UniLife Vol 12: Issue 2 (3 November 2014)

3 November 2014 Issue 2 Volume 12

unilife The free magazine for The University of Manchester

Bringing learning to life for our students

Message from the President Since 2012 we have described the University’s mission under three core goals: world-class research, outstanding learning and student experience, and social responsibility. We define social responsibility as activities which make a beneficial difference to society.

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or a university of high academic standing like ours, the inclusion of social responsibility alongside research and teaching is unusual, but we consider this to be one of our defining features. The importance of social responsibility is illustrated by the fact that since 2010, this agenda has been led the President and Vice-Chancellor.

For the past three years, Professors Aneez Esmail and Colin Hughes have played a key leadership role, reporting to the President on social responsibility and environmental sustainability respectively, and both have made huge contributions to our successes in these areas.

In 2013 Dr David North, who joined our University from Tesco where he was the company’s lead for social responsibility, undertook a review of our activities in this area. His recommendations, which were accepted in full, included the need to better define and focus our activities on a number of high priority programmes; identify measurable outcomes; and that we should appoint a Director for Social Responsibility and a single Associate Vice-President (AVP).

Julian Skyrme became Director of Social Responsibility in March 2013 and since then we have defined more clearly our aims and outcomes.

Professor James Thompson from the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures took up the role of AVP for Social Responsibility at the beginning of October – a position which combines the previously separate roles of his predecessors.

priorities for social responsibility: research with social impact; socially-responsible graduates; engaging our communities; responsible processes, including equality and diversity; and environmental sustainability.

We also selected a small number of ‘signature programmes’ for social responsibility. These are emblematic of what social responsibility means for our University and each are characterised by their significant ambition and clearly defined outcomes.

Progress on these signature programmes has been developing apace: • School Governor Initiative: Volunteer School Governors play a critical role in raising educational standards, yet many state schools in our local community cannot recruit sufficient governors with appropriate skills. We set out to change this by engaging with our staff and alumni to create the largest growth of School Governors in England by the end of 2014/15. We have met this ambitious target a year ahead of schedule and now have a 200-strong network of staff and alumni in School Governor roles across the country. Last year we filled one in five governor vacancies in the North West and recruited more than twice as many volunteers as the NHS. This success led to a national and international Social Responsibility Green Gown award last year.

Social responsibility gets to the heart of the question: “What are we good for?” It therefore describes the way that we make a difference to the well-being of society, culture, the economy and the environment through our various teaching, research, public events and activities.

• The Works: Skills and employment levels in our neighbouring communities are some of the lowest in the UK. Led by the University, The Works was established as a unique programme in British higher education with the aim of transforming the life chances of people living in our local communities of Moss Side and Ardwick.

The programme is exceeding all expectations with more than 1,900 people being brought back into work, creating £25 million of savings to the local economy. This impact was recognised by judges for the Times Higher Education ‘Outstanding Contribution to the Local Community’, which we won last year.

In November 2013 we launched a new and focused approach in this area around five key strategic

• Ethical Grand Challenges Programme: By 2017/18, every undergraduate student at our

Hence it is timely to reiterate what social responsibility means to our University. What have we achieved? What are our plans for the future and how will we measure our success?

University will be confronted with three ethical grand challenges of the 21st century: sustainability (Year 1); social justice (Year 2); and workplace ethics (Year 3). Because of our size, this will be a major undertaking and we are piloting sustainability and social justice programmes in 2014/15. Nearly 200 first-year students took part in an exercise in Welcome Week where they were challenged to plan a sustainable campus meeting environmental targets. Feedback has been positive and work on scaling up this and other pilots will be a priority this academic year.

• Cultural Access Programme: This programme was developed during 2013/14 to encourage children to visit the Jodrell Bank Observatory, the Manchester Museum, the Whitworth Art Gallery and John Rylands Library. Almost 1,000 children from our local communities have visited this year and many have made return trips since then with their friends and families.

• Make a Difference: Think Sustainability: As one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK we have a significant environmental impact. This programme will ensure that, by 2017/18, every member of staff has the knowledge and resources to enhance positive environmental actions in the workplace.

With alumni in the Far East

Contact us News and story ideas Mikaela Sitford tel 0161 275 2112 email uninews@manchester.ac.uk manchester.ac.uk/staffnet/news Deadline 12 November 2014 Events and listings information Philippa Adshead tel 0161 275 2922 email unievents@manchester.ac.uk Deadline 12 November 2014 Ads Sarah Davenport tel 0161 275 2922 email uniads@manchester.ac.uk Deadline 12 November 2014 Next issue 1 December 2014

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News Landmark donation from Lord Alliance of Manchester

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Research Star-shaped molecule breakthrough

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With Professor Chris Phillipson, Councillor Mary Watson and Professor Chris Cutts at the Dementia Friends launch

• Addressing Inequalities: We undertake a range of high-profile work on global poverty and inequalities, but are sometimes less well known for our research on inequalities more locally in Greater Manchester. Led by Professor James Thompson and senior academic colleagues in Medical and Human Sciences and Humanities, four research areas (education, work, health and urban environment) will aim to capture our existing impact and drive new research into major inequalities in Greater Manchester.

Of course, we will be planning new signature programmes in the years that follow and we are keen to hear ideas from colleagues as to the new programmes that might exemplify the ambitions of social responsibility.

These six signature programmes will be our major focus in the next three years. In some, like our School Governor Initiative and The Works, we have achieved fast impact and external acclaim. We know that other areas, like our Ethical Grand Challenges programme and Make a Difference: Think Sustainability will take time because of the scale of what we are trying to achieve, but will deliver significant long-term impact.

By rigorous demonstration of how and where we have ‘made a difference’, we can ensure that social responsibility is a real distinguishing and defining feature of The University of Manchester.

A huge amount was achieved in 2013-14 to ensure we are more strategic and focused on our social responsibility priorities. In the future, attention will be focused on delivering and evaluating each of these signature programmes and we will aim to capture the outcomes, and not just the outputs, of these key activities.

Professor Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor Professor James Thompson, Associate Vice-President for Social Responsibility

Tell us how you are making a difference You can see how our colleagues, students and alumni are making a positive difference to society; culture; the economy and the environment by taking a look at our blog at makeadifferencemcr.tumblr.com Why not upload your own story?

To download a copy of the Making a Difference publication, read our impact report ‘Measuring the Difference’ and find out how you can engage with the social responsibility goal of the University, visit: manchester.ac.uk/socialresponsibility

Contents 2 4 9 12 18 20

Message from the President News Research Features What’s On Making a Difference

Front cover: Siddharth Krishnan Photo by Mark Waugh

Feature Real life experience, confidence – and awards

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Feature Across campus – and back in time

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News

Social media bringing John Rylands collections to life The John Rylands Library ran a 'Photo a Day' campaign throughout October, to increase the digital reach and exposure of the Library's collections.

Each day, an image from the Library's collections was shared on Twitter and Instagram, a diverse range from portraits of Alexandre Dumas to postcards from a Buffalo Bill scrapbook.

The Senior Leadership Team with their wristbands

Senior Leadership Team Gets It

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he University’s Senior Leadership Team has backed the Zero Tolerance to Sexual Harassment campaign by signing the We Get It pledge.

Aimed at both staff and students, the pledge has attracted over 4,000 signatures.

A joint initiative by the University and the Students’ Union, its first phase was launched in February 2014.

