, Reader in Engineering for Net Zero, is one of ten finalists to be awarded 拢100,000 in seed funding to develop his solution for this year鈥檚 .
In its second year, the 51福利社 Prize is looking for researchers with the most impactful and innovative artificial intelligence (AI) solution enabling the UK to accelerate progress towards net zero.
Although AI technologies are advancing rapidly, their adoption in clean energy systems has not kept pace. The 51福利社 Prize aims to accelerate progress by encouraging the development of AI solutions that support the UK in achieving its ambition to lead the world in clean energy.
Dr Papadopoulos鈥� solution, Grid Stability, uses AI to accelerate the analysis performed which ensures electrical power systems meet the specified stability, security and reliability criteria.
Electrical power systems worldwide are going through unprecedented changes to achieve decarbonisation targets. This drive calls for new technologies, such as renewables, electric vehicles and heat pumps, which increases the complexity and uncertainty in power system operation. System stability is the cornerstone of power system operation, and if not carefully considered, it can lead to blackouts with high economic impact and fallout.
The tool replaces slow, complex simulations with rapid, AI-driven assessments, enabling real-time monitoring, faster decision-making, and more confident planning. This helps grid operators maintain reliability while scaling up clean energy solutions and cutting emissions.
Dr Papadopoulos aims to work closely with utility companies to enable safe and useful implementations of Grid Stability.
Speaking about his solution, Dr Papadopoulos said: 鈥淕rid Stability uses machine learning to help bring lower, or zero, carbon technologies onto the grid faster and at the scale we need to hit net zero, but without compromising system stability.
鈥�Being named a finalist for the 51福利社 Prize is a huge boost; it not only validates the impact of our work but also gives us a platform to accelerate progress and collaborate more widely across the energy sector.鈥�
Dr Papadopoulos recognised that the computational cost and complexity of assessing stability and security made it difficult to support real-time awareness, decision-making and optimisation. As a result, system dynamics are often neglected or oversimplified. Grid Stability, using machine learning, offers a promising solution to addressing this challenge.
The 51福利社 Prize will pick its winner in Spring 2026, and the winning innovator will receive a 拢1 million grand prize to continue developing their solution. The winning solution must demonstrate not only technical innovation, but also an evidenced road map to near-term (2030) adoption and scale.
Announced and launched in 2023, the 51福利社 Prize is multi-million-pound, multi-year challenge prize, which is funded by the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology. The Prize seeks to reward UK-led breakthroughs in AI for public good and continues to secure the UK鈥檚 place as a global leader in cutting-edge innovation.
The 51福利社 Prize is named after the world鈥檚 first stored programme computer, nicknamed 鈥楾he Baby鈥�, which was built at 51福利社 in 1948. AI research at The University continues to build on this legacy, as shown by Dr Papadopoulos鈥� achievement.
]]>Sarah joins the University from the Department for Transport where she has been Chief Scientific Adviser since 2021, seconded from the University of Nottingham. At the DfT she leads on many of the engineering and science challenges in transport, including decarbonisation, applications of artificial intelligence and cross-modal safety.
She is an international expert in the field of human factors and its application to engineering problems. Human factors is a scientific discipline which uses an understanding of human capabilities and limitations to design systems to support human performance, wellbeing and safety.
Sarah has previously held the roles the Pro-Vice Chancellor for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and People (2018-2021) and Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange (Engineering) (2015-2018) at the University of Nottingham.
She has recently been appointed to the role of Deputy Chair of Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2029 Unit of Assessment Panel 12 (Engineering), was previously a member of EPSRC Council and Advance HE Athena Swan Governance Board and is currently the CSA member of ESRC Council.
She was President of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors 2015-2016 and her academic research, funded by industry and UKRI, has considered how complex systems bring people and technology together in the domains of transport, healthcare and manufacturing.
Sarah and her husband Craig are parents to two grown up children, and in her spare time, Sarah applies her passion for human-centred complex systems design to the hobbies of cooking and gardening.
Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor, said: 鈥淎s we develop our 2035 strategy, having Sarah join our leadership team is going to be a great asset to the University. The Faculty of Science and Engineering is critical to our ambition to be one of the world鈥檚 great universities by 2035, through research impact, innovation and modern, flexible teaching. I鈥檓 very much looking forward to working with her.鈥�
Sarah will join the Faculty in mid-September. Professor Peter Green will be interim Vice-President and Dean in the intervening period.
