, a volume created between colleagues at the University of Manchester and the University of Liverpool, has been unveiled as a contender for the Association of Dress Historians Book of the Year Award. 

The volume is a decentred study of how textiles shaped, disrupted, and transformed identities in the age of the first globalisation.

The research and work in the shortlisted book have been undertaken by (Professor of Early Modern History and Deputy Director and Scientific Lead of the John Rylands Research Institute, University of Manchester) and (Derby Fellow in Historical Legacies of Empire) from the University of Liverpool’s archaeology and history departments, who brought together researchers from a plethora of disciplines. 

Professor Hanß said: “The diversity of topics, disciplines, geographies, and contributors in these 16 chapters is so exciting! We bring together world-leading anthropologists, archaeologists, art historians, conservators, curators, historians, scientists, and weavers, establishing cutting-edge conversations across disciplines to examine how textiles created and challenged experiences of subjectivity, relatedness, and dis/location that transformed social fabrics around the early modern globe. 

“We’re really proud to be named on the shortlist for this year’s Book of the Year award, particularly because we are the only pre-modern study and the only edited volume to feature in the shortlisted works. It’s a real honour!” 

The project has received funding from various streams and Professor Hanß added: “All of our funding contributors and supporters are integral to the work we have been able to conduct. From the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures at The University of Manchester, we were awarded funds from the Research Development and Support Fund. We were also able to secure funding from The Leverhulme Trust, Churchill College Cambridge and St. John’s College Cambridge.” 

The volume has received stellar praise, among others, by Indian literary critic Homi K. Bhabha (Harvard University): “This outstanding volume provides us with the warp and woof of historical exchange and cultural co-existence. These enthralling essays engage with material practices of weaving across genres and geographies, displaying the travelling world of textiles as they record the shifting global communities of a ‘woven imaginary.’ Reading In-Between Textiles, brought to life the migratory memory of my mother’s Parsi garas: a traditional sari, commissioned in Bombay from Chinese sailors who offered her a range of silks and motifs, and brought her the sari, months later, when they docked again in Bombay harbour. Set out on this wondrous voyage of the woven world.”

Expanding Horizons Through Global Collaboration

We are excited to announce that the and have established new partnerships with three global institutions: the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech, the University of Gothenburg and the University of Turin. These new Memorandum of Understanding (MoUs) signify a major step forward in our ongoing commitment to advancing collaborative research, education and policy engagement. 

Our partnership with the School of Public Policy at Georgia Tech builds on our past collaborations, including significant events such as the Atlanta Conference on Science and Innovation Policy and the AI for Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy Early Career Researcher School. These initiatives have laid a strong foundation for our continued cooperation, which will now be formalised through this MoU.

The MoU with the University of Gothenburg also builds up on our long-standing collaboration with Professor Maureen Mckelvey (currently a member of MIoIR Advisory Board). Maureen is Head of the Unit for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in the School of Business, Economics and Law, University of Gothenburg and director of the Centre on knowledge-intensive innovation ecosystems (U-GOT KIES). 

We have also historically close connections with the University of Turin, particularly with renowned innovation economists such as Cristiano Antonelli, Francesco Quatraro and Aldo Geuna, which we seek to strengthen with this MoU.

Our partnerships with Georgia Tech, the University of Gothenburg and the University of Turin will enrich our efforts in faculty and student exchanges, joint research projects, and academic events, further strengthening our impact in these vital areas.
 

We look forward to the exciting opportunities these partnerships will bring and are enthusiastic about the collaborative efforts ahead. Stay tuned for further updates on our progress!

This project aims to develop new tools and insights for understanding how changes in urban environments impact people’s wellbeing. 

He will create innovative camera-based observation methods to assess wellbeing behaviours in urban environments and develop a novel theoretical framework to determine which environmental interventions are most effective in different urban contexts. 

These methods and theories will be applied to a real-world environmental intervention in 91ֱ��, which will be evaluated through a ‘natural experiment.’

This highly interdisciplinary project will deliver a step change in generating a robust evidence base for urban policies and practices that enhance population wellbeing and reduce inequalities.

The Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship is a highly competitive grant awarded annually by the Leverhulme Trust to support the work of emerging scholars. The fellowship provides 36 months of full-time research funding, including support for research expenses.

will conduct his research at The University of Manchester’s , under the mentorship of , starting in October 2024. 

Since completing his PhD in 2017, Jack has been based in the School of Health Sciences at The University of Manchester. He previously received a Wellcome Trust pump-priming fellowship in 2021. His work bridges public health, behavioural science, and urban research, with a focus on improving policy and decision-making for healthier cities.

Researchers at the and , funded by , have released a report titled Innovation Districts as Drivers of Sustainable Urban Development: An impacts and monitoring framework to drive knowledge economy, urban revitalization, and social inclusion. 

This study was commissioned by the University of Manchester on behalf of the Joint Venture Partnership.

Innovation Districts: Beyond Economic Islands

Innovation districts are increasingly viewed as critical mechanisms for economic innovation and investment. However, ensuring these districts benefit the broader community remains a challenge. The new report highlights how innovation districts can foster sustainable urban development by integrating inclusive innovation strategies.
 

Global Insights and Local Applications

The first section of the report includes a comprehensive literature review and a global scan of 165 innovation districts. The study identifies leading examples, such as the Cortex Innovation Community in St. Louis, USA, and Kendall Square in Cambridge, USA, which have successfully implemented strategies for broader community benefits and social inclusion.

The report's authors analysed these cases using a logic model framework (input-activity-output-outcome-impact) to pinpoint specific actions and inputs that have driven significant economic, urban, and social impacts.

ID 91ֱ��: A Case 91ֱ�� in Sustainable Development

The report's second part focuses on ID 91ֱ��, a major innovation district under development in central 91ֱ��. Positioned next to 91ֱ�� Piccadilly, the busiest railway station in Northwest England, ID 91ֱ�� aims to be a model for sustainable and inclusive growth in the UK.

Using the logic model framework, the report outlines a series of targeted activities to achieve three primary objectives:

1. Economic Activities: Establish a knowledge-based economy through the digital tech sector, life sciences, creative industries, green industries, and advanced manufacturing. Goals include creating a self-sustaining innovation ecosystem, supporting startups, enhancing local economic assets, and fostering global partnerships.
2. Urban Activities: Promote urban revitalization and sustainable development through local leadership, long-term partnerships, and creating mixed-use public spaces. Strategies involve forming multi-level governance partnerships, enhancing connectivity, and supporting sustainability in infrastructure and businesses.
3. Social Inclusion Activities: Enhance neighbourhood vitality and inclusive development through community engagement and empowerment. This involves fostering equality, diversity, and inclusion, providing career training and skill courses, and transitioning citizen engagement into entrepreneurship.

Innovative Monitoring Strategies

The report proposes a comprehensive monitoring framework that combines traditional metrics with innovative methods, such as qualitative approaches, longitudinal data, real-time data collection, and participatory sampling. This strategy aims to ensure that ID 91ֱ�� remains a genuinely innovative and inclusive place, generating a wide range of benefits for the community.

The full report is available to read .

The 2024 Methods Summer School took place at the beginning of July. It saw researchers coming together, within the University of Manchester, from a range of European countries including Italy, France, Belgium, The Netherlands, Denmark and, of course, the UK to work intensively on research training in a range of topic areas.

Just under 100 attendees enrolled on five in-person courses and three online offerings, demonstrating the University’s considerable strengths in areas such as Digital Methods, Social Network Analysis, Qualitative Interviewing and Nvivo qualitative data analysis software.

Networking was a key component of the week. During the first evening, participants and training leads mingled over a light buffet and drinks at the local Brewdog bar, developing contacts and friendships within - and across - their chosen courses.

This set the scene for the lunches and breaks. The contemporary Hive social space within AMBS building lends itself to participants taking the time to discuss their research ideas and methodological challenges in a more relaxed setting.

As with all methods@manchester events a vegan catering policy demonstrates how small steps can contribute towards more sustainable approaches to hosting events, and the University catering team did us proud!

The courses themselves adopted a range of approaches to training. Some of the courses were team taught.

The Mitchell Centre shared their established expertise in Social Network Analysis. This year the team offered both in-person and online options, a new approach that can help improve accessibility providing a more cost-effective option for those attending from overseas or with less flexibility.