Its scope has now been extended to all forms of bullying and harassment.

A range of events and activities has been planned and will begin during Anti-Bullying Week (17-21 November).

• For more information, visit: staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/we-get-it

The campaign also supported local, national and international festivals and anniversaries – including Manchester Literature Festival and Gandhi's birthday – to maximise its reach.

University staff were asked to support the campaign by following it on Instagram and Twitter, retweeting images, commenting and sharing their own images using the campaign hashtag.

• Take a look on @TheJohnRylands on both Twitter and Instagram; the hashtag is #jrlphotoaday

University commemorates heroes This month the University will commemorate the contribution made by staff and students during the First World War. As reported in last month’s UniLife, the conflict had a significant impact on the University and our community. As a centre of knowledge, expertise and personnel, the War saw our predecessors play a diversity of roles in military, medical and agricultural service, in research and efforts for peace.

The centenary commemoration – at the Whitworth Hall on Tuesday 25 November, 12.30-2pm – will be attended by civic leaders and senior University figures are attending alongside staff and students.

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The changing face of the campus

Biomedical campus redevelopment

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ew plans for the £250 million development of the biomedical campus as part of the University’s Campus Masterplan have been announced.

The centrepiece of the revised plan is a major refurbishment of the Stopford Building to create a more modern teaching and learning environment housing the Manchester Medical School (MMS), the School of Pharmacy and teaching for the Faculty of Life Sciences.

New entrances from both Ackers Street and Grafton Street will create a stronger identity and presence for the School of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Life Sciences, while the Zochonis and Dover Street Buildings will undergo refurbishment to allow relocation of the School of Psychological Sciences from Ellen Wilkinson and Coupland 1.

The work will be carried out in a phased approach starting with the development of a new research building, adjacent to Stopford, scheduled to get underway within the next five years.

Landmark donation from Lord Alliance of Manchester

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anchester Business School is to become the ‘Alliance Manchester Business School’ in September 2015 following a transformational donation.

Sir Mark Walport

The University has received £15 million, to be invested in the School’s new building and also drive its research agenda forward, from Lord Alliance of Manchester and his fellow Trustees of the Alliance Family Foundation.

Chief Scientific Advisor on campus

In recognition of this support and Lord Alliance’s long-standing relationship with the University and the Business School, the School will be named the ‘Alliance Manchester Business School’ or ‘Alliance MBS’. The naming comes at a pivotal moment for the School as it continues to attract more world leading researchers and teachers, prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary and breaks ground on a new building.

Government Chief Scientific Advisor, Professor Sir Mark Walport, delivered a lecture to science and engineering postgraduate students to help raise awareness about the unique and diverse career opportunities offered by the Civil Service.

Lord Alliance said: "Over many years I have followed with growing admiration and pride the development of Manchester as a world-class centre for business education and I am delighted to support the next major stage in its growth and development.”

Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor said: "This announcement marks the culmination of decades of engagement and supportive partnership with Lord Alliance.

We honour with tremendous gratitude his long-held vision for the potential for a world-class business school to help power the economic development of the city and region.”

Lord Alliance of Manchester

Lord Alliance, one of the North West’s most successful businessmen, has had a long-standing association with the Business School and the wider University. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) in 1988 and an Honorary LLD from the Victoria University of Manchester in 1989.

Chaired by Professor Luke Georghiou, Vice-President for Research and Innovation, and organised by the Careers Service, the event included a networking session with representatives from the Government Office for Science, Health and Safety Executive, Health and Safety Laboratory, National Institute for Biological Standards and Control and Centre for Applied Science and Technology.

Organiser Rachel Mutters, Careers Manager for the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences, said: “It was wonderful for our postgraduate students to learn about different career paths and how employers such as the Civil Service want more than a degree. Our students have to demonstrate resilience, determination and a host of skills and competencies.”

Celluloid celebration

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he University has produced a film highlighting our distinguished history, many successes and future plans.

The seven-minute film, produced by the Division of Communications and Marketing and shown at Foundation Day, features stunning shots of the campus and a range of University ambassadors from President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell and Alan Gilbert Memorial Scholar Faith Nanyonga to human rights campaigner and our Honorary Professor of Law Shami Chakrabarti and many more.

As the President puts it in the film, our University has a lot to be proud of: “It is fantastic at research, provides a great student experience, it’s in a brilliant city and it makes a difference to our communities.”

As UniLife went to print, the film had had more than 37,000 views in its first 17 hours on social media. To watch, visit: staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/foundation-day-film

Stills from the University film

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News

Have we got news for you The amount of coverage in the media featuring our University has hit an all-time high with more than 24,000 articles being published in UK print media in 2013/14, with a value of £7.5 million.

The University’s Media Relations team, which is based in the Division of Communications and Marketing, is tasked with building and enhancing the reputation of our University in line with the Manchester 2020 strategy.

The team works with colleagues across the Division and the wider University to find and promote stories which show the amazing work which is going on here.

And our profile on the international stage is building too, with coverage reports created by the World 100 group which looks at the reputations of the world’s leading universities, showing that our University regularly ranks in the top ten for media coverage each month.

• Sign up to receive the News Digest, a daily round up of media coverage, by contacting Suzanne Ross on suzanne.ross@manchester.ac.uk • Find out more about the Division of Communications and Marketing at: staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/ services/communications-marketing/

Jewish students celebrate Succot on campus For the first time in its 190-year history, the University had a kosher sukkah on campus.

A sukkah is a temporary hut constructed for use during the week-long Jewish festival of Succot. It is topped with branches and often well decorated with autumnal, harvest or Judaic themes.

Rabbi Eli Simon, the Chabad Manchester universities student rabbi, and Dr Yaakov Wise of the Centre for Jewish Studies received permission from the University Registrar’s office to erect the sukkah on the lawn in front of the School of Law’s Williamson Building on Oxford Road.

Dr Wise gave a mini-seminar in the sukkah, also attended by senior Anglican chaplain Reverend Dr Terry Biddington.

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An artist’s impression of the redeveloped Whitworth Art Gallery

Whitworth to open its art on Valentine’s Day

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he newly developed Whitworth Art Gallery, closed for over a year while it undergoes a £15 million transformation, has announced its opening date: Saturday 14 February 2015.

the photographer Johnnie Shand Kydd, as well as two exhibitions of contemporary artworks and sculpture recently donated to the Whitworth by the Karpidas Foundation.

With twice the space, an art garden, sculpture terrace and orchard garden – and a new restaurant in the trees – the gallery opens with a major solo exhibition by one of Britain’s most acclaimed contemporary artists, Cornelia Parker.

The opening shows will also celebrate the Gallery’s extensive and eclectic collection – historic watercolours (with paintings by J.M.W Turner, William Blake and others), textiles, wallpaper and works from the 1960s.

Alongside are nine other exhibitions, with work by the Chinese artist Cai Guo-Qiang, Sarah Lucas and

The gallery opens with a full weekend of free events, music and fireworks – make a note in your diary!

Medic volunteers to help fight Ebola

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University medic has volunteered to travel to Sierra Leone to help fight the Ebola virus, which is threatening to sweep across Africa and has now been diagnosed in the US and Europe.

Dr Amy Hughes, an NHS doctor and Clinical Academic Lecturer in Emergency Response at the University’s Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI), is one of 400 NHS health professionals who will support communities in West Africa that are in desperate need of their knowledge and expertise.