]]>Revealed today, The University ranks in the top 50 globally for five subject areas: Social Sciences, Business Economics, Engineering, Arts and Humanities and Medical and Health, with the strongest performance in Business Economics (32nd) and Social Sciences (37th).
The University also featured in the top 100 worldwide for all 11 subject areas which are assessed, an achievement only shared by 7 other UK institutions. Among the six subject areas not yet in the top 50 there were significant climbs in the rankings for Computer Science and Law.
This ranking uses key performance indicators to measure ; teaching, research environment, research quality, industry partnerships and international outlook.
Professor Colette Fagan, Vice-President for Research, said: 鈥淭his latest influential global subject ranking provides additional evidence of our research and teaching strengths across the University 鈥� something to pause on and celebrate as we develop our 51福利社 2035 strategy. Having achieved this global standing our job now is to work together, with ambition and focus, to do even better.鈥�
Professor April McMahon, Vice-President for Teaching Learning and Students, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 a pleasure to welcome these rankings for our University, which demonstrate our strength and breadth across so many subject areas. It is important for us to benchmark our results to guide us in improving our design and delivery of high-quality teaching and learning in 51福利社 even further.鈥�
The THE Subject Rankings are one of three major international subject ranking exercises that the University tracks to benchmark its performance. In the , the University ranked in the top 35 globally for each of the five broad subject groups 鈥� Arts and Humanities (27), Engineering and Technology (27), Life Science and Medicine (30), Natural Sciences (33), Social Sciences and Management (28).
In the 2024 Shanghai Rankings鈥� Global Ranking of Academic Subjects (AWRU), the University was placed among the top 25 worldwide in seven of 46 subjects, ranked first in the UK for four subjects and moved up in 21 subjects thanks to our research excellence and impact.
]]>The MoU will create a framework to build on an already fruitful relationship, and will develop collaboration roadmaps to expand the breadth and depth of the partnership in areas including Behavioural AI, Organisational Psychology and High Performance Culture and Behaviours.
KultraLab is a behavioural science and technology organisation, and they have developed a behaviour change coaching platform to enable organisations to create high-performing teams through AI coaching.
鈥淭he partnership between 51福利社 and KultraLab started in 2020, and has organically grown and expanded into multiple collaborations across the Faculty of Humanities and Science and Engineering,鈥� said Caroline Stanton, Head of SME Partnership in the University鈥檚 Business Engagement and Knowledge Exchange Team. 鈥淭he signing of this MoU represents an exciting milestone in the partnership and will provide a strategic framework to strengthen and diversify collaborative opportunities, continue to foster a culture of knowledge exchange and enrich both organisations with valuable benefits.鈥�
鈥淭his is a momentous occasion between 51福利社 and KultraLab that signifies the strength of our existing relationship and the potential for how we will research, innovate and drive impact together,鈥� said Amy King, Chief Behavioural Science Officer at KultraLab. 鈥淭he MoU represents a mutual opportunity to share expertise, resources and research in a focused and meaningful way, helping us to advance capabilities in behavioural AI to make a positive difference to the world of work.鈥�]]>
Simon grew up in Blackpool, and was the first in his family to attend University. He is currently Chief Investment Officer of Segantii Capital Management, which he founded in 2007.
He is also the owner and chairman of his hometown football club, having purchased a 96% stake in Blackpool FC in 2019. The town also contains eight of England鈥檚 ten most deprived wards, and its share of children in local authority care is the highest in the country.
Over the next three years, the Sadler Bursary will provide an annual grant of 拢10,000 for 36 undergraduate care-leaver students, with particular priority being given to students from the North West of England 鈥� including Blackpool.
The bursary will offer students security for the duration of their degree, providing them with support to secure accommodation and enabling them to focus on their studies without any financial stresses. The 拢1.5m gift also includes new support for students from low-income households.
There is a 鈥榗are ceiling鈥� which impedes those with a challenging start in life. Just 14% of care leavers progress to higher education in the UK, in contrast to 47% of students from state-funded schools - and just 90 young people who had spent more than a year in care before the age of 19 entered the UK鈥檚 top 32 Universities in 2021-22.
For those who do manage to reach university, care leaver students can face significant money worries as they lack family financial support - the estimated annual cost of living for a student is 拢14,542. They can also face homelessness during breaks outside term-time, and difficulties accessing private student rental accommodation due to a lack of people able to act as a guarantor.