The Digital Humanities team developed a new offering focused on Digital Methods. The course included a deep dive into a range of approaches including geospatial, mobile and operational methods alongside text mining, data visualisation and algorithmic ethnography.

These team-teaching efforts allow us to work with Research Centres, Institutes and clusters of expertise around the Faculty of Humanities to offer varied content on a broad range of topics.

We are busy collecting and analysing feedback from attendees, but what we have thus far is overwhelmingly positive, with many highlighting the practical skills they gained and the collaborative spirit of the event.

We have plenty of ideas around how we can take the Summer School further next year. We are discussing incorporating a poster session to encourage knowledge exchange, spark conversations and potential collaborations around attendees’ use of methodologies and approaches.

Perhaps you have some ideas you would like to share with us or courses you would like to see offered in the 2025 Summer School?

Do contact us on methods@manchester.ac.uk if you’d like to find out more or offer suggestions.

To keep up-to-date with our events and activities sign up to the methods@manchester newsletter. You can also find us on , and.

3D printing is a relatively new digital technology which can transform the way firms organize their innovation and production operations locally and globally. While 3D printing is being adopted by diverse organizations worldwide, empirical academic research on investment in early-stage 3D printing technology firms is still limited. In this paper, we consider the geography of the 3D printing ecosystem to illuminate the financing of investment into early state firms developing innovation in this technology. 

Using a hand-collected dataset of 500 firm-level investments, we hypothesize 3D printing investment is drawn to countries with greater innovative capacity, countries with greater human capital competencies, and countries with higher wages. We find that larger investments tend to benefit companies developing 3D printing technology in higher wage locations and in countries with higher innovative capacity level, suggesting that investments in the 3D printing ecosystems take places mostly in locations that already have an ecosystem in place. 

Our study is one of the first to examine detailed patterns of global investment in a new digital technology ecosystem - 3D printing, an increasingly important technology for innovation. 

Access the full article .

Senior Lecturer Dr Amanda McCordkindale spoke with careers guidance podcast Future You about life and study at HCRI, reflecting on the benefits and challenges of studying difficult global issues.

The latest Future You podcast delves into the history of the University’s and looks at the day-to-day life of students on our courses.

Listen to on Spotify.

In this podcast, Dr Amanda Mccorkindale describes the rationale behind HCRI’s foundation – to apply critical refection to the real-world practices of humanitarian response and improve the outcomes of those affected by natural and man-made disasters and emergencies.

Since its founding in 2008, HCRI has moved from being a strictly research-focused institute to providing a wide range of undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD courses, for those working as or aspiring to become humanitarian practitioners. This includes our unique Leadership Education Academic Partnership (LEAP) online course, which provides critical and theoretically-informed education to those working for humanitarian NGOs.

In the , Dr Mccorkindale discusses the mental health challenges of studying heavy topics, such as conflict, genocide and disasters, but also the measures HCRI takes to support its students, including trigger warnings, peer mentoring programmes, reflection on ethical positionality, and access to a wide variety of support services at University of Manchester.

The podcast also covers the wide range of career outcomes for those studying at HCRI and the multidisciplinary nature of our courses and student cohorts.

The Future You podcast is published by Prospects, an organisation that supports graduates in finding employment and educational opportunities. You can find out more information on the website.

Over one hundred researchers gathered last month to present their work, attend workshops and engage in discussion at the annual Methods Fair.

, Director of methods@manchester kicked off the day, welcoming attendees from across, and beyond, the Faculty (including as far afield as London, Cardiff and even Poland). 

Institutions within the North West Social Science Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP) were particularly well represented with faculty and researchers from UCLan, Keele, Liverpool and Lancaster hosted workshops focused on specialised methods and methodological concerns. 

Highlights of the day included the Lightning Talks - five minute presentations from around 25 researchers across parallel streams, chaired by UoM PGRs. Such talks provide valuable jumping off points for further discussions and networking.

This year saw record submissions of posters of an exceptional standard. The poster session featured 30 contributions from researchers at various career stages (from first year PGRs to professors). Over a vegan buffet lunch, attendees and presenters engaged with diverse ideas and perspectives.

In the afternoon it was time for many Fair attendees to step aside for others to do more of the talking. With workshops featuring video, film, ethnography, ethics, archival data and AMBS’ Data Visualisation Observatory, as well as news about funding opportunities, it was a jam-packed programme with something there for everyone.

We would like to leave you with some thoughts from attendees….

You can see the 2024 Methods Fair programme .

Dating apps are not just about finding love or hooking up. They are becoming increasingly important in the communication of public health messaging, particularly sexual health.

In 2023, magazine suggested that dating apps could “become a key component in [sexually infectious diseases] prevention”. And their prediction seems to be spot on. 

Grindr, a dating app popular among men who have sex with men, for example, has recently partnered with and in London to allow users to order HIV test kits through the app. While these partnerships hold promise for public health, they also raise important ethical challenges. Alongside colleagues from the UK and US, we have of these challenges and proposed ways of addressing them.

During the , more people than ever started using . Today, apps such as Tinder, Match, or Grindr have millions of users worldwide. A recent in the US showed that more than half of people aged under 30 had used dating apps. Most dating apps can be accessed from smartphones, allowing users to find other people based on shared interests, preferences or location.

A concluded that apps have multiple benefits for public health, including the ability to effectively target specific groups. In the US, is a successful example of collaborating with dating apps to promote sexual health. And, during the recent outbreak, Grindr provided information and its vaccine to users.

Profit, privacy and prejudice

But most apps are profit-generators for businesses and operate in ethical and regulatory contexts that are very different to those of medical or health related professions. One major concern is privacy, as apps collect vast amounts of personal data. Cybersecurity experts have argued that apps are a “”. This is, in part, because the main goal of apps is “generating, capturing and controlling ” for profit.

Unfortunately, there are many examples of apps mishandling data. For example, has been fined for sharing sensitive user data with third parties, including users’ HIV status. This misuse of data can have severe consequences, including in unsafe environments.

Dating apps can also reproduce all too common in wider society. that many users, particularly from marginalised groups, experience harassment, including and , on these platforms. of the experiences of dating apps among rural sexual minority men in the US found that online dating often led to “deception, bullying or discrimination, and harassment or coercion”.

Some apps, such as Grindr, – but other with features which allow, if not encourage, discrimination. Discriminatory experiences undermine users’ trust in dating apps, making marginalised groups more reluctant to use them. This also means that marginalised groups may be less likely to access public health information and help through dating apps.

Some dating apps operate with opaque policies. For example, and can terminate any user’s account, for any reason and without any notice. Some who had been using apps to disseminate information have had their profiles blocked on some apps.

Future collaborations with apps should prioritise the benefit of users over those of the app businesses, develop transparent data policies that prevent users’ data from being shared for profit, ensure the apps’ commitment to anti-discrimination and anti-harrassment, and provide links to health and wellbeing services beyond the apps.

Dating apps have the potential to be powerful allies in public health, especially in reaching populations that have often been ignored. However, their use must be carefully managed to avoid compromising user privacy, safety and marginalisation.

MethodsCon: Futures, on 12-13 September 2024, will be part conference, part learning opportunity and part innovation forum. 

It is being organised by the (NCRM), which is a partnership between The University of Manchester, the University of Southampton and the University of Edinburgh.

The event will provide a unique opportunity for attendees to engage with, explore and develop futures, with more than 30 sessions scheduled over two days. 

Attendees will be able to take part in workshops and interactive seminars, hear from a variety of experts and collaborate with researchers and professionals from different sectors and disciplines.

Topics will include: 

• futures methodologies; 
• inclusive and equitable futures;
• health technologies; 
• socio-environmental change; 
• AI; 
• society and social science concerns.

Those interested in attending must complete an application form by Wednesday, 31 July 2024. 

NCRM's review panel will assess applications and notify applicants if they have a place.

partnered with the of the Productivity Institute and Deloitte to host a one-day conference for business leaders on the North West’s prospects as a leading region for growth and productivity by 2035.

Hosted at the Alliance 91ֱ�� Business School, Jo Ahmed, Senior Partner in Deloitte’s NW practice, kicked off with an engaging panel discussion featuring Ken McPhail, Lou Cordwell OBE, and Deloitte’s Chief Economist, Ian Stewart. 

We were also honoured to have discussions with former Chancellor George Osborne and former Shadow Chancellor Ed Balls, followed by a keynote address from GM Mayor Andy Burnham.