The Ebola virus, first identified in the 1970s, causes a serious, usually fatal, disease for which there are no licensed treatments or vaccines. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has warned that the number of cases from this outbreak, which started in December 2013, could reach hundreds of thousands by January 2015.

Amy, 34, says: “I’ve been involved with humanitarian work for the past six years. I love the challenge it presents and the privilege of engaging with different communities.

“Of course we will be apprehensive, and it is always a shock when you are first confronted with the devastation. We will be subjected to sights unlike anything we’ve encountered back home.

“But I have learnt from my previous deployments how to develop a level of resilience. There is a real passion among NHS staff to make a contribution.

Those that aren’t able to deploy abroad are covering shifts at home."

Dr Amy Hughes

HCRI Deputy Director Professor Tony Redmond OBE, himself experienced in leading teams to disaster areas, said: “Amy is a hugely dedicated professional and has the skills and passion to make a real difference in an area where resources are stretched to breaking point.”

Charity begins at work

Manchester frogs on Norden’s Ark

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ur University is making it easier for members of staff to give to their favourite causes through a new Workplace Giving Scheme. This will enable staff to make regular donations to charities of their choice, directly from their pay, allowing them to uniquely boost their donations.

Manchester Museum has been developing a very special partnership with the largest animal conservation centre in Europe – Norden’s Ark in Sweden.

The collaboration forms part of an international amphibian conservation initiative to help save a critically endangered frog, the Lemur Leaf frog, from extinction.

The holistic project, established and led by Manchester Museum Curator Andrew Gray, incorporates new cutting-edge research and conservation measures to protect the last remaining populations of the species for the future.

For example, a monthly gift of £10 from take-home pay will be boosted to £16.66 for a 40% rate tax payer and £12.50 for a basic rate taxpayer. For higher rate taxpayers, donating via pay is the only method of giving that allows the chosen charity to receive the full taxable amount automatically every month.

It’s easy for members of staff to sign up:

Sir David Attenborough also directly supports the project and recently highlighted it in his new BBC Two documentary ‘Fantastic Frogs’.

• Online manchester.ac.uk/workplacegiving • Mobile app - download “Workplace Giving UK” in the App Store or in Google Play • Tel HR Services 0161 27 54499 and request an application form

For anyone who signs up between 30 October and 9 November, Workplace Giving UK will give an extra £10 towards their first chosen charity for the first month.

Exciting new research conducted as part of the project has been instrumental in the establishment of the world’s first genetically informed studbook for any endangered amphibian.

• For more information visit: lemurfrog.org

University Music graduate signs with Faber Composer and University graduate Tom Coult has been appointed House Composer with Faber Music, one of the leading independent British publishers of classical, contemporary, media, and printed pop and educational music.

Crowds watch the show. Photo courtesy of Christopher Foster and Abandon Normal Devices

Tom, who completed his BMus in Music at the University in 2010, graduating with first-class honours and receiving the Award for Outstanding Academic Achievement, says: “Manchester was absolutely crucial to my development as a composer – I received inspiring and meticulous tuition on my pieces, was part of a rewarding community of composers, and benefitted from the University’s admirable emphasis on giving performance opportunities for composers.”

Jodrell’s silver screen spectacular

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atch the Skies, the first ever large-scale outdoor cinematic event at the University’s Jodrell Bank Observatory, was a spectacular success – attracting more than 1,600 people from as far away as Saudi Arabia, Japan and the States.

The event saw classic sci-fi films shown on a giant screen, along with specially-commissioned works projected onto the dish of the iconic Lovell telescope.

World-famous director Stanley Kubrick recognised the role of Jodrell Bank and interviewed radio astronomer Sir Bernard Lovell for a prologue to his masterpiece ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’. The footage was lost but the transcripts formed the basis for one

of the new works which featured Jodrell Bank staff speaking the words of renowned thinkers of the day on subjects such as the possibility of alien cultures, intelligent computers and the origins of life.

Professor Tim O’Brien, from the School of Physics and Astronomy, said: “We wanted to show that science fiction and science fact are intrinsically linked. We were delighted with the result and amazed that people had come from so far away just to be there.”

‘Watch the Skies’ formed part of the BFI’s three month Sci-Fi Days of Fear and Wonder season: bfi.org.uk/sci-fi

Tom Coult

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News

Councillor Mary Watson

Making a difference by raising awareness of dementia The Dementia Friends initiative, one of the University's social responsibility flagship programmes, held its official launch – and celebrated already exceeding its target of recruiting 30 Dementia Champions by the end of the year.

Dementia Friends aims to raise awareness and understanding of dementia through encouraging people to attend a short training session or to become a Dementia Champion with a commitment to delivering dementia friends training.

Speakers included President and Vice-Chancellor Professor Nancy Rothwell, UK Dementia Tsar Professor Alistair Burns and special guest Councillor Mary Watson, who said the University’s involvement supported Manchester’s commitment to become an age-friendly city.

Artists running a workshop with singers.

Weekend of Wonder at Manchester Museum

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anchester Museum will see musical surprises all over the building with Wonderstruck – a live event later this month of original song and performances inspired by the Museum’s collections, created by artists Daniel Bye, Sarah Punshon and Boff Whalley.

collections with local choirs, She, ‘Ordsall A Capellas,’ Golden Voices and the Network schools choir. As Boff tweeted: “Teaching our songs yesterday to a choir of over-60s and today a choir of under-10s: best job in the world…”

The Museum’s partners for Wonderstruck are an arts charity, People United, who aim to use the arts to create a kinder society and have been recognised for their innovative research-led work with Arts Council funding.

Anna Bunney, the Museum’s curator of short Public Programmes, says: “We’re also creating a new choir for the project as participation in the process is key. ‘Strangers singing, connecting through music and curiosity’, a tweet by People United, sums up the project.”

Daniel, Sarah and Boff – formerly of pop band Chumbawamba – returned to Manchester in September to share songs inspired by the Museum’s

• For more information on the event, on Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 November, visit: museummeets.wordpress.com

• For more information email dementiafriends@manchester.ac.uk or visit bit.ly/1yCkp0T

City oasis lands Guardian award Local Hulme Community Garden Centre has come second in a national competition to find the most inspiring community projects in the Guardian newspaper, thanks to votes from University colleagues of volunteer Michelle Inwood.

The Centre is as an ‘oasis’ amid a sea of bricks and asphalt, having risen from a piece of scrubby grassland in 1999 as a not-for-profit organisation to bring the community together and run a fully-functioning and ever-expanding garden centre open seven days a week.

Michelle, who conducts contact lens clinical trials in at Eurolens Research, Optometry, said: “Thanks to everyone who voted for this worthwhile community project; any recognition and publicity for the Centre is gratefully received. Staff and volunteers work hard at the Garden Centre which operates on a shoe-string budget.”

• For more information,visit: hulmegardencentre.org.uk or follow the Centre on Facebook or Twitter.

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Henry Lamb, Advanced Dressing Station on the Struma 1916, © The estate of Henry Lamb

The Sensory War

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major exhibition of art from the last hundred years exploring the impact of war on the human senses is to go on show at Manchester Art Gallery.

‘The Sensory War 1914-2014’ has been curated by Dr Ana Carden-Coyne, Co-Director of the University’s Centre for the Cultural History of War, David Morris, Head of Collections at the Whitworth Art Gallery, and Tim Wilcox, Principal Curator of Exhibitions at Manchester Art Gallery.