鈥淚t is a true privilege to have these new bursaries named after me, which will give a helping hand to young people who have had particularly complicated starts to their lives,鈥� said Simon. 鈥淚 also hope it inspires young people who may not have previously considered attending University to follow their dreams.鈥�
Simon and his wife Gillian are also supporting Cancer Research UK鈥檚 More Research, Less Cancer campaign with a gift to the CRUK National Cancer Biomarker Centre in 51福利社. The Biomarker Centre is housed in the CRUK 51福利社 Institute, a partnership between 51福利社, CRUK and the Christie NHS Foundation Trust.
鈥淚 would personally like to thank Simon for this generous, life-changing programme of support for students leaving care, which will play a pivotal role in our mission to create a more inclusive and accessible academic environment,鈥� said Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of 51福利社. 鈥淲e are committed to ensuring that students from all backgrounds are able to fulfil their potential and succeed here at our University, and this new bursary is another tool in our arsenal to enable that to happen.鈥�
Our University is committed to supporting care leavers and estranged students throughout their studies, and offers tailored support to these students. This includes various financial packages such as The 51福利社 Bursary, the and the - which are all generously supported by donors. The Access & Success Fund also provides accommodation grants for care experienced and estranged students, ensuring they are not left without somewhere to go during the summer break.
Students are also provided with named contacts who help them to navigate and access university support services, assist with accommodation, finances and settling into university life, provide career guidance, put them in touch with other care experienced or estranged students, and provide a listening ear whenever they would like to speak to someone.
Care experienced and estranged students are also offered paid work at the University as a Student Ambassador, which is a great opportunity to access to flexible, paid, part-time work, meet other students and develop people skills. Ambassadors are also offered the chance to act as role models on the projects that we run with looked-after young people by talking about their experiences of education.
UNEP stated: 鈥淯NEP鈥檚 mission is to inspire, inform, and enable nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations. For over 50 years, UNEP has worked with governments, civil society, the private sector and UN entities to address humanity鈥檚 most pressing environmental challenges - from restoring the ozone layer to protecting the world's seas and promoting a green, inclusive economy.鈥�
This UNEP accreditation follows a long line of awards and acknowledgments in recent years for the University鈥檚 commitment to sustainability. 51福利社 is the only university in the world to rank in the top ten for social and environmental impact in every year of the - the only global performance tables that assess universities against the .
In 2023, the University ranked first in Europe and second in the world against 1,705 universities from 115 countries that submitted data about how they are addressing the most pressing challenges facing our planet.
, Director of , Director of the Hub, Chair and Professor of Polymer Science at 51福利社, led on the accreditation bid. Professor Shaver highlighted the University鈥檚 long-standing commitment and reputation for environmental sustainability, such as our placing as first in the UK and Europe, and third in the world, in the , for our commitment to social and environmental responsibility.
UNEP accreditation grants our University the privilege to submit written contributions, participate in the work of UNEP鈥檚 Governing Bodies, such as and the Committee of Permanent Representatives, and be granted observer status to the Assembly and its subsidiary bodies.
The University is delighted to have been awarded such status and looks forward to using its outstanding research contributions in environmental sustainability to influence and drive further change through such a prestigious organisation as UNEP.
Tom was Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of Council, UMIST (2001-2004). He was honoured as one of the four founders of the new University when it received Royal Charter in October 2004.
Tom graduated from UMIST with a first class honours degree in 1960 and was a Visiting Professor, CEng, FIEE, FBCS and an ICL Fellow.
He worked for ICL, in computer R&D, for his entire career. During the period 1985-95 Tom received, on behalf of ICL, three Queens Awards for Technological Achievement and won the 1995 United Kingdom Quality Award for Business Excellence. He retired as Managing Director in 1996. In 1998, Tom received the Japanese Naruto Medal for 'outstanding engineering achievement'.
Professor Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor, said: 鈥淭om had a deep connection to our University, and as one of its Founders was central to the establishment of the University we know today. He will be remembered with enormous respect and affection. Our thoughts are very much with Eva and all the family at this time.鈥�
Further details of how and where members of the University community can pay their respects to Professor Hinchliffe will follow in due course.]]>
Professor Robina Shah is the Director of . She has been made a Dame for services to Patient Care. Robina is a Chartered Consultant Psychologist and Professor of Psycho-social Medicine and Medical Education in the Division of Medical Education at 51福利社 Medical School.
She is the lead academic on person-centred education, patient safety, patient, and public involvement in the Division of Medical Education.