The afternoon sessions included insightful breakout discussions on various themes, culminating in a final plenary wrap-up with input from Richard Jones. 

Our audience comprised leaders from key North West and global businesses, diplomats from the consulates of Spain, Italy, and Ireland, and honorary consuls from Iceland, Japan, Switzerland, and Brazil. 

It was also fantastic to see participation from several MIOIR PhD students and MSc. IME students.

Our panel of judges gathered to deliberate this year’s entries, enjoying the variety of work covering 200 years of creativity in 91ֱ��. 

This year, the competition celebrates the University of Manchester’s bicentennial year and challenged entrants to pen their work in no more than 280 characters, focusing on 91ֱ��’s past, present or future.

Former University Chancellor and poet Lemn Sissay OBE returned to the judging panel alongside last year’s judges, Creative 91ֱ�� Director and Professor of Poetry John McAuliffe and 91ֱ��-based poet and critic Maryam Hessavi. 

We welcomed a new judge to the panel for 2024 as Rebecca Hurst, a writer, opera-maker and illustrator, joined the judges in choosing the winner. Rebecca has a PhD in Creative Writing from the University of Manchester and was recently commissioned to write a poem celebrating the University’s 2024 bicentenary year called ‘Mast Year'.

Faced with a shortlist of the top entries, the four panel members discussed and eventually selected Chris Grey’s entry as our 2024 winner.

Read our judges’ comments below:
 

Professor of Poetry and Director of Creative 91ֱ�� added:

Joining the panel for the first time was Rebecca Hurst who commented:

Finally, 91ֱ��-based poet and critic Maryam Hessavi said:

This year’s poetry competition launched at our Light Up event on Wednesday, 17 January 2024 that signified the start of our 200th year. The entries closed on Wednesday, 10 April 2024.

The prize for the winning poem this year was £500, with £250 in prize money going to two runners-up. Each of the Under 18 category prize entrants received a £10 voucher for submitting an entry into this year’s competition.

The runner up prizes were awarded to entries from Hilary J Goodall and Ellie Grant.

John McAuliffe said:

You can join us in celebrating the winners at a special literary event as part of Universally 91ֱ�� Festival. 

For more information, read more on our .

Scholarships for the postgraduate certificate in Global Health.

For September 2024, a scholarship is available to help fund the first year of study in MSc Global Health by distance learning.

The purpose of the scholarship is to equip those who want to make an impact in Global Health and to support international humanitarian work. 

The scholarship is available to support those pursuing a career in Global Health, from or working in low/middle-income countries who might not otherwise have the means to study for a postgraduate qualification.

Amount:

• UK students (per annum): £4,500 p.a. (one year)
• International, including EU, students (per annum): £9,000 p.a. (one year)

The closing date for applications is Friday, 28 June 2024 at 11.59pm (GMT). The course will commence in September 2024.

Criteria

We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate:

• professional experience related to Global Health;
• a clear idea of how the MSc in Global Health and studying at HCRI will benefit their career;
• a clear passion around the subject of global health;
• applicants are encouraged from the Global South and particularly Low- or Middle-Income Country (LMIC);
• applicants are encouraged from the those working in LMIC contexts.

Eligibility

• Applicants who already have a masters level qualification are ineligible to apply.
• Students who have already accepted full scholarships or bursaries for September 2024 entry are ineligible to apply.

How to apply

To apply for the scholarship, you will need to complete the following by Friday, 28 June 2024 at 11.59pm (GMT):

• submit the University of Manchester postgraduate admissions form, providing all necessary supporting material (including transcript and two references); and
• submit a 500-word case for support of how you meet the bursary criteria by email to hcri@manchester.ac.uk. Please include your full name and application ID number.

Conditions of any Scholarship Award

Scholarship Award Holders have a commitment to:

• provide blog entries throughout their study;
• engage with requests for video testimonials if possible during their course;
• write a testimonial at the end of their course.

This year’s programme focused on several key components: the role of evaluation and in the policy cycle; quantitative tools (indicators, bibliometrics, economics); qualitative approaches (qualitative tools, peer review); evaluating networks; effects of evaluation (impacts, steering science); and evaluation beyond programmes (organisations, societal challenges, demand-based policies).

The course was designed to be interactive, featuring a mix of lectures, practical exercises and group work. It was delivered by academics from the 91ֱ�� Institute of Innovation Research: , , Professor Erik Arnold (Honorary), , , , and .

It also included guest speakers Mike Thelwall, Professor of Data Science, University of Wolverhampton, Peter O'Donovan, Head of Portfolio Integration at Wellcome Trust, and Diogo Machado, Head of the Data Science Unit at Technopolis.

Twenty-three participants from fourteen different countries attended, representing institutions such as the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), Republic of Türkiye Presidency of Strategy and Budget, ETH Zürich, Royal Academy of Engineering, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Nordic Institute for Studies of Innovation, Research and Education, Eureka, Research Council of Finland, Nordforsk, European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training, Orkestra – Basque Institute of Competitiveness, National Chengchi University, Universidad Santo Tomas, Saudi Arabia Government Office, University of Bristol, Fraunhofer Institute for Systems and Innovation Research ISI, and University of Vienna.
 

The collaborative environment and the opportunity to apply theoretical concepts to practical projects were particularly appreciated. Find out more about professional short courses at the 91ֱ�� Institute of Innovation Research by contacting Deborah Cox, Institute Manager.

In the evening novelist Sarah Perry will discuss her new novel ‘Enlightenment’ in an intimate setting, featuring a reading and a Q&A.

Date:  Friday, 21 June 2024, 10.30am – 5.30pm
Location: Jodrell Bank

The day begins with a variety of panel discussions, a walk of the Jodrell Bank site and a filmed conversation with Alan Garner exploring the themes of his literary work. Alan Garner’s writing is deeply rooted in the history and landscape of Alderley Edge, draws inspiration from the area's archaeology and the cosmic wonders observed at Jodrell Bank Observatory. 

In celebration of his 90th birthday, experts from archaeology, physics, and literature will convene at Jodrell Bank to discuss the impact of Garner's writing on their respective fields, as well as how the sciences have influenced the writer himself. Together, they will explore themes of time and place in his novels, celebrating his contribution to contemporary storytelling.

Purchase your ticket and optional lunch and transport from Oxford Road .

Date:  Friday, 21 June 2024, 6.30pm – 8pm
Location: Jodrell Bank

Later in the day, attendees can enjoy an evening with author Sarah Perry, featuring her latest novel, Enlightenment. Perry's book delves into questions of faith, physics, and human emotion against the backdrop of a small town in Essex. The newest story from award-winning novelist Sarah Perry weaves a web of entangled relationships and emotion, its characters trapped within the conflict between faith and fact. 

Traversing some of the biggest questions on an intimate and captivating level, Enlightenment will stay with you long after closing the final page.

The event offers a chance to hear Perry discuss her creative process, read excerpts from "Enlightenment," and participate in a Q&A session.

Purchase your ticket and optional dinner .

These events promise a thought-provoking exploration of literature and science, set against the backdrop of the Summer Solstice at Jodrell Bank. Tickets are available for both events, with a discounted rate available for the ‘An Evening With Sarah Perry’ event if attending both events.

These events are part of Creative 91ֱ��’s ‘Solstice and Equinox series’, a series of events which brings innovative creative artists to The University of Manchester’s four Cultural Institutions. 

Each of our unique cultural institutions – the Whitworth, the John Rylands Research Institute and Library, 91ֱ�� Museum and Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre – focus on building civic, national and international partnerships to advance the social, environmental and individual wellbeing of our communities.

The Making a Difference Awards recognise the outstanding achievements of our staff, students, alumni and external partners, and celebrate how they are making a difference. 

The received two wins and two highly commended awards, a testament to the school’s dedication to social responsibility. 

Congratulations go to all those involved.

Outstanding public engagement initiative - Winner 

(PhD student in Sociology) nominated by , for her co-produced “Echoes of Displacement”.

‘Echoes of Displacement’ is a captivating comic book narrating the collective story of people growing older while seeking sanctuary in the UK. Created collaboratively with participants and refugee charities, the comic is widely used by organisations to raise awareness about refugee experiences.

Outstanding public engagement initiative – Highly Commended 

, Suzanne Gower and the Students for their ‘Justice Gap Student Reporter Scheme’.