The exhibition examines how artists from 1914 onwards depicted the devastating impact of new military technologies utilised in a century of conflict beginning with the First World War. The show features leading artists and will also showcase works by the ‘hibakusha’; survivors of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima which were created in the 1970s and are being shown in the UK for the first time.

• ‘The Sensory War 1914-2014’ runs until 22 February 2015.

Research

Significance of Lib Dem “switchers”

Fracking impact scrutinised

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Greenhouse gas emissions from the production and use of shale gas would be comparable to conventional natural gas, but the controversial energy source actually faired better than renewables on some environmental impacts, according to new research.

oters who are intending to switch from Liberal Democrats in 2015 will have an important impact on the outcome of the General Election, according to a University researcher.

Kathryn Simpson, based at the British Election Study (BES), says the Liberal Democrats could lose 75-78% of their 2010 vote to other parties.

The UK holds enough shale gas to supply its entire gas demand for 470 years, promising to solve the country’s energy crisis and end its reliance on fossil-fuel imports from unstable markets. But for many, shale gas exploitation is viewed as environmentally dangerous and would result in the UK reneging on its greenhouse gas reduction obligations under the Climate Change Act.

According to BES data, of the switchers, 27% of the 2010 Liberal Democrat voters intend to vote Labour, around 20 % are undecided, 9-10 % will vote Conservative, 9-11% will vote UKIP and 5-8% the Greens. The rest will vote for the minor parties.

She said: “The Lib Dem’s seat targeting strategy will be a crucial element in the election, so we can’t really be sure there will be a wipeout. But because so many are undecided, the party may have a fight on its hands.”

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg

University scientists have now conducted one of the most thorough examinations of the likely environmental impacts of shale gas exploitation in the UK in a bid to inform the debate.

The results suggest that the average emissions of greenhouse gases from shale gas over its entire life cycle are about 460 grams of carbon dioxide-equivalent per kilowatthour of electricity generated. This, the team says, is comparable to the emissions from conventional natural gas. For most of the other environmental impacts considered by the team, shale gas was also comparable to conventional natural gas.

Lung cancer hope University scientists have found that offering radiotherapy to patients with small cell lung cancer in addition to chemotherapy improves their chances of survival two years after treatment.

The researchers are now recommending that patients with extensive disease small cell lung cancer (EDSCLC) are given thoracic radiotherapy (TRT) to treat part of the chest after completing chemotherapy to help extend their lives.

Artist’s impression of a nova explosion similar to that in V959 Mon. Photo by: (c) David A. Hardy/astroart.org

Astronomers see into heart of exploding star

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n international team of astronomers has been able to see into the heart of an exploding star, by combining data from radio telescopes that are hundreds or even thousands of kilometres apart.

from a companion star falls on to the surface of a white dwarf star in a binary system. This triggers a thermonuclear explosion on the surface of the star which blasts the gas into space at speeds of millions of miles per hour.

Highly-detailed images pinpointed the locations where a stellar explosion (called a nova) emitted gamma rays (high energy radiation). The discovery revealed how the gamma-ray emissions are produced, something which mystified astronomers when they were first observed in 2012.

“When it explodes it brightens hugely, leading in some cases to the appearance of a new star in the sky, hence the term nova. These explosions are unpredictable, so when one goes off, the pressure is on for us to try and get as many of the world’s telescopes as possible to take a look before it fades away. For this nova, our international team was primed and ready to go and we really came up trumps.”

Professor Tim O’Brien, from the University’s Jodrell Bank Observatory, said: “A nova occurs when gas

Dr Corinne Faivre-Finn, from the Institute of Cancer Sciences in the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, part of Manchester Cancer Research Centre, said: “Our research shows TRT improves both the chance of controlling the disease within the chest and survival and therefore it should be offered to patients.”

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Research Grant to advance early test for pancreatic cancer The British company Abcodia has won a European Commission grant to advance the early diagnosis of pancreatic cancer using technology developed in collaboration with the renowned biostatistician Professor Carlo Berzuini from Manchester’s Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences.

The grant from the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme will be used to validate a test for the screening of people at high risk of pancreatic cancer, which aims to improve survival rates.

Pancreatic cancer is a silent killer as the physical symptoms tend not to show until it is advanced, by which time treatment options are limited. The disease is the tenth most common cancer, the fifth most common cause of cancer death and the only cancer with a predicted worsening mortality trend in Europe.

Brain scans

Mining big data yields Alzheimer’s discovery

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niversity scientists have used a way of working to identify a gene linked to diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

Researcher David Ashbrook and colleagues from the UK and USA used two of the world’s largest collections of scientific data to compare the genes in mice and humans. Using brain scans from the ENIGMA Consortium and genetic information from The Mouse Brain Library, he was able to identify a novel gene, MGST3, that regulates the size of the hippocampus in both mouse and human, which is linked to a group of neurodegenerative diseases.

David, from the Faculty of Life Sciences, says: “There is already the ‘reserve hypothesis’ that a person with

UK food poverty worse than thought Food insecurity and malnutrition in the UK is a much wider problem than has been recognised, according to new research.

Dr Kingsley Purdam, from the School of Social Sciences, says the demand for foodbanks is underestimated with large numbers of people thought to be at risk of malnutrition in the UK. Many older people also face food insecurity and the rapid growth in the number of foodbanks and food donation points in supermarkets suggests a ‘normalisation’ of food aid.

The research drew on survey evidence, case studies of foodbanks and interviews with foodbank users.

Dr Purdam said: “Many of the foodbank users we spoke to seemed to be surviving from week to week, even day to day.”

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a bigger hippocampus will have more of it to lose before the symptoms of Alzheimer’s are spotted.

By using ENIGMA to look at hippocampus size in humans and the corresponding genes, and then matching those with genes in mice from the BXD system held in the Mouse Brain Library database, we could identify this specific gene that influences neurological diseases.”

Senior author Dr Reinmar Hager says: “What is critical about this research is that we have not only been able to identify this specific gene but also the networks it uses to influence a disease like Alzheimer’s.”

Star-shaped molecule breakthrough

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anchester PhD student Alex Stephens has created a new star-shaped molecule made up of interlocking rings, which scientists have been trying to create one for over a quarter of a century.

Known as a ‘Star of David’ molecule, it consists of two molecular triangles, entwined about each other three times into a hexagram.

Professor David Leigh, at the School of Chemistry, said: “It was a great day when Alex finally got it in the lab. In nature, biology already uses molecular chainmail to make the tough, light shells of certain viruses.

“This is the next step on the road to man-made molecular chainmail, which could lead to the development of new materials which are light, flexible and very strong.

Image of the ‘Star of David’ molecule

Private security cutting war costs New research from the Faculty of Humanities suggests that employing private security companies in war cuts costs but causes problems.

© Photo by John Birdsall / REX

In recent years, private military and security companies have been used to bolster state troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Research partnership aims to improve quality of life for the elderly

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he University and Age UK have agreed an innovative partnership, taking a major step in collaborative working on ageing research.

Age UK, and Professor Chris Phillipson, Executive Director of the Manchester Institute for Collaborative Research on Ageing (MICRA).

The partnership will enhance the translation of research findings into more effective public policy, the exchange of ideas and thought leadership in ageing research and practice.

MICRA and Age UK have identified significant areas for the partnership, such as knowledge transfer, advice and consultancy, researcher capacity building, conferences and public events, and PR and media.

