your manchester The University of Manchester Alumni Magazine May 2007 Martin Amis: arriving soon! Margaret Beckett’s student days Hitching up with Harvard Manchester International Festival Your Manchester Online is launched your manchester features... 8 16 18 10 12 14 2 YOUR MANCHESTER contents A word from the President 4 Around the campus 6 Dementia demystified 10 Changing the climate 12 The significance of social capital 14 The scar prevention revolution 16 Martin Amis joins the University 18 TV crews on campus 20 Sport at Manchester 23 Women graduates in the House 26 Manchester’s student newspapers 30 The Manchester 20 International Festival 32 Alumni in the spotlight 34 m u e s u Alumni Association news 36 M e c i l o P Development news 40 r e t s e h c n a M Your Manchester is published by the Communications, r e t Media and Public Relations Division in conjunction with the a e r Division of Development and Alumni Relations, G f The University of Manchester. o y s e t r For further information concerning any of the articles 26 u o in this issue please contact: C Donna Prince, Co-ordinating Editor/Alumni Officer, Division of Development and Alumni Relations, The University of Manchester, e c i G9 Christie Building, Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL. f f O tel +44 (0)161 306 3066 h t l a fax +44 (0)161 306 8066 e w email [email protected] n o m The articles printed here, to the best of our knowledge, m o C were correct at the time of going to press. We cannot d n guarantee that all articles submitted will be printed and a n we reserve the right to edit material where necessary. g i e r Furthermore, the views expressed in this magazine are o F e not necessarily those of The University of Manchester, h t f The University of Manchester Alumni Association, o 29 y s or the Editor. e t r u o C YOUR MANCHESTER 3 A word from Professor Alan Gilbert, Dear Graduate, well as successes to celebrate. But the The new University’s ambitions have been trajectory has been remarkable. In September, realised particularly in the research field, where Welcome to this third edition of Your we were named ‘University of the Year’ by the we are establishing Manchester as not just Manchester , the magazine for the 200,000 Sunday Times and our position continues to world class but world-leading in fields as alumni of The University of Manchester around improve in the most credible of international diverse as cancer studies, the understanding the world. higher education league tables, the ‘Academic and remediation of global poverty, areas of cell I have been in Manchester just over three years Ranking of World Universities’ produced by the biology and the nuclear-related sciences. Across now and the new University is just over two Shanghai Jiao Tong University, where our the University more generally, we are emerging and a half years old. Reflecting on that period, position has improved from 78th in 2004 to as a genuine research powerhouse with an it is remarkable what the University has 53rd in 2005 and 50th in 2006. Over the past annual research budget of around £350 million achieved. Although the merger was a massive year we moved from 12th to 9th in Europe and and an increase of around 25 per cent in total undertaking, the new University has by now 6th to 5th in the UK. audited research expenditure during our first well and truly established its own separate two years. The appointment of distinguished novelist identity, and the energy of the whole campus Martin Amis as Professor of Creative Writing Without in any way diminishing the importance community is focused on achieving the and Robert D Putnam as a Visiting Professor to that it attaches to fundamental research, the ambitious goals identified in our strategic plan, head a new joint project between Manchester new University has since its inception sought to the Manchester 2015 Agenda . and Harvard on Social Change are covered place equal weight on knowledge and We are making remarkable progress towards elsewhere in this magazine. Alongside the technology transfer. In the past two years, achieving many of those goals and establishing appointment last year of Nobel Laureate there has been a 100 per cent increase in the Manchester as one of the world’s leading Professor Joseph Stiglitz, these two further number of ‘declarations of discovery' which universities over the next decade. Nothing ‘iconic’ appointments reflect the boldness and may be of commercial value. Most worth achieving is ever easy, and the new ambition of the ‘step change’ transformation conspicuously, third party investment in University has had challenges to overcome as laid out in the Manchester 2015 Agenda . University companies is rising substantially. 4 YOUR MANCHESTER President and Vice-Chancellor The scale and value of some of these Programme (MLP), which was launched in early I know that many more of you are supporting companies is impressive. One spin-out 2005 to encourage students to get involved us more informally by encouraging family and company, NeuTech Pharma, was acquired in with the local community, whilst boosting friends to study here and colleagues and 2006 by Swiss pharmaceutical giant Novartis their personal development. Combining a business associates to forge partnerships with for £30 million; another, Renovo, was floated challenging curriculum focussed on personal the University. and professional development, and requiring 60 on the Stock Exchange, raising some £50 I am grateful for your continuing support and I hours of formal community work, it attracted million and valuing the company at more than hope that the highlights that we have chosen 75 students in the first year, with a further 300 £200 million. for the pages of this magazine will give you set to take part in 2006/07. I believe that the a flavour of our successes over the past year In the teaching and learning field, applications MLP can become one of the defining and will enable you to become even more to study at the University remain buoyant and characteristics of our alumni, making them the past year has seen record levels of effective ambassadors for your University in more sought after than ever by employers and, the year ahead. enrolment by international students and even more importantly, the kind of informed students enrolled on programmes relying citizens able to help build stable, sustainable, predominantly on on-line and distance learning. civil societies wherever in the world they There has also been a continuing improvement choose to live. in student satisfaction over the past year reflecting our continuing programme of In pursuing all of the goals contained in the Manchester 2015 Agenda , the University is investment in academic facilities and support Professor Alan Gilbert very dependant on the support offered by its services as well as the quality of our teaching President and Vice-Chancellor graduates around the globe. This magazine staff and the courses that we offer. contains examples of the valuable financial Our students – and the local community - are and practical support that many alumni have also benefiting from the Manchester Leadership offered to specific projects and initiatives, but YOUR MANCHESTER 5 Around the campus... A string of firsts for The University of Manchester A series of prestigious awards this year has boosted Manchester’s enviable reputation around the world. A new survey of Britain’s top 100 graduate recruiters for example reveals that Manchester graduates are the most targeted by companies seeking to fill graduate vacancies. The survey, from The Graduate Market in 2007 published by High Fliers Research Ltd, followed the news that The University of Manchester had won the coveted Sunday Times ‘University of the Year’ title. The Sunday Times University Guide is now in its ninth year and is seen by students and parents as an invaluable first reference point for finding a university place. This year’s league table which is ranked second in Another boost came from Association conference held revealed that we retained our the world. The Confederation of British at Edinburgh’s Heriot-Watt Industry (CBI) in the North University Research Park. position as the UK’s most Professor Michael Luger West which chose the popular university with (from the Kenan-Flagler The judges selected University’s President and 62,657 applications to Business School in North Manchester ahead of other Vice-Chancellor, Professor undergraduate courses for Carolina), who joined UK science parks due to the entry in 2006. In addition Alan Gilbert, as its business Manchester Business School contribution it has made to Manchester was beaten by leader of the year. in January as Director, said: the success of the City of just seven universities in the Professor Gilbert was praised Manchester and its excellent judgment of academics “We have faculty members by the CBI for his work in environmental policies. across a range of 30 subjects. from all over the world, and launching and leading the Official assessments of an enormous breadth of The Science Park provides University since its teaching quality show no teaching and research free business development university in the country has experience that’s available to establishment in October support to all its tenant more subjects rated excellent all our students, so it’s great 2004 following the companies and offers for teaching – 36 in all! to see this recognised in the dissolution of the Victoria networking events, free FT ranking. One of my key University of Manchester business and marketing Manchester Business School objectives is to promote and UMIST.