For the Justice Gap Reporter Scheme, students and staff from 91ֱ��, Cardiff, UCL and Glasgow universities write articles about the law and justice informing the public about law and justice as it relates to them, covering lesser-known parts of the justice system which is often not covered in mainstream media.

Outstanding contribution to social and environmental impact through entrepreneurship - Winner 

nominated by , for her ‘One Bin to Rule Them All’.

‘One Bin To Rule Them All’ is an innovative, interdisciplinary project which enables a sustainable circular plastics economy by using behavioural understanding and new economic models to reshape recycling practices. From mapping household contamination to influencing UN Plastics Treaty negotiations, the team enables improved recycling outcomes across supply chains.
 

Outstanding contribution to equality, diversity and inclusion – Highly Commended

and GM4Women2028 Charity and Helen Pankurst for ‘Dialogue, Deeds and Determination: Diversifying and strengthening voices, dialogue and connections of Women and Girls to powerholders in Greater 91ֱ��’.

GM4Women2028 is a charity aiming to improve the lives of women and girls in Greater 91ֱ��. The Dialogue, Deeds and Determination (DDD) project is engaging with policy-makers, politicians and the public and holding to account elected representatives. Together they are committing to data-driven action to tackle gender inequality in GM.

Find out more about the Making a Difference awards on our .

On Wednesday, 8 May 2024, OBE spoke to Radio 4’s ‘Life Changing’ programme, describing his early years in the NHS and the extreme challenges of international and UK medical deployments in the late 1980s.

Prof Redmond is a specialist in emergency medicine and has been involved in international humanitarian assistance for almost 25 years, organising medical support to natural disasters, major incidents and complex emergencies throughout the world.

Speaking to Dr Sian Williams, he told Radio 4 that his early experiences, including leading a team of eight 91ֱ�� clinicians responding to a major earthquake in Armenia, led to a life-long mission to improve standards and outcomes for international medical deployments.

This work included:

• Co-founding the 91ֱ��-based charity UK-Med, a WHO-verified Emergency Medical Team supporting the UK government’s frontline health response to disasters overseas.
• Co-founding the University’s Humanitarian & Conflict Response Institute (HCRI), which brings together scholars from the humanities and medicine to study best practice in conflict response, global health, disaster management, and peacebuilding.
• Co-founding the Faculty of Remote, Rural and Humanitarian Healthcare at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, incorporating the lessons of international emergency response into formal medical training.

To listen to this inspiring interview, visit the .

Prof Redmond will also be speaking on Sunday, 9 June, at an event organised by HCRI as part of the Universally 91ֱ�� Festival. 

• Book your tickets on

To close the inaugural People Fest conference from 5-7 April, the and proudly present '', a free event featuring in conversation with Dr Rupert Cox.

The event will highlight some of Jeremy’s films and collaborations. Dr Katie Smith and students from Social Anthropology at The University of Manchester will ask how his playful explorations of British identity might connect to themes in anthropological research. The discussion promises to be an engaging exploration of Deller's impactful work within the context of contemporary British culture and societal discourse surrounding it.

Jeremy Deller, renowned for his thought-provoking installations, films, and conceptual art, will offer unique insights into his artistic practice, which often navigates the intersections of history, popular culture, and societal issues. We are looking forward to hearing him share his perspectives on creativity, activism, and the role of art in shaping our understanding of the world.

Organized as part of the inaugural , this event underscores the commitment of the Granada Centre for Visual Anthropology and Creative 91ֱ�� to fostering interdisciplinary discussions and celebrating by bringing Jeremy Deller to the festival, attendees will have the opportunity to learn from one of the most influential voices in contemporary art.

Registrations for 'Jeremy Deller in Conversation' are open now, and everyone is welcome to attend. to secure your spot.

Event details:

Date: Sunday, April 7, 3.30 pm-5 pm, followed by a drinks reception
Location: , M1 5BY 
 

University of Manchester graduate Tatiana Parr has been awarded one of the for her BA dissertation in Art History titled ‘Harmony and Hostility: A 91ֱ�� of Ancient Ife’s Figural Sculptures c. 1100-1400 CE’.&�Բ�����;

Tatiana’s dissertation considers the insight ancient life’s figurative sculptures provide into the complex warn-torn society they were made within.

The Henry Moore Foundation describe Tatiana’s work as being historically rigorous and extremely well researched, with a depth of knowledge strikingly impressive at undergraduate level.

We are hiring a Postdoctoral Research Associate (Qualitative) to work on the project “”, sponsored by the UoM Faculty of Humanities Large Collaborative Grant. The researcher will be housed at the 91ֱ�� Institute of Innovation Research, Alliance 91ֱ�� Business School, under the supervision of Dr Cornelia Lawson and Professor Philip Shapira.

The successful candidate will undertake research exploring how science is being affected by internal, institutional, and system-level transformations and how these developments interact with and influence research practices and innovations in methods and approaches in labs and their research teams.

A series of transitions and shocks – from the growth of artificial intelligence (AI) and the automation of research to persistent post-pandemic impacts, funding uncertainties in the face of rising costs, and increased global tensions – present wide-reaching implications for science. 

These trends and events are themselves occurring in the context of heightened concerns about equity, diversity, and inclusiveness and how science can be relevant and trusted in addressing global sustainability and societal challenges. Together, these developments both promise and require transformations in the fundamental practices of scientific work and notions of scientific expertise and responsibility in research.

The project probes these changes and the innovations they trigger in research labs and teams. We aim to answer the following overarching research questions: (a) How are research practices and priorities, including topic and method choices, team roles, publication outputs, and collaborations, being affected by transformations in science? (b) What is the role of innovations in research approaches and practices in addressing challenges presented by scientific transformations? (c) What are the implications for research management and science policy to address potentially negative effects and facilitate positive learning from innovative practices?

The deadline for applications is Thursday, 4 April 2024.

To apply and for more details please follow the link below:

The much-anticipated conference report from the Era-Learn Partnership Stakeholder Forum 2023 is now available for download on the Era-Learn website. 

Prepared by MIOIR’s Honorary Professor Effie Amanatidou and Dr Dimitri Gagliardi, in collaboration with other Era-learn consortium partners, this report delves into the dynamic discussions that unfolded at the second Partnership Stakeholder Forum, organised by the European Commission and ERA-LEARN.

Held in Brussels on December 5-6, 2023, the event drew more than 250 participants, engaging in parallel sessions that addressed pivotal topics for the Partnership community. From exploring synergies between partnerships and missions to evaluating achievements based on the Horizon Europe interim evaluation, the report captures the essence of the diverse discussions that took place.

One key focus of the forum was the future of Partnerships, with in-depth discussions on their selection process and design under FP10, internationalisation, and global links in the context of the EU’s strategic autonomy. 

The report provides valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities faced by European Partnerships and outlines their role in building a better future amid limited resources.

European Partnerships play a crucial role in achieving critical mass, channelling over 20 billion euros from Horizon Europe and leveraging an additional 30 billion euros from various partners, primarily from the industry. This collaborative effort is pivotal in addressing pressing global challenges.

For those interested in finding out more about the EU Partnerships programme, the Era-Learn platform offers a page on ''. 

To gain insights into the discussions and outcomes of the 2023 Partnership Stakeholder Forum, access the report here: 

Scholarships for the postgraduate certificate in Global Health (PGCert).

For September 2024, a scholarship is available to help fund the first year of study in MSc Global Health by distance learning, where you can exit with a Postgraduate Certificate, potentially leading to a Postgraduate Diploma or Masters in Global Health.

The purpose of the scholarship is to equip those who want to make an impact on Global Health and to support international humanitarian work. 

The scholarship is available to support those pursuing a career in Global Health, from or working in low/middle-income countries who might not otherwise have the means to study for a postgraduate qualification.
 

Fees:

• UK students (per annum): £4,500 p.a. (one year)
• International, including EU, students (per annum): £9,000 p.a. (one year)
   

Entry Criteria

We are looking for candidates who can demonstrate:

• professional experience related to Global Health;
• a clear idea of how the MSc in Global Health and studying at HCRI will benefit their career;
• a clear passion around the subject of global health;
• applicants are encouraged from the Global South and particularly Low- or Middle-Income Country (LMIC);
• applicants are encouraged from the those working in LMIC contexts.
   

Eligibility

• Applicants who already have a masters level qualification are ineligible to apply.
• Students who have already accepted full scholarships or bursaries for September 2024 entry are ineligible to apply.
   