The new agreement builds on a history of collaborative working on research over more than 20 years and is set out in a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) officially launched by Professor James Goodwin, Head of Research at

Professor Phillipson said: “This is a very exciting development. MICRA and Age UK have a shared interest in expanding research focused on older people and ensuring this has a direct impact on improving the quality of life in old age.”

Author Dr James Pattison explains: “When governments employ private contractors it circumvents many of the constitutional and parliamentary constraints that are normally placed on them when deciding to send troops into action, such as a debate in parliament. Using contractors therefore gives further scope to start wars covertly or to extend the size of state involvement without public debate beforehand.”

© Photo by Tom Dwyer / Seconds Left / REX

New partnership with Age UK

Although it is supposed to cut the costs of war, both financially and personally, the study reveals a number of moral problems that arise from their use.

Immune cells key to melanoma treatment

I

St Helens' Tom Makinson

mmune cells may be responsible for drug resistance in melanoma patients, according to research published in Cancer Discovery.

Rugby League has ‘Magic’ touch

Melanoma is the most deadly form of skin cancer with around 13,300 people diagnosed in the UK each year. Rates of the disease have increased more than fivefold since the mid 1970s.

Major events are being used to attract new fans to Rugby League, according to marketing expert Dr Leah Donlan, from the Manchester Business School.

Cancer Research UK scientists at our University found that chemical signals produced by a type of immune cell, called macrophages, also act as a survival signal for melanoma cells.

When the researchers blocked the macrophages’ ability to make this signal - called TNF alpha - melanoma tumours were much smaller and easier to treat.

When melanoma patients are given chemotherapy or radiotherapy it causes inflammation, increasing the number of macrophages in the body – and raising the levels of TNF alpha. This research suggests that targeting this chemical ‘survival signal’ could lead to new ways to treat the disease.

Professor Richard Marais, Director of the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute and co-author

Red immune cells among blue tumour nuclei

of the study, said: “Melanoma is particularly difficult to treat as many patients develop resistance to standard treatment within a few years. This research provides a key insight into why this is the case.

“Drugs which block this ‘survival signal’ have already been developed and using these along with standard treatment may be a promising new approach for melanoma patients.”

The research outlines the League’s strategy of hosting major events like the Magic Weekend and the Super League Grand to attract newcomers to the sport.

Dr Donlan said: “These events cater for the needs of die-hard rugby fans and also casual spectators with a variety of on-pitch entertainment pre-match and at half time.

The Super League has understood that different fan groups have different motivations for attending the event.”

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Teaching, Learning and Students Siddharth Krishnan in the lab

Real life experience, confidence – and awards The University’s new Learning Through Research programme teaches our undergraduate students about their subject by having them look at – or do – research. This not only enhances our students’ learning experience, it improves their employability by increasing the scope of their studies and skills base.

And this month, some of our students who have taken part in this initiative are attending the prestigious, international Undergraduate Awards.

W

hen Siddharth Krishnan started working at the renowned Mayo Clinic in Florida as part of his degree in Pharmacology with Industrial Experience, he knew he had landed a great work placement.

The clinic has an education wing, a research centre and a hospital all on site, giving Sid the chance to carry out a genetic study of Alzheimer’s disease with access to patient volunteers – and all before he had even graduated.

“The clinic blends education, research and medical care so it was excellent experience for me,” Sid recalls.

“For one project, I examined DNA from patients to check if they had any known mutations that would put them at risk of the disease. Other research has discovered some new mutations, so I also checked DNA samples from Alzheimer’s patients for these.

“For another project, I used a mouse model to investigate a novel gene that had been found to have an important role in Alzheimer’s by my supervisor there, Dr Nilüfer Ertekin-Taner.”

Prestigious It was the second project at Mayo that saw Sid win the Life Sciences category of The Undergraduate Awards, a highly prestigious, international academic awards programme that identifies leading creative thinkers through their undergraduate coursework.

The awards had been promoted by the Learning Through Research programme, in which University students are taught about their subject by looking at, or even doing, research.

This has seen linguistics students handling major media coverage after using YouTube and celebrity

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couple David and Victoria Beckham to answer dynamic new questions about language change under Dr Laurel MacKenzie; meteorology students help create a weather app under Professor David Schultz; and students of Italian Medieval Literature getting to hold history in their hands as they used the John Rylands Library’s remarkable collection of 15th century books with Dr Guyda Armstrong.

Graduate Naomi Proszynska, who worked on the Beckham project, said: “Dr Mackenzie gave us the tools required, but after that she left us to research and write our reports independently. That’s something that has importance out in the real world.”

Sarah Todd, who studied at the Rylands, said: “Because of the richness of both the collections and the teaching, I was trained how to effectively carry out my own research, not just how to write an essay. I graduated as a competent bibliographer.”

Confidence Sid agreed that research can take learning to a new level: “Working in research gave me confidence – I had already been doing a lot of the lab work when I started my PhD in Neuroscience.

“At Manchester, we get a lot of lab experience and it helps you decide whether research is a path you want to take.

“And as well as experience and confidence, it saw me win this award. I was surprised and delighted and am excited about meeting the other students from different subjects.”

Sid won’t be alone – Jacob Brunner, of the School of Environment, Education and Development; Harish Kathiresan, School of Electrical and Electronic

Dr Guyda Armstrong

Engineering; Eliot Haworth, Faculty of Life Sciences; Bethany Haworth, School of Arts, Languages and Cultures; and Ella Szklaruk, School of Law; were highly commended.

All six will be attending the ceremony in Dublin, known as the UA Global Summit, in which students from around the world take part in discussions, workshops and events which enhance their personal development, encourage responsible leadership and equip them with the knowledge they need to further themselves, their ideas and research.

Dr Laurel Mackenzie

Reward The Learning Through Research team was delighted by our results, particularly as 4,792 papers were submitted by 206 universities across 27 countries.

Kersti Börjars, Professor of Linguistics and Associate Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students at the University, said: “The Learning Through Research project aims to recognise, reward and develop the integration of teaching and research throughout the curriculum, right from the first year of study.

This result is evidence that there is already some excellent work going on across the University.”

To see films about the Learning Through Research programme, visit: manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/ teaching-learning/methods-materials/research

Professor David Schultz

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Feature

Bringing our buildings to life

The John Owens Building, 1908

The University of Manchester holds a special place in history. Our origins as England’s first civic university are closely linked to Manchester’s development as the world’s first industrial city. We were formed at the birth of the modern world and our founders invested us with progressive principles and a desire to improve people's lives through research and teaching. Throughout our history we have led the way and helped shape the modern world through discovery, ideas and knowledge. Here UniLife looks at our historic buildings – and how we can step back in time as we walk through campus using that most modern of technologies, the app.

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I

t was on Manchester’s busy Coupland Street in 1917 where Ernest Rutherford split the atom for the first time.

In the building next door, a few decades later, the world’s first stored programme computer was switched on.

The father of modern computing, Alan Turing worked here…and it’s where Sir Bernard Lovell originally started work on his ideas for a new-fangled radio telescope.

Too much electrical interference from the trams and the general hubbub of city life eventually forced Lovell out into the quieter Cheshire countryside at what became the Jodrell Bank Observatory.

Today scores of children walk to school past these historical hotspots, unaware of how the events that took place there shaped the world they live in.

Also many staff and students are eager to learn the rich history of the buildings that make up our University – their early beginnings in Quay Street and Cooper Street, or the stories behind the great men they are named after.

