The University of Manchester DEGREE CONGREGATIONS December 2019 in the Whitworth Hall Congratulations from the President and Vice-Chancellor I welcome you all – graduands, family “Use your head, members and friends – to The University but follow your heart.” of Manchester for this degree congregation. Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, This is a time of celebration and I hope you President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester enjoy this special occasion. For those of you graduating today, this is also These ceremonies mark not the end of the perfect opportunity to reflect on your your relationship with the University but the time here at Manchester, to think about your start of a new chapter. You are now part of successes and accomplishments, and look a worldwide network and it is my hope that forward with excitement to the next stage the links between you and the University of your journey. As you are presented for will grow stronger as you become an active conferment of your degree, the University member of one of the world’s largest global shares with you a great sense of pride in the alumni communities. award you have worked so hard to achieve. I wish you every success for the future and I encourage you to take charge of your hope you have a truly memorable day. future, find your voice and form your own opinions. Have confidence in the knowledge and experience you have gained during your time here and, as you collect your degree, know you are ready to take on your next challenge and shape your own future. Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell DEGREE CONGREGATIONS DECEMBER 2019 1 Throughout our history, Manchester has helped shape the world through discovery, Leading knowledge and social responsibility. Our staff and alumni instil in our students the way and graduates a desire to improve people’s lives through research, teaching and investing in the future of others. 1851 1948 1979 2017 John Owens Prof Alan Turing OBE FRS Sir Arthur Lewis Naa Acquah Manchester industrialist The father of modern Britain’s first black General Secretary of the whose fortune established computing; cracked the professor, Lewis won the Students’ Union 2015-17 Owens College, the oldest Enigma code, saving 1979 Nobel Prize – the first black woman to part of what is now The millions of lives in WWII in Economic Sciences hold this position University of Manchester 1874 1945 1998 2016 Edward Ryley Langworthy Ellen Wilkinson Prof Brian Cox OBE FRS Jean D’Amour Mutoni Donor to the University Politician who won Physicist and broadcaster Queen’s Young Leaders whose legacy created the scholarships for every stage and a household name Award recipient whose Langworthy Chair, a position of her education and, in 1945, through his work to scholarship was supported held by five Nobel Prize was appointed as the first popularise science by a donation to winners female minister for education the University 1906 1908 2004 2006 Dame Christabel Sir Ernest Rutherford Prof Alan Gilbert AO Prof Danielle George Pankhurst DBE OM FRS MBE President and Vice- Suffragette who graduated Chemist and physics pioneer Chancellor who established Awarded an MBE for her with an LLB (hons) Law at a who became the University’s Equity and Merit Scholarships services to promote public time when it was illegal for first Nobel Prize winner in 1908 and the Manchester Access engagement in engineering women to practise law and split the atom in 1917. Programme 2 THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER DEGREE CONGREGATIONS DECEMBER 2019 3 958 Turkey Take Manchester 1,329 Thailand 835 21,412 Switzerland China with you 4,243 (mainland) Greece 253,912 2,579 UK 854 Cyprus Norway 2,510 Germany 1,886 Japan 1,396 Republic of Ireland 2,600 1,349 Canada South Korea 2,981 France 9,281 1,724 US Taiwan 2,233 Spain 4,515 Hong Kong 1,019 International alumni groups are Mexico 1,434 Pakistan a great way to keep in touch with Manchester graduates 1,547 and friends after graduation. Italy 5,523 Singapore Whether you’re relocating 4,287 1,094 somewhere new or returning India Indonesia home, alumni groups offer a great opportunity to expand your professional and social 1,254 networks as well as keeping in Saudi Arabia 6,436 touch with the University. 