, a first-year PhD student at the Global Development Institute, has been awarded first place in the social category of the – a competition celebrating new businesses and social ventures in Venezuela.

Beyond her doctoral studies as part of the team, Mariana leads the . The IDEAS Contest recognised the project as the best of 395 applications – a testament to its potential to support healthy oceans and protect communities in Venezuela.

Designed to clear beaches of microplastics, the Biciola is a static, pedal-powered device that sifts waste materials from sand using vibrational sieves.

As well as protecting local environments and fighting marine pollution, the Biciola offers communities an enjoyable exercise opportunity and will soon provide local artisans with the materials they need to make new products.

In the upcoming months and years, the Biciola team, comprised of Venezuelan biologists Jemimah Rivera and Igor Castillo, along with designer María José Barrios, intends to obtain the necessary equipment to recycle microplastics into materials suitable for artistic creations and everyday essentials. Through this initiative, Biciola aims to boost local employment and contribute to the establishment of a circular economy.

Developed during lockdown, the Biciola has already featured in a range of media outlets and has been recognised as one of the top 50 proposals of 2023 by the Ocean Solutions Fund.

Having achieved such fantastic milestones, Mariana and the Biciola team have ambitious goals for the future. By scaling up the project and building strategic partnerships, they aim to eliminate around 100kg of microplastics per month from Venezuelan beaches. Within five years, they want the Biciola to have cleaned at least five beaches in the country, preventing the accumulation of around 3,000kg of plastic pollution.

The team will also prevent plastics from entering the ocean in the first place by providing educational talks and other incentives to strengthen citizen participation in conservation practices. As part of this goal, they plan to host community events featuring tents, music, and other recreational activities to build awareness surrounding the Biciola.

Thanks to the multi-layered approach of Mariana’s project, it manages to , including SDG 3 (Good Health and Wellbeing), SDG 11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities), SDG 13 (Climate Action), and SDG 14 (Life Below Water).

For more information about the Biciola Project, watch the video celebrating Mariana’s win (English subtitles):

Below is the citation of Dr Amani Abou-Zeid by .

Chancellor, distinguished guests and colleagues I am privileged and honoured to present Dr Amani Abou-Zeid to you today.

To cover all of Dr Abou-Zeid’s achievements would take many hours but I’ll cram them into a nutshell. Dr Abou-Zeid graduated from the University of Manchester with a PhD in Socio-economic Development in 2001. She had great intellectual ability and great energy – successfully studying for a Masters degree at Harvard University while writing up her doctoral thesis. Over the 30 years of her distinguished career she has become one of the University’s leading alumni in the sphere of international development. Her links with 91ֱ�� continue - Amani chairs the Global Development Institute’s International Advisory Board for the African Cities Research Centre. 

Dr Abou-Zeid, who is from Egypt, has served in leadership roles at international organisations including the United Nations Development Programme. Her early career focus on poverty reduction has broadened into infrastructure and energy programmes.  In 2017, she was elected as Commissioner for Infrastructure and Energy at the African Union, the multilateral body which promotes cooperation and development in its 55 member states. Amani was re-elected for a second term in February 2021. She has advanced many programmes at the AU including the Single African Air Transport Market and the Broadband Commission for Africa.

Previously, Dr Abou-Zeid was Director of the African Natural Resources Centre at the African Development Bank. This innovative Centre supports African governments in the effective and inclusive governance of natural resources. Alongside this she forged deep links between the African Development Bank and Morocco and successfully contributed to the Bank's mobilization of concessional finance for low-income African countries.

Dr Abou-Zeid has received numerous international awards for her leadership and professional excellence. Accolades include being selected as one of Africa’s 100 Most Influential Women, being decorated by HM King Mohamed VI of Morocco, and being recognised as a World Young Leader by the European Union. In her spare time Amani competes regularly at desert car rallies.

Three aspects of Dr Abou-Zeid’s distinguished career stand out. First, her personal commitment to seeking to make the world a better place. The programmes she has run pursue the goal of social inclusion and not just economic growth: this is the contemporary challenge for the African continent. Second, Amani has shown the benefit of inter-disciplinary approaches to real-world problem solving. Her BSc is in Electrical Engineering, she has an MBA in Project Management and her PhD research focussed on the socio-economic analysis of poverty-reduction programmes. Third, Dr Abou-Zeid sets an example for women in high-level leadership positions. Her career has been in male-dominated institutions, but she has successfully broken through glass ceilings and championed gender equality. She provides an outstanding role model for the next generation.

Chancellor, I am very pleased to present Dr Amani Abou-Zeid to you for the Degree of Doctor of Social Science honoris causa.

Colleagues and alumni were recognised in the and categories.

The work of the Global Development Institutes researchers and alumni was recognised at The University of Manchester’s .

The ‘Ageing Well In Place’ project won the Outstanding Contribution to Local and Civic Engagement Award. Professor Diana Mitlin and Whitney Banyai-Becker are working with Sophie King and residents of Hopton Court, a tower block,  based near The University of Manchester. The project brings together tenants, their housing provider, the 91ֱ�� Local Care Organisation,  local voluntary and community sector organisations and two universities to co-produce solutions for elderly and vulnerable tower block tenants.  It aims to generate the evidence and impetus to have the flats classified as a ‘Naturally Occurring Retirement Community’, gaining additional support for older residents. 

The project stems from Diana’s longer-term support of the  initiative,  modelled on the Shack Dwellers International approach to community organising.

Sophie and Hopton Court organiser Tina Cribbin recently .

Our alumna was also recognised at the awards, receiving a highly commended in the  category. Her project, ‘Musical Agriculture: A Song for Climate Change’,  seeks to address challenges such as deforestation,  climate change and environmental injustices,  by using music and food to initiate a variety of educational programs for key groups such as women and children.

Rita commented: “Our world is facing many challenges,  such as poverty,  hunger,  resource shortage,  environmental degradation,  climate change,  and increased inequalities and conflicts. To address such challenges,  The project Musical Agriculture (IWA-ANEM): A Song for Climate Change is directly related to five of the UN Sustainable Development Goals and in helping to create a better world.  Through the catalytic power of music,  we confront environmental disaster and climate change.  Our project uses music and food to initiate a variety of education focusing on women and children on topics such as sustainable agriculture,  recycling,  food security,  Agroecology and environmental degradation.  On behalf of People Environment and Sustainability (PEAS) Foundation, we want to say a big thank you to the University of Manchester for highly commending our projects for the Making a Difference (MAD) Awards, 2022. We want to thank our Sponsors and Partners; IFOAM Organics International,  Semek Farms,  Beau Haven Farms,  Dr Unenobong Udoka (Paediatrician) and my other colleagues for their support towards the success of this project. A special thank you message to all the rural women farmers and children in Nigeria for their support and encouragement.  We are grateful. A fight for Climate Change is everyone’s responsibility. Act Now!!!”