Conditions of any PGCert Scholarship Award

Scholarship Award Holders have a commitment to:

• provide blog entries throughout their study;
• engage with requests for video testimonials if possible during their course;
• write a testimonial at the end of their course.
   

How to apply

To apply for the scholarship, you will need to complete the following by Friday, 24 May 2024 11.59 pm (GMT):

• submit the University of Manchester postgraduate admissions form, providing all necessary supporting material (including transcript and two references); and
• submit a 500-word case for support of how you meet the bursary criteria by email to hcri@manchester.ac.uk. Please include your full name and application ID number.
   

The closing date for applications is Friday, 24 May 2024 11.59 pm (GMT). 

The course will commence in September 2024.
 

Generative AI is an emerging interdisciplinary area which will have wide-ranging impacts on everyday life, especially education.

To tackle global education challenges, understanding and harnessing the power of Artificial Intelligence, particularly Generative AI (GAI), is essential. GAI presents significant challenges in primary, secondary, and tertiary education, as well as in workplace and informal learning.

It has the potential to support personalised and adaptive learning experiences, act as an intelligent virtual tutor, and provide rapid feedback. Amongst other things, however, the rapid development of GAI also raises serious concerns regarding data privacy and assessment integrity. 

These factors emphasise the need for an urgent, critical perspective as we look to design the future of education involving GAI.

The is seeking a in ‘Generative AI for Education’, the first such academic appointment of its kind. This role will contribute to positioning the University of Manchester as a leading voice on the potentially transformative impact of GAI in educational settings, an area that currently lacks established global authorities.

Working as part of MIE’s new Digital Technologies, Communication and Education Research and Scholarship group, the intention is to rigorously inform future educational design, policy, and practice. 

This pioneering appointment underscores 91ֱ��’s commitment to shaping the responsible development and deployment of emerging technologies in the service of equitable, empowering and enlightening education for all.

Find out more information about the job.

The closing date for applications is Monday, 18 March 2024.

For enquiries about the vacancy, shortlisting and interviews, contact Lisa Murtagh.

features in a new documentary taking an inside look at India's vast black market for water.

'Water Mafia' produced by Vice Studios and DocuBay explores the political economy of water provisioning in two of India's major cities, Delhi and Mumbai.

The film explores the various methods employed by the water mafia to regulate water access for urban residents through interviews with individuals connected to the water mafia, whistleblowers, and victims. It also provides insightful perspectives from investigative journalists, economists, and urban planners and sheds light on the role of government corruption in facilitating and sustaining this operation.

The trailer for the documentary can be found .

The documentary was released in January 2024 and is available for streaming on the .

As an urban economist who researches the political economy of urban governance and planning in Indian cities, Dr Vaidehi Tandel was approached by the documentary makers to provide insight on the causes and magnitude of the problem of access to water in the city of Mumbai.

Describing the challenge of providing adequate water to the nearly 40% of the population that lives in slums, Dr Tandel notes in the documentary that “with the planning process, we did not do a good job of forecasting the number of people to come into the city…rather the focus was to try and de-densify. But the people came because of opportunities. The housing stock was not affordable for them…and there we saw a lot of slum settlements come up.”.

Dr Tandel has previously been quoted in the Financial Times ( and ) and appeared on two BBC podcasts ( and ), where she discussed the impact of COVID-19 and the future of cities.

• View Dr Vaidehi Tandel's research .

The 91ֱ�� Institute of Innovation Research (MIoIR) is thrilled to latest addition to its recently launched MIOIR Working Paper Series.

Working Paper 2024-01: 

• - Silvia Massini, Mabel Sanchez Barrioluengo, Xiaoxiao Yu, Reza Salehnejad

Advanced digital technologies (DTs) such as AI, Big Data, Cloud Computing, 3D printing, IoT, and Robotics are known for their potential to be pervasive and generate disruptive change. Despite this, there is limited evidence regarding the factors that motivate or hinder technology adoption. 

This study, based on an original survey of firms in Greater 91ֱ��, aims to shed light on the determinants of DT adoption, including underlying motivations, potential barriers, and skills deficits. Additionally, it explores the influence of digitalisation and skills on firms‘ performance. 

Our results suggest that while different DTs are at varying stages of technology diffusion, they are characterised by complementarity and are often jointly adopted. Furthermore, the adoption of DTs in SMEs and younger firms, coupled with the presence of appropriate (digital and non-digital) skills, constitutes a pivotal synergy that significantly influences firms' productivity levels.

To access the full collection of working papers or further information on the submission guidelines, please follow the .

The MIOIR Working Paper Series warmly welcomes submissions from members of the Institute and external authors working in relevant research areas. We look forward to your future submissions!

NCRM is a partnership between The University of Manchester, the University of Southampton and the University of Edinburgh.

Over the past two decades, the centre has helped to advance methodological practice in the UK through an extensive array of activities – from training courses that improve researchers’ skills, to research projects that develop new ways of gathering or analysing data.

NCRM’s 91ֱ�� team, based in the , has played a played a vital role in the success of the centre.

Anniversary initiatives will include a bursary programme, an impact prize, mail outs of branded items and spotlights on key contributors.

NCRM has also released a video which highlights some of its most significant moments. These include the formation of the current partnership in 2014, which brought together three institutions with international reputations in methodological research and training.

The centre was originally founded at the University of Southampton, but for the past decade it has worked alongside The University of Manchester and the University of Edinburgh.

This growth into a national partnership has enabled NCRM to extend its reach and diversify its activities, with 21 team members spread across the three core partners.

NCRM’s 91ֱ�� team leads on engagement and innovation, manages the centre’s bursary scheme, runs specialist training and organises the popular Research Methods e-Festival.

“The centre provides important leadership – in training, interdisciplinary collaboration and the development of new approaches to research,” said .

“The University of Manchester takes great pride in the pivotal role it has played in these areas since becoming a part of NCRM 10 years ago.” 

“The NCRM team in 91ֱ��, led by Professor Mark Elliot, is an outstanding asset to our University – I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your exceptional work and commitment.”

NCRM has been funded by the Economic and Social Research Council since the centre’s establishment in 2004. Its latest funding phase began in 2020 and saw nine additional training partners join the NCRM network.

Together, NCRM and its partners now run more courses than ever before – around 50 a year. The centre has also significantly expanded its online resources, with more than 80 tutorials now available on the NCRM website.

Stian Westlake, ESRC Executive Chair, said: “NCRM have played a pivotal role in strengthening research methods capability in the social sciences and we congratulate them on reaching this milestone.”

NCRM has traditionally focused on methods used in the social sciences, but its training, online resources, networks and events are designed for researchers in many fields of study.

The centre provides training at various levels, from introductory to advanced, and offers bursaries to cover course fees for researchers employed in the UK. Its website also hosts a growing number of resources for research methods trainers, backed by NCRM’s own pedagogic research.

Another way NCRM supports researchers is through its engagement activities. These include the co-ordination of networks that bring together researchers and specialist organisations across the country, and a scheme that funds methodological innovation.

is NCRM’s Vice-Director. His team in the School of Social Sciences includes , an NCRM Co-Investigator who leads on creative methods, Senior Engagement Manager Dr Ali Hanbury, Research Fellow and Training and Events Co-ordinator Sandra Gogacz.

NCRM will announce further details of its 20th anniversary initiatives throughout 2024. 

For more information about NCRM, visit the .

The aim of this call is to fund activity which is and have the promotion of the economic development and welfare of developing countries on the as its main objective.

Applications for both small (up to £10,000) and large (£10,000 to £50,000) projects are invited. 

Applications should be submitted on the relevant application form and submitted to rst@manchester.ac.uk by Wednesday, 28 February 2024.  

Further details are available at the link below:

The competition themed is ‘200 years of creativity: 91ֱ��’s past, present or future’. Our theme focuses on 91ֱ��, a city with a global reach that celebrates its connections across the world. Entries may be submitted between Wednesday, 17 January 2024 and Wednesday, 10 April 2024.

Participants are invited to write a micropoem, in no more than 280 characters, and include the hashtag #micropoem24. Let your imagination lead your discovery and creativity: your micropoem might explore Greater 91ֱ��’s industrial past, or dive into the modern-day 91ֱ�� and everything it has to offer. As a pioneer in word-leading research for two centuries, we are sure there’s more to come, so maybe pen something you see in 91ֱ��’s future.