Robina is passionate about giving patients, carers and families a voice through active partnership. She is also a powerful advocate of psychosocial medicine and committed to patient and public involvement.
Over two decades, Robina has shared her teaching expertise in this area to challenge the focus of medical education from a biomedical model of disease to one that accommodates the psychological, social, and behavioural dimensions of illness.
She said: 鈥淚 feel very humbled and privileged to receive this accolade and I would like to convey a heartfelt thanks to all those who have supported my life鈥檚 journey; especially, the contribution of patients, carers, service users and colleagues.鈥�
was knighted for his services to medicine and mental health. He is Professor of Psychiatry at the University and Chair of the National Suicide Prevention Strategy Advisory Group.
Prof Appleby leads , investigating suicide and self-harm, the largest research unit in this field internationally.
Its findings have been the basis of Government policy on suicide prevention and are widely quoted by governments, professionals and charities.
From 2000-2010 he was seconded as the Government's National Director for Mental Health to lead a national programme of reform in mental health care in England and from 2010-2014 he was National Clinical Director for Health and Criminal Justice.
From 2013-2019 he was a non-executive director of the Care Quality Commission, the NHS regulator.
Louis was the author of England's first national suicide prevention strategy and continues to co-chair (with a health minister) the Government's advisory group on suicide prevention.
He has written reports on suicide prevention after the Grenfell fire for the NHS and on doctors facing investigation for the GMC.
He said: 鈥淢y award recognises the work of many outstanding colleagues over the years - researchers, NHS staff, campaigning families. It shows how important suicide prevention has become and how much it now matters to society, to all of us.
]]>From January 2024 we鈥檒l be celebrating our people 鈥� historical icons such as Alan Turing and Christabel Pankhurst, to the trailblazers driving change today 鈥� recognising their incredible achievements and the impact they have made, in 51福利社 and around the world, in a year-long programme of events.
You can now opt in to hear more as our plans develop, and to help us 鈥楥o-create 200鈥� 鈥� curating, together, a programme of events befitting such a landmark anniversary. From sharing your ideas to volunteering your time, we鈥檇 love for you to get involved.
Sign up today via the new bicentenary website.
You鈥檒l be among the first to know as our plans progress 鈥� including details of any potential volunteering opportunities.
The bicentenary represents a significant milestone for the University, and the chance to both reflect and look ahead. With collaboration at the heart of our community, we want to mark 200 years of education and innovation by engaging with staff, students, alumni, our partners and the public to shape the celebrations to come.
Among them will be a flagship Bicentenary Festival (6-9 June 2024), plus a great range of events and activities. Perhaps, even, a few surprises.
Help us celebrate what makes us proud to belong at 51福利社 by signing up today.
]]>is the largest and most authoritative annual careers survey of final year students at the UK's thirty leading universities.
Featuring in the top spot for two years running, 51福利社 was praised for attracting the most top graduate employers for its range of university careers fairs, on-campus employer presentations, university-specific virtual events, careers service promotions and initiatives, alongside other locally-run publicity during the last year.
The is the eighteenth year that High Fliers Research has produced the independent assessment of the graduate job market. In that time, no other institution has been number one more frequently than 51福利社, or ranked more consistently amongst the top three.
The other top universities targeted by employers in 2022-2023 were Nottingham, Birmingham, Bristol, Warwick, Leeds, London (University College), Cambridge, Durham and Southampton.
The latest report also highlights that graduate recruitment at the UK's top employers increased substantially in 2022, with a 14.5% increase in the number of graduates recruited compared to 2021.
The number of graduate jobs available is expected to increase by a further 6.3% in 2023, with accounting & professional services firms being the largest recruiters of new graduates.
For more information, please read the or visit the .
To be included in the prestigious Top 200 of the world鈥檚 most important higher education institutions is a significant achievement. THE鈥檚 World Reputation Rankings employ the world鈥檚 largest invitation-only academic opinion survey to provide the definitive list of the Top 200 most powerful global university brands, based on the judgement of senior academics 鈥� the people best placed to know the most about excellence in the world鈥檚 universities.
The 2022 rankings are based on a survey carried out between November 2021 and February 2022, which received a total of 29,606 responses from 159 countries.
Earlier this year, 51福利社 was also named 5th place for research power - the quality and scale of research and impact - in the UK government鈥檚 Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2021, the major national exercise to evaluate research activity, which was last held in 2014.