Now a new heritage app has been launched to take everyone back in time…and also remind us how the philanthropy of Victorian gentlemen like Joseph Whitworth and Richard Copley Christie saw our institution flourish and grow.

University Historian and Heritage Manager Dr James Hopkins believes historic buildings and old photographs go to the heart of our culture and identity.

Yet we often don’t know how the buildings got their names and what happened there. So it’s important that we know more about our University’s history, and our buildings are a great way to understand that.

“As staff or students we are all part of The University of Manchester and it’s a community that cuts through time,” says James.

“It becomes part of our identity and its buildings have a resonance for us.

“But when I do tours for the general public, virtually nobody knows why the Whitworth Building is so-called, or who Christie was. In fact the University owes a lot to their generosity.

“Joseph Whitworth came from very humble origins and had a tragic childhood. His mother died and his father abandoned him to join the church.

“He made his fortune through engineering and when he died, he appointed three trustees to give away his money to causes they thought he would approve of.

“Charles Frederick Beyer, who gave his name to the Beyer Laboratories in 1888, made one of the largest ever endowments to the University, around £10 million in today’s money.

Christie Library, 1939

Richard Copley Christie’s memorial window

“Richard Copley Christie was a professor of history here and something of a genius who taught history, political economy and commercial science, but was also a barrister.

“He gave the funds to build the Christie Library and donated volumes of books he had collected.

Interestingly it's the same Christie who gave the money that founded the Christie Hospital.”

The new Layar app – developed by University History and Heritage and the Division of Communications and Marketing – pinpoints many of the historic highlights in a real-time walk across the campus.

Alan Turing

The Old Quad, 1972

It means we can stand in front of each building featured as we discover the true story behind it.

“We want to physically go and touch where something happened ….like a stately home or a castle – it’s a tangible part of our culture,” says James.

“That’s one reason we are trying to make our history more accessible – being in the physical location where something happened means so much more.”

How to use the app To access the virtual tour you’ll need to download the Layar app. Layar is available for Android, iPhone, BlackBerry and Google Glass. Scan this QR code using a scanner that’s AR-compatible (such as Junaio, Wikitude or Layar, if you have it already), or visit manchester.ac.uk/heritageapp.

Once you’re on campus, open the app then select the menu from the top-left corner (make sure you have your GPS switched on); select ‘Geo Layers’, then ‘Search layers’; type in ‘Manchester’; select ‘Explore our past: Heritage tour of The University of Manchester’; move your device’s camera until you see a building marker. Tap the marker to access information about that building’s history.

Dr James Hopkins in the Council Chamber corridor

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Feature

Professors Nancy Rothwell, Phil Withers, Peter Lee and Colin Bailey with the Queen’s Anniversary Prize

Flying high The Research Excellence Framework – the new system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions – asks us to show the impact that our research has on the world. Here UniLife looks at how our researchers really are changing the world…

O

ur University’s research in advanced materials is having a significant impact on a wide range of sectors, including nuclear energy; oil and gas; aerospace; airport security; biomedical materials; manufacturing and defence.

microscopic cracks in the blades which could eventually cause potentially catastrophic and life threatening engine failure.

Researchers from the School of Materials, led by Professor Phil Withers, analysed the potential of the new process ‘laser shock peening’ (LSP) to strengthen blades. Using penetrating synchrotron X-ray beams, they discovered that it generates deep compressive stresses which remain stable under the fatigue loading of air travel. These compressive stresses can stop the growth of any microscopic cracks.

Rolls-Royce has adopted LSP to treat its Trent 800, Trent 500, Trent 1,000 and XWB engines. It has sold more than 1,200 of its latest XWB engines – worth over £60 billion in total.

It also produces wider benefits by transferring this knowledge and understanding into medical and life sciences; cultural heritage; palaeontology and food technology; as well as training future engineers and scientists in the use of leading imaging techniques.

A major impact has been through our development of new techniques for the 3D imaging of structures and defects in materials, and mapping the state of stress, microstructure and damage in engineering materials and components.

Coupled with this is the University’s knowledge and expertise to develop reliable models based on these imaging results to introduce life-extending treatments and to accelerate the safe adoption of new manufacturing processes.

To date, our University has supported a wide network of 90 companies and 35 institutions, recently receiving the Queens Anniversary Award. One such company is power systems giant Rolls-Royce.

Working with researchers in the School of Materials, Rolls-Royce has developed and introduced a new process to ensure the safe operating life of aircraft engine fan blades.

Fan blades suffer large loads and high frequency vibrations. Over time these stresses can create

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Aircraft engine fan blades

In addition, the Metal Improvement Company (MIC), contracted by Rolls-Royce to carry out LSP treatment, has received training and expert support from our research team. MIC employs 30 people in the UK and works for Rolls-Royce’s Singapore plant, which produces 6,000 blades annually.

And as part of our work with Rolls-Royce, we established a Materials Testing and Analysis Unit to routinely ensure the treated fan blade components are sufficiently compressively stressed, work integral to Rolls-Royce’s quality assurance and contributing to Civil Aviation Authority accreditation of Trent aero-engines.

So the next time you fly and look out the window remember the part we play in making sure you arrive safely.

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Listings John Rylands Library (Deansgate) EXHIBITIONS Giving it Wigan: Norman Nicholson at 100 until 14 Dec Communities in Communication until 21 Dec Echo and Narcissus until 9 Jan FAMILY FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES Thurs 6 Nov, 10.30-11.30am Toddler Tales Sat 15 Nov, 11am-12pm Enchanting Tales THINGS TO DO Artwork by Alison Erika Forde This is our leading image for the exhibition ‘Men Who Like Women Who Smell Of Their Jobs.’

What’s On Manchester Museum EXHIBITIONS All exhibitions at The Manchester Museum are FREE Siberia: At the Edge of the World until March 2015 FAMILY ACTIVITIES Most activities are free and drop-in, some activities may need to be booked and may cost. Suitable for all ages.

Every Sat and Sun, 11am-4pm Discovery Centre Drop-in, free, all ages Available Sat and Sun 10am or 2pm – bookings one month in advance New! Children’s Birthday Parties Tues 11 and 25 Nov, 10.30-11.15am, 11.30am-12.15pm and 1-1.45pm.

Baby Explorers Book on 0161 275 2648 (Bookings will be taken a week in advance from 2pm), free.

Sat 22 Nov, 9.15-10am Early Opening for Early Birds Drop-in, free, families with children under 5s and their older siblings.

Sat 22 Nov, 11am-4pm Big Saturday: Dinosaurs Drop-in, free, all ages Fri 28 Nov, 10.30-11.30 and 11.30am12.30pm Magic Carpet Book on 0161 275 2648 (from a week before), free, under 5s and their families/carers TALKS, TOURS AND WORKSHOPS FOR ADULTS Most activities are free and drop-in, some activities may need to be booked and may cost.

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Every Wed and Thurs, 1pm Taster tours Drop-in, free Every Thurs, 12pm Vivarium Tours Book on 0161 275 2648, free Tues 4 Nov, 1–2.30pm English Corner Drop-in, free, adults Wed 5 Nov, 1-2pm Collection Bites: Carbon: Innovation and Sustainability Book on 0161 275 2648 or museum@manchester.ac.uk, free, adults Thurs 6 Nov, 6.30-9pm After Hours: Look200 Drop-in, free, adults Sat 15 and Sun 16 Nov, 11am-4pm Wonderstruck Drop-in, free, adults and families.

