About us

Our commitment to social responsibility is seen in the difference we make to society and the environment through our teaching, research, public engagement and operations – locally, nationally and internationally.

Social Responsibility is one of the five ‘Foundations’ within our Manchester 2035 strategy – From Manchester for the world.

As the first UK university to establish social responsibility as a core goal, Manchester 2035 commits us to build on our world-leading reputation for social, economic, environmental, health and cultural impact. Because of our success we are now establishing social responsibility as a Foundation across all that we do – in our research, our teaching and learning, our engagement with the public and how we operate across our professional services.

We’re internationally recognised for our positive social, economic, environmental, health and cultural impact. We’re the only university in the world to rank in the top ten for social and environmental impact in every year of the Times Higher Education Impact Rankings supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

We are a Platinum Watermark holder for Public Engagement. We hold external accreditation for Race, Gender, Disability and LGBTQ+ inclusion. Our cultural institutions – the Manchester Museum, the Whitworth, the John Rylands Research Institute and Library and the Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement – serve as models of social responsibility, inclusion and creativity. And we are committed to achieve zero direct carbon emissions (Scope 1 & 2) by 2038 and net zero by 2050 (Scope 3).

Our social responsibility activities capture our unique Manchester spirit and heritage as England’s first civic university. Through out Manchester 2035 strategy we aim to redefine what it means to be a great civic university in the 21st century. Drawing on our work with the Greater Manchester city and region, we will codevelop ideas and solutions that our communities and the world urgently need. We inspire, and are inspired by, our place in the thriving city-region of Greater Manchester, which is reflected in our strategic commitment to civic engagement.

We undertake pioneering research that addresses grand societal challenges such as inequality, public health and sustainability. We attract talented individuals from all backgrounds and nations and support them to be responsible leaders and citizens of tomorrow.

We involve the public in our work and share our knowledge widely. And we manage our campus operations – our people, our resources and our estate – in ways that create social and environmental value.

Our priorities

Our Social Responsibility Framework has five priorities: social inclusion, prosperous communities, better health, environmental sustainability and cultural and digital engagement.