The free magazine for The University of Manchester 5 November 2007 Uni LifIessue 2 Volume 5 New chapter for John Rylands Library Features Letter from the President News Nobel Prize Winner to Chair new Institute page 5 Research One foot in the past page 9 One thing that is not on the agenda in are serious about transforming student learning and Profile The University of Manchester is maintaining the we are developing new, innovative forms of social Mark Woolstencroft status quo . As Charles Darwin wrote in the Origin and civic engagement. But all these gains would of Species , “It is not the strongest of the species come to nought should we lose the energy - or the page 12 that survives… It is the one that is the most will - to maintain our change agenda and accept adaptable to change.” He might well have been the imperative to remain adaptable. talking about higher education in the 21st Century. On the other hand, the Darwinian observation that The environment in which contemporary universities adaptability is a fundamental competitive are operating places an immense premium on advantage needs to be qualified in one crucial adaptability. respect. The stresses imposed by a new or Contents Darwin’s observation left something unsaid, changing environment do not always prompt however. The weaker members of a species, positive adaptive responses - they can sometimes however adaptable, also have poor chances of be pathological. survival. In any highly competitive ecosystem, the The lesson for us is obvious. Change is the 3 News weak are not typically given the chance to be essential dynamic of the Manchester 2015 Agenda , adaptable. In short, where survival of the fittest is but ubiquitous change – or, more precisely, too 8 Research concerned, fitness means being healthy and much change-induced stress – can be harmful. energetic - and adaptable. 12 Profile Wisdom as well as exuberance needs to be brought The University of Manchester has passed those to managing a change agenda. 14 Knowledge and Technology three survivability tests with extraordinary success Over the next few months priority will be given to Transfer since October 2004, beginning its new existence as our major Review of Undergraduate Education. a university not only with enviable inherited Recommendations may emerge from that Review 14 Feature strengths, but also genuinely committed to the that have implications for the way Schools are challenge of adapting deeply embedded traditions, 16 What’s On structured, managed and funded, but the primary structures, processes and procedures in order to focus is likely to be on pedagogy and student 20 Museum Piece capitalise on immense opportunities in a new, post- learning. Meanwhile, we will initiate a thorough merger environment. review of the way we design, develop, fund and In the life of organisations, adaptability is of little manage research institutes, and the Registrar and Front cover: value unless it is more than a passing phase in Secretary will complete his review of University Co-Chancellor Anna Ford organisational culture and consciousness. Three administrative services. years out from our inauguration, The University of officially re-opens the Rylands 2007-08 is not the right time, we believe, to press Manchester cannot afford to pause and catch its ahead with a comprehensive review of the institutional breath. The Manchester 2015 University’s academic structures. A fundamental Agenda is about the evolution of a very good “Big reappraisal of School and Faculty structures may be Civic” university into a kindred yet distinctly necessary in future, but to press ahead with such a different species of institution, able to operate, review at present might prove to have been an survive and thrive at the most rarefied level of inglorious triumph of exuberance over wisdom. higher learning, research, scholarship and social and economic engagement. The early signs of successful evolution are already visible. We have taken research activity to a new level, and are working systematically to leverage growing research strength to promote far greater knowledge and technology transfer; we have made prodigious progress towards providing state-of-the- Professor Alan Gilbert 2 art physical infrastructure for all our activities; we President and Vice-Chancellor News From left: University Librarian, Bill Simpson; President and Vice-Chancellor, Professor Alan Gilbert; University Co-Chancellor, Anna Ford; Head of Special Collections, Stella Butler New chapter for John Rylands Library The John Rylands Library in Speaking at the official re-opening of The ‘Unlocking the Rylands’ project Anna Ford added:”As a result of this Manchester has officially reopened the Library, Anna Ford, Co-Chancellor was launched to conserve the Grade I magnificent refurbishment project, after a £17m transformation. of the University said: ”Mrs Rylands listed building and its collections and visitors and scholars can now see the used her wealth to seize to improve physical access and Library in all its original glory and The magnificent neo-gothic building opportunities and in so doing she facilities for visitors with the addition enjoy access to some of its most on Deansgate, which is part of The created a Library which has no direct of a new entrance wing. famous collections and treasured University of Manchester, is a major comparisons in the UK and is items, such as the St John visitor attraction as well as a world- The upper floors of the new building considered by many to be better than Fragments.” renowned research library. house a purpose-built new Reading the US millionaires’ libraries such as Room, a Conservation Studio and Bill Simpson, University Librarian and More than £8m was provided by the the Pierpont Morgan in New York or state of the art storage areas for the Director of the John Rylands Library, Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) in order the Huntingdon in California.” collections. said: "The John Rylands Library is one to complete the three-year project. By the late 1990s, the building had of the most important rare book and New exhibition areas display some The Library was built in the 1890s by deteriorated structurally and began to manuscript libraries in the world. This of the Library's famous collections, Mrs Enriqueta Rylands in memory of cause concern for the condition of project has enabled The University of including the St John Fragment, the her husband John, Manchester's the collections held inside. The Manchester to keep the collections in oldest known surviving piece of the most successful cotton tycoon and, at University also wanted to increase the building created for them over a New Testament, dating from the time of his death, the UK’s public access to the collections. century ago and to make these around 125AD. wealthiest industrialist. treasures accessible to all." * Shortly after its official projects in Greater Manchester. The second award was the MCR buildings such as the Beetham re-opening the Rylands was Previous winners include the Award for “Best Iconic Building”. Tower and Urbis. The people of celebrating scooping four awards Pinnacle Building on Manchester’s Manchester voted for the Library The MCR Awards celebrate all that in one week. King Street and the Beetham Tower. and we hope many more people will has been great in Manchester over visit as a result." First was the Greater Manchester Phil Cusack, Chairman of the the past 12 months encompassing Chamber’s Building of the Year Chamber’s Building and regeneration, buildings, lifestyle, The Library also came away with Award for 2007 for which the Development Section and the entertainment and personality. two accolades at the Roses Design Library fought off stiff competition judging panel, said: “The judges Awards which recognise and Head of Special Collections Stella from other shortlisted projects, the were particularly impressed by the reward the design industry. Butler said: "We are delighted that Civil Justice Centre and the project’s uncompromising mix of old They won Gold in the ‘Best the John Rylands Library has University’s new humanities building. and new, bringing back into use Structural Design’ and ‘Best Re-use received such a wonderful accolade one of Manchester’s overlooked of a Listed Building’ categories. The Award, given in recognition of as Manchester's Best Iconic Building cultural treasures.” the importance of new building particularly as we were up against www.manchester.ac.uk/library 3 News In brief A Nobel contribution Every Child Matters A professor in The School of congratulation from the * Professor Levermore will give a A research conference aimed at understanding Mechanical, Aerospace and Chairman of the IPCC, Rajendra lecture to the North West branch shared leadership within the Every Child Civil Engineering is Pachauri, who wrote: " The fact of the Chartered Institution of Matters (ECM) agenda took place recently at celebrating after helping an that the IPCC has earned the Building Services Engineers on the Centre for Educational Leadership (CEL), at international panel of climate recognition that this award Tuesday 6 November on the The University of Manchester. change experts to win the embodies, is really a tribute to subject of 'The IPCC, climate Nobel Prize for Peace. your knowledge, hard work and change and the built The conference, entitled ‘Negotiating Shared application." environment'. The lecture is Leadership: Exploring the ECM challenge in the This year' s prize was awarded being held in the Pariser North West’, was organised