2,357 Malaysia Nigeria Find your nearest alumni coordinator or 2,402 1,589 Australia volunteer to become an alumni coordinator: United Arab your.manchester.ac.uk/global-networks Emirates 4 THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER DEGREE CONGREGATIONS DECEMBER 2019 5 IT’S TIME TO STELLIFY It’s time to Stellify Be the focus and the vision Be the brightest in the universe Be the future, be forward, be driven Half a million alumni 190 countries across the globe Over 25 Nobel laureates Our genetic code There’s stardust in your DNA You are a meteorite You are the pen tempting words You are the lens sensing light Be 10 thousand degrees Be light years travelling through time Be the star of the universe And shine, shine, shine Be the star you are searching for Illuminate the sky at night Be the success you wished for Be quicker be faster be bright Make all the difference In every single thing you do Stellify means to turn into a star And the star that turns is you Lemn Sissay 6 THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER DEGREE CONGREGATIONS DECEMBER 2019 7 Highlights Manchester top UK University for graduate employment In September Manchester 2018–19 was an eventful was named the University year for the University. of the Year for graduate employment by The Times Here are some of the and The Sunday Times Good University Guide. Manchester news highlights. also topped this year’s Graduate Market 2019 report by High Fliers Research showing that among the top 100 graduate employers Manchester graduates tick most boxes. University reveals next steps Manchester tops new societal impact rankings A plastic-free and Our best medals haul to date in North Campus development The University not only reached its highest-ever position in zero-carbon city The University won 13 medals Manchester started its search for an investor the Academic Ranking of World Universities and QS Rankings, The University announced at the annual British Universities and development partner to deliver a new but it was also ranked as the best higher education institution its participation in an and College Sport Nationals, £1.5 billion innovation district right in the heart (HEI) in Europe – and top three in the world – in the prestigious ambitious regional initiative our best haul to date. A total of of the city. ID Manchester is the University’s new Times Higher Education University Impact Rankings. to reduce carbon emissions 124 student athletes went to vision of a 26-acre dynamic, world-class and plastic use. Along with Sheffield to compete in seven community with innovation, collaboration and other institutions in Greater sports including athletics, enterprise at its core, generating thousands Manchester the University will swimming and karate, returning of new jobs. work to eradicate avoidable with four gold, four silver and five single-use plastics across the bronze medals. campus by 2022. In the city of Manchester, the University will also play a major role in the target of the city becoming zero carbon by 2038. Broadcaster and film-maker joins the University David Olusoga OBE joined the University as a Professor of Public History. David, who presented the BBCs landmark series Civilians in 2018, is one of the UKs foremost historians on empire, race and slavery. 8 THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER DEGREE CONGREGATIONS DECEMBER 2019 9 1 0 THE UNIVERSITY OF MANCHESTER DEGREE CONGREGATIONS DECEMBER 2019 11 Outstanding Academic Achievement Awards The University of Manchester Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement is awarded to the top students in each graduating year based solely on academic performance and consists of a certificate presented at graduation and a cheque for £1,000. The prestigious award reflects the exceptional performance of the individual graduates during their time at The University of Manchester. Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health President’s Hannah Talbot Doctoral Scholars Each year The University of Manchester presents the President’s Doctoral Scholar Award, the highest accolade bestowed upon members of our postgraduate researcher community. It is awarded to Distinguished approximately 3% of our research students who demonstrate academic excellence and leadership potential. Achievement Award Faculty of Biology, Faculty Faculty of Science Medicine and Health of Humanities and Engineering The University’s Distinguished Achievement Awards are awarded to students Robert Brocklehurst Lise Elliott Rebecca Jones who have made an exceptional contribution to the life of the University in James Adams Ioannis Kratsiotis Xu Fang Heyuan Sun Gemma Lord Panagiotis Petsagkourakis some way including by contributing significantly to the development of the Peter Schofield Evelyn Funjika Reza Vakili Jonathan Benson curriculum, enhancing other students’ experience at university, or they have Catherine Sharpe Bin Wang Guilherme Moreira Fians Darya Frank Nafisitu Irene Okhade Qiangjun Zhang coupled excellent academic achievement with major external activity. Brenda Poku Robert Irimias Pishyaporn Sritangos Luca Minciullo Caroline Hoppe Caroline Dang Faculty of Biology, Faculty Faculty of Science Medicine and Health of Humanities and Engineering Thomas Lane Rhys Archer Imogen Sharp Mateusz Ziembla Georgia Brennan Natalie Ishmael MRes Reproduction and Pregnancy MSc Innovation Management MSc in Applied Mathematics and Entrepreneurship