The launch of this year’s competition also marks the University of Manchester’s ‘Light Up’ event that signals the start of our bicentennial activity for 2024.

We are asking you to send us short poems by Wednesday, 10 April 2024. 

Try your hand in our #micropoem24 competition! 

For the full entry details as well as the terms and conditions, visit the .

The , based at AMBS, welcomed almost 500 delegates from 33 countries last week as it hosted the prestigious Geography of Innovation conference over three days at The University of Manchester.

The seventh edition of the conference, which is held every two years, brings together leading scholars from a variety of disciplines ranging from economic geography and regional science, to economics and management science, sociology and network theory, and political and planning sciences.

Global representation

, Director of MIoIR, said: 

Innovation and 91ֱ��

Fellow conference organiser Dr Mabel Sanchez Barrioluengo added:

Heart of city

The conference was opened by , President and Vice Chancellor of The University of Manchester. 

She said:

Her words were echoed by , Head of AMBS, in his opening address. He added:

Support

Other members of the Geoinno 91ֱ�� organising committee were , , , , , , , , and Professor Philip McCann.

The conference was sponsored by the Faculty of Humanities Hallsworth Conference Fund, The Regional Studies Association and The Productivity Institute, and supported by 91ֱ�� Urban Institute and Creative 91ֱ��.

A recent review of the UMRI pump-priming programme highlighted an impressive and extensive range of activities and outputs from the UMRI awarded projects between 2019 and 2022 including leveraging of £13.7 million in external research funding from a £1 million investment. 

Therefore UMRI Board are pleased to announce two calls to continue to encourage collaboration and provide support for activities that will lead to an increase in successful interdisciplinary research. 

Preference will be given to applications led by non professorial staff or staff recently appointed or promoted to professor (in last two to three years). 

The two calls are:

Call guidance, frequently asked questions, application forms and details of previous awards are available on the .

Applications should be submitted on the relevant application form and submitted to rst@manchester.ac.uk no later than 4pm on Monday, 19 February 2024.

A highly prominent Edwardian Baroque building, London Road Fire Station has been unused since the 1980s. 

John Piercy Holroyd from architects Purcell showed us around the construction site alongside the contractors. 

The visit was a wonderful opportunity for students to learn more about historic architecture and preservation in person at a significant site in 91ֱ��. 

The fieldtrip was a part of the students' BA3 Humanities module, where one option is an elective about the architecture of Victorian 91ֱ�� led by Dr Matthew Wells.

Two books by academics in SEED have been selected by the Architecture Foundation for their 2023 Book Week: 'Modelling the Metropolis' by Matthew Wells and 'Paolo Portoghesi: Architecture between History, Politics and Media' by Silvia Micheli and Léa-Catherine Szacka.

Both Matthew Wells and Léa-Catherine Szacka have recorded videos that present their books for the Architecture Foundation’s .

We are delighted to announce the 2023 winner of the Kiki Ahmadi Dissertation Prize is Mohammad Hossein Eslamian for his dissertation “AI Trustworthiness and Responsible Innovation”.

Each year the sponsors the Kiki Ahmadi Dissertation Prize which is awarded to the best dissertation submitted to the at Alliance 91ֱ�� Business School.

The dissertation uses the EU Trustworthy AI framework to analyse three cases of AI application in the UK: ChatGPT in education; live facial recognition technology in policing; and, the GP at Hand NHS primary health care service. The dissertation provides practical recommendations regarding responsible governance of AI in the UK.
 

The dissertation was supervised by , Professor of Innovation Management & Policy at MIOIR who commented:

, Programme Director for the MSc Innovation Management & Entrepreneurship (IME) added:

The Kiki Ahmadi Dissertation Prize honours the memory of Kiki Ahmadi, IME alumnus from the class of 2017. Kiki passed away in January 2021, leaving a lasting impact through his career in Indonesia's start-up scene. 

Kiki was a stellar student and a kind classmate. His dissertation examined the emerging tech start-up ecosystem in Jakarta, and the connections he made when conducting this research helped him to secure a job at Indonesian fintech start-up Amartha after graduation, rapidly ascending to AVP of Business Development by 2019. 

An avid blogger and communicator even as a student, Kiki inspired classmates and future IME students with his curiosity, analytical abilities, and passion for innovation. The dissertation prize bearing Kiki's name celebrates these qualities in the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs and honours Kiki Ahmadi's short but impactful life. 

Applications for funding of up to £50,000 will be invited under the following four themes:

• (Director: John McAuliffe), priority areas include Creativity, Health and Wellbeing; Creative Industries and Innovation; Createch; Civic and Creative Places.
• (Director: Chris Taylor) priority areas include , , , and Cyber/.
• (Director: Michael Shaver), priority areas include water, energy transitions, climate justice, biodiversity and circular economy, but all proposals across the six platform challenges are welcome.
• Health inequalities (Director: Nicky Cullum), priority areas include include the following themes as they relate to the causes and/or consequences of health inequalities: Ageing, the Environment, Ethnicity and Racism, Children and Young People, Employment and Productivity, Poverty and Deprivation and Health and Social Care.

Potential applicants are strongly encouraged to discuss their proposal with the Director of the primary theme for their application.

Eligibility: 

• Projects should be led by an applicant who is eligible to apply for external research funding. The inclusion of early career researchers in the project team are encouraged.

Key Dates: 

• Call guidance, frequently asked questions and application forms will be available on the UMRI website from Wednesday, 10 January 2024. 
• The deadline for completed applications will be Monday, 19 February 2024. 
• Funded projects will commence on 1 August 2024 for a period of 12 months.

Further Information: 

• Details of previous UMRI awards are available on the .

, Lecturer in Creative and Cultural Industries, won a collaborative . Partnering with Silk Road Rising (Chicago), Roaa Ali will examine the role and impact of arts service organisations in shaping the American Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre community over the last two decades.

Partnering with Silk Road Rising, Dr Roaa Ali, Lecturer in Creative and Cultural Industries examine the role and impact of arts service organizations in shaping the American Southwest Asian and North African (SWANA) theatre community over the last two decades. 

The study will contribute to the growing body of research on historically marginalized SWANA arts service organizations and their relationship to their communities. 

Employing a cultural mapping method, the team will visually map out its networks, influence, and impact and engage in conversations with SWANA theatre makers to identify community needs and cultural resources that can be addressed by arts service organizations.

A new postgraduate course addressing the global environmental crisis and the challenges of building sustainable societies has been launched by The University of Manchester.

According to a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), profound social change is urgently needed to help mitigate the climate crisis and meet other sustainability goals.

The new MA Social Change, Environment and Sustainability course responds to these needs by equipping a generation of graduates and researchers with the skills, knowledge and confidence to lead the transformational processes required. It explores the dynamic relations between social, cultural, socio-economic and socio-technical change and how this impacts the climate and ecological crisis.

Students will come away with knowledge of key environmental issues from a social scientific perspective, such as such as biodiversity and the global food system, consumption and the climate crisis and debates around sustainability and economic growth.

The programme is one of only a few in the country that specifically addresses issues of environment and sustainability from the perspective of sociology and social change. This will give students the training and skills to pursue a career in fields such as environmental and sustainability consultancy, communications, corporate social responsibility, government and policy, and the third sector, such as think tanks, charities and NGOs.

The course is led by , based at the University’s Sustainable Consumption Institute and Sociology Department, and offers valuable perspectives on how social innovation and behavioural change are critical to tackling the environmental crisis.
 

Prospects ‘Future You’ podcast recorded with Programme Director Dan Welch: 

The University of Manchester is one of the world’s top universities for sustainability and global impact – , for global impact against the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Its sociology department is , with its research achieving among the country’s top three universities for power and impact – according to the 2021 Research Excellence Framework.

The first cohort of the MA Social Change, Environment and Sustainability is planned for 2024 entry.

Find more information about the course and how to apply here.

The week-long program covered a broad spectrum of topics, starting with an introduction to AI, definitions, its history and an overview of its benefits and concerns. Generative AI and large language models (LLMs) - understanding their workings and creation processes. Methods for utilizing LLMs and other AI tools in research processes, coding, and data analysis. 

The ethics, responsibility, and emerging policies/guidelines surrounding AI. The application of AI in both qualitative and quantitative research. Assessing the efficacy and validity of LLMs. The implications of AI for scientific processes, practices, and organization.