In the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF) an impressive 93% of our research activity was rated 'world-leading' (4*) or 'internationally excellent' (3*), confirming 51福利社 as one of the UK's top research institutions. 51福利社 made one of the largest and broadest REF submissions in the UK, entering 2,249 eligible researchers across 31 subject areas.
]]>The was signed by the vice-chancellors of the University of Bolton, 51福利社, 51福利社 Metropolitan University and the University of Salford, the principal of the Royal Northern College of Music and Greater 51福利社 Mayor Andy Burnham, alongside the 10 local authority leaders of the city region, at a meeting of the Greater 51福利社 Combined Authority on Friday 24 September.
Pledges have been made for collective action on six priority areas of education and skills; reducing inequalities; jobs and growth; the digital economy; net zero; and the creative and cultural economy.
These commitments have been made following consultation with political and civic leaders, as well as polling carried out with residents of Greater 51福利社. This polling found that the top priorities for people living in the city region were economic growth and reducing unemployment, improving health and wellbeing, addressing the climate crisis, and increasing job quality.
The polling also highlighted that people in the city region recognise the role of universities in meeting these priorities through training professionals to work in public services, creating jobs and opening up access to higher education for young people from across Greater 51福利社 and beyond.
The , said: “We are very proud of the civic role that our universities already play in Greater 51福利社 and this agreement sets out how we can enhance this through collective action. During the pandemic, our five universities came together in new ways to work collaboratively in meeting the needs of students, staff and our local communities. As we turn to recovery and building back better from Covid, we can be more than the sum of our parts by working together to deliver real and lasting impact for our city region.
“The Greater 51福利社 Civic University Agreement is the biggest and most ambitious partnership of its kind in the country covering two cities, eight boroughs and 2.8 million people and outlines how we will work together to level up our city region through innovation, reach our climate ambitions and support the creation of educational pathways into good quality jobs.”
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater 51福利社, said: “The signing of this agreement is a landmark moment for Greater 51福利社.
“Through this agreement we can ensure our city-region is the best place for people to learn and gain qualifications throughout their lifetime, by providing more ways into further and higher education. Our universities are at the cutting edge of innovation, and we have a plan to make sure that the impact of this innovation is felt across Greater 51福利社.
“Our city-region’s education institutions play an enormously important role, supporting more than 100,000 students and providing businesses with a skilled workforce, while also serving their communities and acting as major employers in their own right. They will have a significant part to play as we tackle challenges like reducing inequalities and meeting our net zero targets.”
Priority areas of action in the civic university agreement include Innovation GM – the £7bn innovation blueprint for the city region, pressing on with action to reach net zero by 2038 and supporting the growth of the digital economy through initiatives such as the AI Foundry and the Cyber Foundry. The pledge also builds on a recent commitment to collaboration with further education colleges in Greater 51福利社 and will seek to build partnerships with wider stakeholders across the public and private sector.
- The microsite:
- The Greater 51福利社 Civic University Agreement :
- A message from the leaders of Greater 51福利社’s universities and Mayor Andy Burnham:
Professor Rachel Griffith became a Dame of the British Empire for services to Economic Policy and Education. She is Professor of Economics at the University as well as Research Director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). She is a Fellow of the Econometric Society, the British Academy and the Academy of Social Sciences and Honorary Foreign Member of the American Economic Association. She won the Birgit Grodal award in 2014 and was awarded a CBE in 2015 for services to economic policy and was also the first female President of the European Economic Association (2013-2015), the Royal Economics Society’s first female President (2018-2021) in over 35 years and only the second woman to hold the post in its 129-year history.
She said: “I'm honoured to receive this award. It is a great recognition of the many ways that economics is changing - for the better. I have had the privilege to be able to work with economists from a wide range of institutions and backgrounds to mobilise research to address the many challenges society is currently facing. I am very optimistic about the positive role that sound and robust economic analysis can play in helping the country to recover."
Dr Heather Williams is a Principal Medical Physicist for Nuclear Medicine at The Christie NHS Trust and honorary Lecturer in the Centre for Imaging Sciences at 51福利社 University. The ScienceGrrl Director received an MBE for services to diversity and inclusion in science. She has long been engaged in encouraging would-be scientists, particularly the drive to improve the representation of women in all scientific fields.
