The University of Manchester has been featured in a Times Higher Education feature exploring how universities can contribute to Sustainable Development Goal 11: Sustainable Cities and Communities.

The article explores the role of universities as cultural anchors that are shaping civic life in their local communities. It places the University of Manchester and Lovely Professional University (Punjab, India) as leading examples.

In the feature, Dr Julian Skyrme, Director of Social Responsibility, discussed the pivotal role that the University’s cultural institutions play in supporting inclusion, cohesion and social impact across Greater Manchester. He explained that the University operates four major cultural venues: Manchester Museum, the Whitworth, the John Rylands Library and the Jodrell Bank Centre for Engagement. Together, these institutions attract around 1.5 million public visitors each year and provide accessible spaces for learning, creativity and connection.

Dr Julian Skyrme, said; “These are enriching institutions, not just for our students and staff, but for the people of our city.”

Skyrme explains how Manchester Museum has quickly become a standout example of a civic institution for the 21^st century that reaches and includes people beyond our University community. Following a £15 million redevelopment, the Manchester Museum reopened in 2023 with Britain’s first permanent South Asian gallery, co-curated with 30 community members from the diaspora. It has since added a Chinese culture gallery and hosts a packed calendar of events, including a recent Lunar New Year celebration that drew 400 people and an annual Iftar (the breaking of the fast) that takes place in the South Asian gallery each Ramadan.

Find out more:

• You can read the full Times Higher Education profile piece on their website here