This was followed by lab sessions providing hands-on experience with tools like ChatGPT and OpenSource, LLMs and API coding interfaces and group projects that applied learnings to a policy analysis exercise.

The curriculum also included talks and fireside panels on AI's prospects for science and society, and humanizing AI, featuring distinguished speakers such as: Laurie Smith (Nesta), Alistair Nolan (OECD - OCD), Parsa Ghaffari (Quantexa News Intelligence), Elle Farrell-Kingsley (AI Tech Journalist) and Samuel Kaski (Aalto University/University of Manchester/Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence).

The conclusion of this winter school was dedicated to reflecting on our group projects and engaging in group discussions to enhance our collective learning.

The course was facilitated by Philip Shapira, Barbara Ribeiro, Arash Hajikhani, Justin Biddle, Cornelia Lawson, Carolyn Cole and supported by Eu-SPRI Forum, 91ֱ�� Institute of Innovation Research, VTT Technical Research Center of Finland, Georgia Institute of Technology, SKEMA Business School, Partnership for the organization of innovation and new technologies (4POINT0).

The University of Manchester is one of five partner organisations who together have been awarded £37.5 million from The Economic and Social Research Council . Of this award £7 million is to support our team at the Cathie Marsh Institute (CMI), now 13-strong, where Vanessa Higgins and Debora Price lead the national Training and User Support functions of the service.
 

Welcoming the award, , Director of Research, School of Social Science said:

The UK Data Service provides access to the largest collection of economic, social and population data in Europe. It hosts over 9,000 datasets including the UK Census, Understanding Society and the Labour Force Survey. There are 50,000 registered users, from 148 countries.
 

, Deputy Director of the Service and lead Investigator at the University of Manchester, said:

The cross-site Training and User Support service led by the CMI team at 91ֱ�� has grown significantly in recent years with an outstanding track record of providing appropriate training programmes. 

Last year, they ran over 100 live training events and there is a large and growing range of online materials, from interactive data skills modules, to written guides and how-to videos for all levels of user. Feedback from users is excellent with 97% of respondents last year saying they would recommend their training event to others.
 

, Co-Investigator at the University of Manchester, and national Service Director for Training and User Support said:

Renowned Swiss politician Ruth Dreifuss will deliver the inaugural Department of Criminology Annual Lecture at the University of Manchester on Wednesday, 15 November 2023.

Madame Dreifuss, the former President of Switzerland, will discuss her experience of reforming Swiss drug policy in the 1990s. This was in response to a high rate of HIV AIDS among people who inject drugs. 

The health led and people centred approach pioneered by Madame Dreifuss has evolved into a diverse range of harm reduction programmes and decriminalisation strategies. What can the UK, currently experiencing record levels of drug related overdose and death, learn from Switzerland and other reforming countries?

Ruth Dreifuss is one of the twenty-six global leaders of the Geneva based Global Commission on Drugs. She has served as Secretary of the Swiss Labour Union Federation, and chaired the WHO commission and High-Level Panel reporting on public health, innovation, and intellectual property rights. She currently serves as a member of the International Commission Against the Death Penalty.

The event will be moderated by British Academy Global Professor Julia Buxton and will be the first in an annual series of keynote speeches, debates and symposia hosted by the Department of Criminology featuring influential scholars and policymakers in criminology and criminal justice reform. Registration for the event is now open and free to the public.

Find out more information about the event registration .

It’s an industry with an estimated 2.5 billion global players with games played on consoles, mobile devices and VR headsets. How can video games be a tool that offers educational benefits to this worldwide audience?

Following on from the livestream event, Dr Nielsen gave an insight into how video game representation of history can enhance public understanding in an engaging and educational way.
 

Dr Nielsen said:

The open-world format of such games gives the gamer the opportunity to play the game in a different way to others, interpreting different elements as they play through. How historical accuracy be maintained when creating a game to be played in the modern day continues to be challenge for historians.
 

Dr Nielsen added:

This billion-dollar, multi-billion player industry has a significant capability to influence historical understanding whilst tackling the need for a clear, in-game structure that can begin to question some of those accuracies. Overall, video games can be a helpful tool in understanding history but there is a challenge in sometimes telling the difference between the real and virtual worlds.

Race & Ethnicity in Britain is a new podcast mini-series produced in collaboration between the Centre on Dynamics of Ethnicity (CoDE) and Surviving Society.

In the first episode, host Chantelle Lewis discusses the challenges of communicating research on racism and ethnic inequalities with CoDE directors Bridget Byrne, Claire Alexander and James Nazroo.

Future episodes will be released weekly. Each episode takes a close look at some of the research produced at CoDE, from issues ranging from the debates around statues of slave traders, ethnic inequalities in the cultural industries, racism in Britain today and the differing impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Details of each new episode will be shared the CoDE social media channels. Follow us on , , and for updates. Or subscribe to the podcast on , or .

The is the most popular sociology podcast in the UK. It is produced by Chantelle Lewis and George Ofori-Addo.

Art History’s Edward Wouk, together with Professors Sasha Handley and Stefan Hanß, both of History, have co-curated the landmark exhibition at the Whitworth (30 June 2023-10 March 2024), together Whitworth Curator (Historic Fine Art) Imogen Holmes Roe, and an international team of researchers based in 91ֱ��, Melbourne, and Europe.

The exhibition, which developed out of a major research project funded by the , reconsiders how a changing Renaissance material world, characterised by increasing globalisation, sparked artistic creativity and major innovations in the production of art and craft in Dürer’s native Nuremberg and beyond.

Generous support from the Getty Foundation’s initiative and other funders underwrote costs associated with conservation, loans from major UK and European partners, and the innovative display of close to one hundred works, bringing visitors face to face with the Whitworth’s outstanding Dürer collection for the first time in over half a century.

Nicholas Wroe, writing in , praises the exhibition as a show of ‘both familiarity and wonder’. ‘It's almost disturbing to see so many of his great printed pictures’, states in another stellar review in The Guardian, praising the balance of between the Whitworth’s ‘selection of some of his greatest prints, with excellent loans’.&�Բ�����;

Jones concludes that this exhibition is ‘a mesmerising encounter with an artist so far from us in time, yet so shockingly close’—'the prince of prints’, as Richard Holledge puts it in his exhibition review in . In , Desmond Bullen applauds this ‘magnificent new retrospective’: ‘Beautifully considered, every minute of the five years’ research underpinning the composition of this enthralling exhibition is manifest in its Dürer-like attention to detail’.

Wouk, together with Jennifer Spinks, edited the accompanying , published by 91ֱ�� University Press.

The is thrilled to co-sponsor a public lecture with and the .

Join us on Tuesday, 5 December from 17:30 to 18:30, for a lecture by Tom Kelsey, an ESRC Policy and Research Fellow at the University of Oxford on "When Missions Fail: lessons in 'high technology' from post-war Britain". Register here to .

Industrial strategy is back at the centre of geopolitics. From the UK’s ambition to be a Science and Tech Superpower to the US Inflation Reduction Act, it is widely believed that being on the technological cutting edge is crucial for both economic prosperity and national security.

History does play a role in these discussions. The post-war US is now widely praised as an entrepreneurial state and a mission economy, demonstrating the power politicians can wield to transform the technological basis of society.

Tom Kelsey’s new report When Missions Fail: lessons in ‘high technology’ from post-war Britain suggests we can learn more about industrial strategy from the troubled British case than the much-vaunted example of the United States.

This event will be facilitated by Professor Richard Jones, Professor of Materials Physics and Innovation Policy, Vice-President for Regional Innovation and Civic Engagement, Co-Investigator of The Productivity Institute, University of Manchester.
 

Tom Kelsey:

Tom Kelsey is an ESRC Policy and Research Fellow at the Blavatnik School of Government at the University of Oxford, currently working on a project aimed at improving policymaking at the intersection of economic prosperity and national security.

He worked in the UK Civil Service as part of the Digital Strategy team in the Department of Digital, Culture, Media & Sport. He has won both the Joan Cahalin Robinson Prize and the Samuel Eleazar and Rose Tartakow Levinson Prize from the Society for the History of Technology. He has written for the Independent, the Guardian, and Open Democracy.

This event will be facilitated by , Professor of Materials Physics and Innovation Policy, Vice-President for Regional Innovation and Civic Engagement, Co-Investigator of The Productivity Institute, University of Manchester.

