the current strategic  between 91直播 Academic Health Science Centre (MAHSC) and Peking University Health Sciences Centre (PUHSC). The collaboration focuses on rare inherited diseases and cancer genetics in the context of advances in genomic testing. PUHSC is one of the leading medical schools and research institutions in China.

The collaboration with Peking University was strongly supported by Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, who has visited PUHSC and hosted a delegation here in 91直播 led by Professor Weigang Fang, Vice President for PUHSC.

“Several years ago we took the step to partner with Peking University to deliver the Centre of Excellence in Genomic Medicine. The news that it will be helping hundreds of doctors across China access the latest genomic healthcare advances is a testament to the far-reaching wisdom of our vision,” she said.

The course comprises four modules: Human genetics and genomics; Common and rare inherited disease; Principles and practice of genetic counselling; and Workplace based genomic medicine practice.

“We are delighted that the first cohort of 20 students includes paediatricians, obstetricians, oncologist, cardiologists, neurologists and clinical laboratory specialists from Beijing and across China, many of whom are senior clinicians and academics who will be able to transfer the knowledge and skills gained from the course to develop genomic services in their own hospitals,” said Course Director Professor Lauren Kerzin-Storrrar.

Although this programme is brand new,  (MCGM) has over 30 years’ experience of delivering training in clinical genetics and genetic counselling in the UK and Europe. Students enrolled on the course in Beijing will be taught by clinical academics who themselves are experienced clinical geneticists, genetic counsellors, clinical and research scientists who also deliver clinical care in our internationally renowned integrated genomic medicine hospital service.

For further information about the course or the wider collaboration with PUHSC, please contact the Project Manager, Dr Sarah George: sarah.george-2@manchester.ac.uk

A major Chinese investment in graphene research plans to deliver lighter, better performing aircraft and high-speed trains.

Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials (BIAM) and the National Graphene Institute (NGI) at The University of Manchester will carry out a five-year collaborative research project.

Research will focus on composites with enhanced performance in the field of mechanical, electric conductive and thermal conductive behaviour, as well as the compatibility of graphene and the matrix materials. In aerospace this might lead to applications of graphene in different materials and components, with weight saving accompanied by better performance.

As well as aircraft, the research could have an impact on high-speed trains and industrial equipment to replace traditional materials.

The deal was announced today on the opening morning of the European Science Open Forum in 91直播 by Prof Robert Young, who leads the research project at The University of Manchester.

Speaking at a session called ’Science and Aviation’, organised in partnership with 91直播 Airport and Hainan Airlines, Professor Young outlined how graphene could revolutionise the planes and trains of the future.

The announcement is being delivered in parallel to a senior delegation from 91直播 – including one of the Nobel-prize winning scientists who isolated graphene – being in Beijing to promote the city and as world-leading destination for inward investment and tourism.

Graphene has been included in the latest Chinese five-year plan and the country is starting to develop their domestic civil aerospace industry and expect to improve their expertise on materials.

The project, which will run until 2020, will involve joint research on graphene projects, strengthening of the ties in graphene technology and the exchange of personnel between Beijing and 91直播.

The partnership is an extension of a project started last year, which is looking at creating graphene composites with metals such as aluminium. The success of the partnership led to this much wider, extended project.

It is also expected that other UK companies, particularly in aerospace, may become directly involved as the projects progress.

Dr Shaojiu Yan, the principal investigator of graphene projects from BIAM, said: ”The relationship between BIAM and The University of Manchester warms up quickly.

“We had a very good communication on the first collaborative project. Now a long term partnership would benefit us to broaden the research area on graphene materials, to enhance the collaborative research, as well as to exchange experience and expertise on graphene.”

Professor Young said: “BIAM have a rapidly developing research programme on graphene composites and we are looking forward to pooling our expertise with them to facilitate the use of these materials in aerospace applications”.

Sir Richard Leese, leader of Manchester City Council, said: "It is firmly established that 91直播 has many distinctive strengths which make the city - and help make the North of England as a whole - competitive on the international stage.

"This partnership with the Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials will not only go a long way towards finding hugely significant commercial applications for graphene research, it will further strengthen ties between 91直播 and China - ties which are ever more important as China emerges as a key player in the global economy. It is another vote of confidence in 91直播.”