A weekend of wonderful musical surprises all over the Museum. Choirs from across Manchester have joined forces with artists Daniel Bye, Sarah Punshon and Boff Whalley to create live performance and original songs inspired by the Museum's collections.

Wed 19 Nov, 10am-4pm Northern Knap In Book online manchester.ac.uk/museum (maximum 65 places), £10/£8 concessions, adults Thurs 20 Nov, 2-3pm Rock Drop: Geology Identification Sessions Drop-in, free Opening times Open: Tues-Sat 10am-5pm Sun-Mon (and Bank Holidays) 11am-4pm FREE admission The Manchester Museum, Oxford Road, Manchester 0161 275 2648 manchester.ac.uk/museum Follow us on Twitter @McrMuseum facebook.com/ManchesterMuseum

International Society Visit some of the most beautiful and interesting locations around England, Scotland and Wales. There are visits taking place almost every weekend throughout the year.

until 23 November Harmonious Society: Asia Triennial Manchester 14 Sat 8 Nov, 11am-1pm and 2-4pm Exploration of Silence Wed 12 Nov, 11am-1pm and 2-4pm Whimsical Wednesday: Personal Patterns Thurs 13 Nov, 11am-1pm and 2-4pm Paper Cutting Workshop Tues 18 Nov, 12pm Echo and Narcissus: Curator’s Talk Wed 19 Nov, 3-4.30pm Unusual Views: Library tours for photographers Thurs 20 Nov, 5-7pm Third Thursday Late Thurs 20 Nov, 6pm Third Thursday Late: Owen Lowery Wed 26 Nov, 2pm Collection Encounter: Egyptian Amulets Sat 29 Nov, 3.30pm Collection Encounter: Norman Nicholson

Sat 8 Nov Alton Towers – Ultimate Fireworks!

TOURS

Sun 9 Nov North Lake District visiting Keswick and Grasmere

Every Friday, 3pm Introductory Tour

Sat 15 Nov Oxford (with guided tour) Sun 16 Nov Fountain’s Abbey and Stockeld Park’s Christmas Adventure Sat 22 Nov North Wales visiting Conwy Castle and Llandudno Christmas Fayre Sun 23 Nov Peak District visiting Chatsworth House (at Christmas) and Bakewell Sat 29 Nov York (St Nicholas Fayre Market) Sun 30 Nov Cheshire Oaks Retail Outlet and Chester Christmas Market Opening times Mon-Fri 9.30am – 7pm (during term time) Mon-Fri 9.30am – 5pm (during vacation) Small World Café opening times Mon-Fri 11am – 3pm 327 Oxford Road (next to Krobar) 0161 275 4959 email int.soc@manchester.ac.uk internationalsociety.org.uk

Booking required for all tours.

Wed 5 Nov, 3pm Explorer Tour Thurs 13 Nov, 3pm Explorer Tour Sat 15 Nov, 11am Tour en Français - French language only tour Wed 19 Nov, 3pm Conservation Studio Tour Thurs 20 Nov, 3pm Tours and Treasures Tues 25 Nov, 3pm Explorer Tour For further details of our events, please visit our website FREE ADMISSION Public opening times: Sun-Mon 12-5pm, Tues-Sat 10am-5pm Reader opening times: Mon-Weds, Fri-Sat 10am-5pm, Thurs 10am-7pm The John Rylands Library 150 Deansgate, Manchester, M3 3EH General/Reader Enquiries: 0161 275 3764 Email: uml.specialcollections@manchester.ac.uk Visitor/Event Enquiries: 0161 306 0555 Email: jrl.visitors@manchester.ac.uk

The Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama DRAMA Wed 19/Thur 20/Fri 21 Nov, 7pm, £5.50/£4.50/£4 Purgatory - University of Manchester Drama Society: Autumn Showcase FREE LUNCHTIME CONCERTS Thurs 6 Nov, 1.10pm Walter Carroll Lunchtime Concert Series - Piano Recital by Eliza McCarthy Fri 7 Nov, 1.10pm MUMS Lunchtime Concert: Opera Scenes Thurs 13 Nov, 1.10pm Walter Carroll Lunchtime Concert Series - Quatuor Danel Lunchtime Concert with Richard Whalley (piano) Thurs 13 Nov, 2.30pm Quatuor Danel Seminar: Masters of Composition Fri 14 Nov, 1.10pm MUMS Lunchtime Concert: Cosmo Singers Thurs 20 Nov, 1.10pm Walter Carroll Lunchtime Concert Series - Harry Cameron-Penny (clarinet) and Alissa Firsova (piano) Fri 21 Nov, 1.10pm VAGANZA - Landscapes, Ceremonies and Meditations: Music from Taiwan, Japan and Korea Thurs 27 Nov, 1.10pm Walter Carroll Lunchtime Concert Series - Richard Boothby (viola da gamba) Fri 28 Nov, 1.10pm MUMS Lunchtime Concert: Chamber Works FREE EVENTS Thurs 27 Nov, 7.30pm Jim Rose Lecture with Greg Dyke (Chairman of the Football Association) EVENING CONCERTS Fri 14 Nov, 7.30pm, £14/£9/£3 Quatuor Danel Sat 15 Nov, 7.30pm, £10.50/£6.50/£3 MUMS String and Brass Ensembles Fri 21 Nov, 7.30pm, £8/£5.50/£3 VAGNZA - Landscapes, Ceremonies and Meditations: Music from Taiwan, Japan and Korea Sat 22 Nov, 7.30pm, £10.50/£6.50/£3 Manchester University Wind Orchestra (MUWO) Sun 30 Nov, 7.30pm, £12/£9/£3 The University of Manchester Chorus and Symphony Orchestra The Martin Harris Centre for Music and Drama Bridgeford Street, Manchester, M13 9PL 0161 275 8951 email boxoffice@manchester.ac.uk manchester.ac.uk/martinharriscentre

Chaplaincies St Peter’s House Chaplaincy Sunday, 11am Holy Communion 12.45pm Lunch (1st Sun) Sunday, 5.30pm Student Service (term-time only) Wednesday 12.15pm Eucharist, followed by free soup lunch (term-time only)

Gig Guide Manchester Academy 1, 2 and 3 Mon 3 Nov

Deathstars + The Dead And Living - £13.50 rescheduled date, original tickets remain valid

RC Chaplaincy Avila House Mass Times (term-time only) Sun, 7pm (in the Holy Name Church) next door to the Chaplaincy Mon, Tues, Thurs and Friday, 5.30pm in the Chaplaincy Chapel Weds, 1.05pm in the Chaplaincy Chapel

Tues 4 Nov

Y & T – 40 Year Anniversary - £16.50

Levellers – Greatest Hits Tour 2014 + Special Guests The Selecter performing their debut album “Too Much Pressure” + She Makes War - £22.50

Wed 5 Nov

The Knife - £25

Limehouse Lizzy - £15

The Jewish Student Centre and Synagogue 07817 250 557 Email Rabbi Ephraim Guttentag: ephraim@mychaplaincy.co.uk

Fri 7 Nov

Muslim Chaplaincy South Campus Mosque, McDougall Centre Jammaat (Group Prayer) Daily Juma Prayer Friday 1.15pm Honorary Imam: Imam Habeeb, h_chatti@hotmail.com North Campus Mosque Basement of Joule Library, Sackville Street Building Jammaat (Group Prayer) Daily Juma Prayer Friday 12.30pm The role of Volunteer Muslim Chaplain is to provide pastoral support, guidance and a listening ear to Muslim staff and students.