Academics from the (MIoIR) based at AMBS, in partnership with colleagues from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Manchester, presents the "3D Printers on the Road" project. This project aims to explore how the adoption of 3D printers can revolutionize the innovation processes of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the North West region.

This is multidisciplinary project funded by the University of Manchester, which is focused on deepening our understanding of how SMEs in the North West can benefit from integrating 3D printing technology. 

The project has two key objectives:

1.  To compare the motivations, barriers, changes in organizational structure, and the scientific knowledge and skills required for firms that have integrated 3D printers into their manufacturing processes.
2. To conduct a feasibility study to analyse how adopting 3D printers can transform business models, increase competitiveness, and impact innovation and production processes in these firms. The project is particularly interested in collaborating with manufacturing companies in the health sector.

What We Offer

For companies interested in participating in this project, we provide access to a 3D printer for approximately three weeks, available in your own facility from November through February. Additionally, one of our expert engineers will work closely with your team to help you learn to operate the technology, understand design requirements, choose the right materials and evaluate the quality of the final products. At the end of our collaboration, we will provide a comprehensive report on the technology, along with practical managerial recommendations for its adoption.
 

What We Need

To make this project successful, we require the firm's commitment to participate actively. This entails engaging one of your employees for 2-3 days, tailored to your daily activities. We also request some time from key decision-makers, such as the CEO or product innovation leaders, who can spare a couple of hours for an interview regarding the motivations, barriers, and skills associated with the adoption of 3D printers.
 

Next Steps and Call to Action

If your company is eager to be a part of this journey and seize the opportunities presented by 3D printing, we invite you to get in tough. To express your interest and participation, please email msbarrioluengo@manchester.ac.uk, including your company name, sector, and a brief description of your current knowledge and expertise in 3D printing. Additionally, let us know why you are interested in adopting this technology.

We look forward to embarking on this journey with your company and collectively exploring the exciting possibilities of 3D printing technology.

Four University of Manchester academics have received funding to work across several government departments as part of the programme.

Representing the Faculty of Humanities, the four academics have the aim of helping to fulfil the potential of research and expertise to inform and share effective public policy and its implementation. The four academics are:

From School of Arts, Languages and Cultures:

• - Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)
• - Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)

From School of Environment, Education and Development:

• – Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

From School of Social Sciences:

• - Home Office, National Crime and Justice Lab
   

Collectively, they will be key in providing policymakers with access to evidence and expertise from a range of research and scientific disciplines. This will enable those policymakers to address major challenges facing the UK and to capitalise on future opportunities.
 

Professor Dave O’Brien said: 

"I'm delighted to be starting this fellowship at DCMS. Research on the creative workforce, particularly on the question of how to support a more diverse creative economy, is currently central to a range of academic work. I'm excited by the opportunity to share this work with policymakers. At the same time, it is a huge opportunity to learn more about the policy process and to better understand how research and policy can work together."
 

Dr Abi Gilmore said: 

“The policy fellowship with DCMS on cultural placemaking and levelling up is a fantastic opportunity to consolidate research on place-based policy and cultural infrastructure, whilst learning about how national policy is made and what evidence is required for decision-making. Academic research on creative places comes from a wide range of disciplines, from economics, geography and planning to social sciences; this fellowship is an excellent way to advance arts and humanities research approaches to policy questions which can have real impact, not just on policy but also on what works when putting arts and cultural at the foundation of placemaking strategies”.
 

The 2023 scheme is funded by:

• Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC)
• Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC)
• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)

This investment is part of a wider UKRI commitment to facilitate deeper and more enduring connections between researchers and policymakers.
 

Caglar Koksal, Research Associate and Lecturer in Planning said: 

“I am pleased to be joining the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on a fellowship focused on the relationship between urban development and health and wellbeing. Urban planning’s role in promoting health and addressing disparities is of paramount importance. With a rising emphasis on prevention, health creation, and the wider determinants of health in our national discourse, this fellowship offers a unique platform to delve deeper into these areas in collaboration with policy teams. I look forward to the opportunity to bridge academic insights with the nuances of policy-making and contribute to the evolving dialogue on how our built environment impacts our health.”
 

Dr Eon Kim, Lecturer in Criminology, said:

“I am excited to be selected for the Home Office, National Crime and Justice Lab. The fellowship offers me a valuable opportunity to collaborate with the Home Office’s Crime Strategy and Performance Unit on crime prevention initiatives. Working at the intersection of policy and data analytics, I look forward to contributing to evidence-based policy, and the future of crime reduction.”
 

The 2023 and 2021 cohorts will also connect, providing a network of active and alumni policy fellows which will grow further over the coming years, providing an ever-stronger connection between academia and policy.

Aligning in this way will enable the fellowships to contribute to achieving these shared goals, which all tackle large-scale, complex challenges, while giving the fellows access to a broad range of new UKRI research investments.

The 91ֱ�� Institute of Innovation Research (MIoIR) is thrilled to latest addition to its recently launched MIOIR Working Paper Series:

Working Paper 2023-05:

Authored by Richard Heeks, Bookie Ezeomah, Gianluca Iazzolino, Aarti Krishnan, Rose Pritchard, Jaco Renken and Qingna Zhou.

As digital transformation continues to take center stage in international development, this paper offers a comprehensive overview of "digital-transformation-for-development" (DX4D). The research involved an extensive analysis of 75 papers, employing a range of search terms to uncover key insights. 

The paper not only highlights the general features of the literature and the research methodologies applied but also presents a groundbreaking set of 13 principles to serve as a foundational guide for understanding and implementing digital-transformation-for-development research and consulting. Moreover, the document provides a glimpse into the future of DX4D research priorities.

This review was undertaken with financial support from the and part of the University of Manchester.

To access the full collection of working papers or further information on the submission guidelines, please follow the .

The MIOIR Working Paper Series warmly welcomes submissions from members of the Institute and external authors working in relevant research areas. We look forward to your future submissions!

In the midst of a persistent housing crisis in the UK, the presents its latest blog "Tackling the Housing Crisis: Taking a Closer Look at Challenges in Delivering Modular Housing". 

Authored by the research team from Alliance 91ֱ�� Business School, including Suzanne Peters, Jonatan Pinkse, and Graham Winch, the blog delves into the housing industry's productivity challenges and suggests recommendations to support the sector.

The blog primarily focuses on "Category 1" or modular homes, seen as a scalable and efficient approach that holds the potential to increase productivity while offering sustainability benefits. However, despite its potential, the adoption of modular construction methods has faced hurdles, including high-profile failures. The blog report identifies five key barriers and outlines potential solutions for the industry.

In this blog, they suggest that the government can play a vital role in driving change by creating demand for modern construction methods, fostering relevant skills development and streamlining the approval process for new developments. These measures can lead to the construction of more quality homes at a faster pace, ultimately benefiting families in need of housing solutions.

The research team acknowledges that the challenges are complex but emphasizes that government support and objective research are crucial for success in the housing sector. The blog represents just the beginning of an in-depth exploration of modern construction methods and their potential to address the UK's housing crisis.

You can access the . This blog draws its insights from the recently published paper, "" authored by S. Peters, J. Pinkse, and G. Winch and made available through .

Researchers from the (MIoIR) at AMBS have just published an article titled "Innovation Intermediaries at the Convergence of Digital Technologies, Sustainability, and Governance: A Case 91ֱ�� of AI-Enabled Engineering Biology." This paper, featured in Technovation, offers valuable insights into the crucial role played by innovation intermediaries in shaping innovative ecosystems.

The study authored by , , and , explores the emerging field of AI-enabled engineering biology (AI-EB) and its implications in our digital age. This blending of technologies raises numerous questions, not just of a scientific nature but also ethical, social and economic. To tackle these complex issues, the researchers engaged with a variety of stakeholders deeply involved in the AI-EB innovation realm.

At the heart of this study is the question of how much innovation intermediaries, key players in the innovation ecosystem, are considering societal and environmental goals while also pursuing economic objectives. Despite available guidelines for responsible innovation that encourage this balance, the findings of the study reveal that innovation intermediaries in the field of engineering biology tend to lean towards traditional scale-up and commercialization methods.

This research is expected to have a significant impact, not only on the development of innovation intermediaries but also on how research is managed and policies are shaped within the AI-EB domain. The authors suggest that a more holistic approach, one that takes into account both the societal and environmental consequences of AI-EB alongside commercialization, is vital to fully unlock the potential of this emerging technology.

The full research paper can be access .