Led by the Manchester Urban Institute and Sustainable Consumption Institute, the ‘smart cities’ initiative is looking at ways to optimise urban services, including energy, transport and water, as cities become increasingly pressured by drivers of change. Cities are constantly evolving and so require new technology and increasing engagement from industry, government and citizens to stay ahead. We’re working with companies like Siemens, as a global ambassador, to train the next generation of engineers equipped to advance the connectivity, efficiency and sustainability of smart cities. True smart cities must engage their citizens, so we are collaborating with other leading institutions and public sector organisations across Europe as part of SMARTiP – a project funded by the European Commission to empower citizens to become active and involved in their cities.

The Rapid Access Diagnostics in Asthma (RADicA) project is developing and testing new approaches to improve the accuracy of asthma diagnosis. RADicA has made a significant impact across both clinical practice and research. Patients who participated have seen a marked improvement in the accuracy of their diagnoses.  

The University of Manchester is the permanent home of the Infected Blood Inquiry Memorial, which honours the more than 30,000 people who were infected with HIV, Hepatitis and vCJD after receiving contaminated blood products in the 1970s and 1980s. Its presence at the University will support research, teaching and public engagement, particularly in areas relating to patient safety, ethical practice in healthcare, trust, and health inequalities. Through exhibitions, teaching programmes and public events the memorial will remain accessible to the public, helping to ensure that the experiences of those affected continue to be heard and understood.  

The University of Manchester, in partnership with Wigan & Leigh College and the wider Greater Manchester Colleges network, deliver a programme that places PhD researchers directly into Further Education (FE) classrooms across the region. Developed through the Greater Manchester Civic University Agreement, the initiative enables postgraduate researchers to teach up to 20 hours per week in FE settings, providing specialist expertise in priority subjects such as engineering, STEM and digital skills. In turn, the programme offers researchers valuable, paid teaching experience while helping colleges tackle critical local and regional skills gaps.

The University of Manchester is partnered with Co-op Academy Medlock in Ardwick, strengthening connections between the University and the local community. University of Manchester students deliver a range of engaging presentations, on topics including their passions, cultures and educational journeys, to pupils at the school. For the pupils, this provides valuable opportunities to learn about new topics and perspectives. For the university students, it offers meaningful experience in planning and delivering presentations, developing public speaking skills, and building confidence while engaging with the local community.

The University has partnered with the Kenyan government predominantly focusing on bringing communities of clinicians, researchers and trainees together in Kenya and the UK to co-develop strategies and healthcare practices.

This ongoing collaboration now includes the Gender Equality Partnerships grant which aims to boost gender equity in leadership roles in both countries. Bringing together ten Kenyan and ten Manchester senior women from across academia and professional services for a 12-month programme, the strategy will pilot co-hosted events, diverse and inclusive leadership training, and cross-institutional mentoring and coaching. Its aim is to create and deliver an executive education programme for senior women in higher education and research that can be adapted to a global context.

We offer five EDI Leadership programmes, aimed at developing a diverse pool of leaders by equipping colleagues from groups that are statistically underrepresented in leadership. These programmes include: 

• Aurora: For colleagues who identify as women  

• Disability Leadership Training: For disabled academic, research and PS colleagues 

• LGBTQ+ Leadership Training: For LGBTQ+ academic, research and PS colleagues 

• Stellar HE: For Black, Asian, and ethnically diverse PS, academic and research colleagues  

• 100 Black Women Professors Now (BWPN): For colleagues who identify as women (+non-binary) from African / African Caribbean or mixed Black diaspora. This includes academic and research colleagues, and PhD students. 

In IT Services we have a strong commitment to reducing our impact on the environment. In a move to support local youth and promote digital equality, IT Services at the University in partnership with IT Provider, Stone Group, has donated laptops to the RAFAC 1263 (Rochdale) Squadron.