Chaplains’ contact details are available in the prayer rooms or via St Peter’s House.

Manc Floyd - £12

Orphaned Land - £11.50 Thurs 6 Nov Chvrches + Lizzo - £16 Cockney Rejects – 35th Anniversary Tour - £12.50 Jamie T + Slaves - £19.50 SOLD OUT

Sun 23 Nov

Sat 8 Nov

The Orwells - £10

Turin Brakes - £20 Sun 9 Nov

Mad Caddies - £15 Crossfaith + Silent Screams + Coldrain + Cytota - £11

The Kooks - £19.50 Sikth - £14 Trouble - £12.50

Wed 26 Nov Protest The Hero - £13 Thurs 27 Nov Orgy + Deviant UK + The Ladder - £13

Grubson - £16 Mon 10 Nov Lords Of The Riff Vol. 2 featuring Anti-Mortem £10

Delain + Wolf - £14 Fri 28 Nov

Tues 11 Nov Adventure Club - £11 Wed 12 Nov John Waters – This Filthy World, Volume 2 - £25/30 Blue Pills - £8 this show has moved from The Star and Garter, original tickets remain valid Thurs 13 Nov Miranda Sings with special guest Colleen Ballinger £22 Rich Robinson + Federal Charm - £20 James Bay - £10 Sat 15 Nov

Feed The Kid + The High Nines + Lucky T. Jackson + Second Hand Guns - £8

SOS Band + Gwen Dickey (Rose Royce) + Loose Ends - £27.50

Mon 24 Nov Mastodon + Big Business + Krokodil - £22.50

Lindsey Stirling + Mike Tompkins - £17.50

Fri 14 Nov

Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre

Sat 22 Nov

The Ruts DC + Steve Ignorant (Crass) with Slice Of Life - £15 The Beat + The Plates £17.50

Sat 29 Nov

Tonight Alive + Chunk!

No, Captain Chunk! £12.50 Alabama 3 + The Cornelius Crane - £20 The Doors Alive - £11 The Lancashire Hotpots £12

Tickets from Students’ Union, Oxford Road Royal Court (Liverpool) 0151 709 4321 (c/c) Students’ Union Oxford Road, Manchester, M13 9PL 0161 275 2930 manchesteracademy.net

Mallory Knox - £13 Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre offers a great day out for all the family. Come and explore the planets using our model of the Solar System. Find answers to the wonders the Universe, listen to the sounds of the Big Bang and discover what the scientists are researching ‘Live’ in our interactive Space Pavilion. The glass-walled café offers spectacular views of the iconic Lovell telescope and fantastic homemade cakes!

Absolute Bowie - £14 Sun 16 Nov

The Quireboys + Vargas Blues Band + Preachers Son - £16.50 Suicide Silence - £12 Tues 18 Nov Against Me! Billy The Kid £14 Set It Off – Slow Magic + Odesza + Craft Spells + Blue Hawaii + Yung Gud + DJ Paypal - £15 (Over 18’s Only)

Sat 15 Nov Family Pop Up Planetarium Day

Wed 19 Nov The Pretty Reckless + Heaven’s Basement + Nothing More - £17.50

Information: Live from Jodrell Bank website livefromjodrellbank.com Tickets: ow.ly/hQCFU Tickets include entry to the Discovery Centre.

Opening times 10am-5pm For more information and prices please visit our website Jodrell Bank Discovery Centre Macclesfield, Cheshire, SK11 9DL 01477 571 766 jodrellbank.net

The Whitworth Art Gallery

Mon 17 Nov Jamie T + Slaves - £19.50

EVENTS

Sat 22 Nov Girls Night Out

Volbeat - £17

Kiesza - £11 Tyketto - £16 American Authors - £12 Thurs 20 Nov The Jesus and Mary Chain - £27.50 SOLD OUT Fri 21 Nov

Re-opening Saturday 14 February The Whitworth Art Gallery has started a new and exciting chapter in its history. A major building project is now taking place to transform and extend the 120-year-old gallery, doubling its public areas whilst reducing its carbon footprint and improving facilities for visitors.

This new development by architects MUMA will re-connect the 19th century building with Whitworth Park through an elegant contemporary extension. The new Whitworth will bring you more art, more activities, more events and more space. It will be all things our many visitors have always loved about the Whitworth.

Pop Punk’s Not Dead – New Found Glory + The Story So Far + State Champs + Candy Hearts + Only Rivals - £18.50

We look forward to welcoming you back in the Spring.

Dan Baird + Homemade Sin - £12.50

Whitworth Art Gallery Oxford Road, Manchester 0161 275 7450 email whitworth@manchester.ac.uk manchester.ac.uk/whitworth

Joey Bada$$ + Waldo - £15 Deaf School - £17.50

Visit our website for details of our forthcoming outreach events…..

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Feature The University's strategic plan, Manchester 2020, lists one of our goals as contributing to the social and economic success of the local, national and international community. Though our engagement campaign, the University collects stories of how our staff, students and alumni are making a difference to society, and here UniLife shares some of those stories with you…

Dr Rebecca Farrington

Treating trauma – and inspiring the next generation Clinical lecturer at Manchester Medical School Dr Rebecca Farrington not only teaches her students about caring for patients, she inspires them to truly develop their vital role in society through her extensive work to help asylum seekers.

Rebecca – who was recognised at the University’s Volunteer of the Year 2014 awards – explains: “Despite being some of the strongest, most resilient people you could meet they face extreme stress, both before they seek sanctuary and after arrival in the UK. This has a direct impact on their physical and mental health.

“Asylum seekers are a hard to reach group but many are in need of a lot of support. There is widespread confusion about their entitlements in the NHS, which affects their access to care despite clear guidance from the British Medical Association. As a health professional, I find it extremely rewarding to use my skills to help them.

“I try to pass this on to my students – this is why we train so hard, for so long, to help people in need, whoever they may be.”

Alongside her University role, Rebecca works as a GP and, after working in refugee camps for the Medecins Sans Frontieres in the 1990s, has worked to help asylum seekers since 2005.

She was a GP in a specialist service for asylum seekers in Salford when funding was withdrawn due to NHS reforms. Rebecca went on to develop a proposal for a specialist mental health service for them, which she now leads.

Mainstream health services are not set up to address many of the problems asylum seekers face so, were it not for Rebecca’s service, many of the most vulnerable people in Salford would struggle to access the care that they need.

Rebecca also runs education sessions on the needs of asylum seekers and victims of torture to trainees, GPs and University student groups, to inspire the doctors of the future to work with the disadvantaged.

Sisters, a group raising awareness of female genital mutilation and providing psychological support to those affected.

She works closely with local community asylum seeker and refugee support agencies including Freedom from Torture.

Professor Chris Cutts, Associate Dean for Social Responsibility in the Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences, has supported this group, and Professor Tony Freemont, Head of Undergraduate Medical Education, has sponsored an awareness raising event due to take place in February 2015.

• To read more of these inspiring stories visit: makeadifferencemcr.tumblr.com • To find out more about social responsibility at the University visit: socialresponsibility.manchester.ac.uk

She is part of a local Health Interest Group looking at the needs of vulnerable migrants in the North West and is on the steering group for Support Our

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