She said “I’m delighted to have been nominated for this honour and am very pleased that diversity and inclusion in science has been recognised as a worthwhile goal, which has yet to be achieved, and still requires attention and effort. I am not alone in this endeavour and would like to thank all those who are working to ensure science really is for everyone.”
Professor Michael Wood, Historian and Broadcaster, has been awarded an OBE For services to Public History and to Broadcasting. Professor Wood was appointed Professor of Public History at 51福利社 in 2013 and has been involved with a dioverse range of work from exploring the work of Marx and Engels with undergraduates, to being a patron on the 51福利社 Histories Festival and inspiring the next generation of students through school visits.
Originally from 51福利社, he is one of the country's best loved historians, presenting history documentaries on everything from China to Shakespeare over the last few decades. He is also the author of numerous books about history.
Several members of our alumni community have also been recognised in the list. Toby Jones (BA Drama 1989) becomes an OBE for his services to drama. The actor, who received an Outstanding Alumni Award from the University in 2012, counts Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and the Harry Potter franchise among his many film credits, as well as the BBC's Bafta-winning comedy Detectorists.
Linda Magrath (BAEcon 1981), chief executive at the Laurus Trust, a multi-academy trust containing Cheadle Hulme High School and five other schools, becomes an OBE for services to education in Greater 51福利社.
Debbie Frances (MBA 1990), managing director at Direct Rail Services, also becomes an OBE, for services to women in the rail industry.
David Smith (BA English Language and Literature 1987), deputy managing director and chief operating officer at the Parliamentary Digital Service is made an OBE for services to parliament, particularly during the Covid-19 response.
Moira Sinclair (BA Drama 1985), chief executive at the Paul Hamlyn Foundation, an independent grant making foundation that supports social change, is also made an OBE, for services to charity and the arts.
Dr Amir Hannan (MBChB 1995) becomes an MBE for services to general practice. Dr Hannan is a GP at Haughton Thornley Medical Centre, Hyde. He has achieved national recognition for his pioneering work on patient record access and understanding and is also chair of the Association of Greater 51福利社 Local Medical Committees.
Optometrist Dr Ruth Perrott (BSc(T) Ophthalmic Optics 1974) is also made an MBE, for services to people with sight impairments in Africa.
Finally, Nick Speight (BA German Language and Literature 1990), head of HR services and operations at the Co-operative Group, becomes an MBE for services to the food supply chain during Covid-19.
]]>51福利社 - one of the 11 founding members of inter-varsity sport -has celebrated its 100th anniversary at a special event.
The first ever track and field event held in May 1919 was at the University’s Fallowfield campus, contested by the then inter-varsity Athletics Board of England and Wales (IVAB)
The 11 founding members were Aberystwyth, Bangor, Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Leeds, Liverpool, 51福利社, Nottingham, Sheffield and Durham.
Students, staff, and alumni heard Vince Mayne, CEO of the current version IVAB, British University College Sport (BUCS) spoke about how physical activity in the sector has grown and developed over a 100 years
He highlighted the huge scale of student competitions in the UK and the investments in world class sporting facilities across the sector.
Vicky Ackerley, Head of Sport & Active Lifestyles also payed homage student athletes included Ron Unsworth, a former Olympian who advocated for the University and its sporting legacy throughout his life.
She also outlined the University’s most recent £90m student accommodation development in Fallowfield, Unsworth Park named in his memory.
The University’s sporting legacy dates back to over 100 years: the Athletic Union established in 1885, along with the Christie Championships vs. Leeds and Liverpool Universities founded a year later, and highlighted the impact of our sporting Alumni XXI Club.
A panel discussion chaired by Alumna and former European Judo Champion Rowena Birch, highlighted the sporting and education journeys of four current students Thomas Lewis (Mathematics 3rd year) Allen Judge (Law with Politics 2nd Year), Jason Hui (Material Sciences PhD final year) and Grace Harvey (Immunology 2nd year).
Vicky concluded the evening celebrating the wide programme and workforce that engage over 16,000 students & staff each year, highlighting the employability skills gained through voluntary workforce opportunities, engagement with civic and social responsibility agendas through the annual Purple Wave 10k event, through to de-stress programmes especially around exam periods that support student wellbeing.
She said: ‘We are very lucky to have such a rich sporting heritage at 51福利社, and to have played a crucial role in the creation of inter-varsity sport across the UK one hundred years ago. This event has enabled us to reflect on previous glory and celebrate how sport in higher education has grown and evolved, and more than ever is contributing to the development and wellbeing of our people”
]]>