Foreword

A very warm welcome to this edition of Met Magazine. The world has changed in a way that very few would have predicted since our last edition in 2019.

For obvious reasons, production of Met Magazine was paused last year, but I am very pleased to say that we are now back and brimming with exciting and timely news and stories that showcase the very best of what our University can deliver.

Our response to the pandemic has centred around two key principles. First, the health and safety of all members of our University community, employees and students alike. And second, supporting our students to minimise the impact of the pandemic on their learning and to do our utmost to ensure their wellbeing and resilience.

In short, protecting lives and protecting future livelihoods. Over the last twelve months or so we have had to respond to rapidly changing circumstances, as indeed has the rest of the country. We have been fortunate in three regards: the outstanding contributions and collegiality of our staff, coupled with their sheer hard work; an excellent and productive working relationship with our students through our Students’ Union; and strong financial resilience. Together, these things have positioned us well.

The start of term last September was especially challenging as we were one of the first universities to see outbreaks of COVID-19 amongst our first-year students in halls of residence. This was a consequence of already growing levels of infection across the country, coupled with our term commencing earlier than in previous years. Our University community responded rapidly to support students who were self-isolating, and I am very grateful to my colleagues for the exceptional efforts that they made.

The efforts of colleagues also extended beyond the walls of the University, with support given to local charities through donations of food and safety equipment; involvement in the crucial development of COVID-19 testing kits; and the production of various types of personal protective equipment.

The speed at which we were able to respond to COVID-19 has shown us how quickly we can do things when needs must. Within the space of a few short weeks last spring, we moved our teaching, learning and assessment online, as well as setting up virtual services to support the wellbeing of our students.

Throughout the pandemic, I have been overwhelmed by the generosity and support that has come from our wider Manchester Met family. Philanthropic giving hit record levels, and this has made an enormous difference to the lives of our students who are experiencing financial hardship. I am enormously grateful to all of you who are supporting our students in this way.

Additionally, our alumni have also been exceptionally generous with their time and over 10,000 students in the past year have benefitted from one-to-one conversations to support their learning, development and confidence in preparing for the world of work. If this is something that you would like to get involved with, even if it’s only over a virtual coffee for an hour, please do let me know.

Looking to the future, life goes on in the University.

In September we very much look forward to opening our new School of Digital Arts (SODA), which cuts across technology and creativity to train experts and leaders for the creative industries. You can read more about the difference SODA will make to the region and beyond in this edition of the magazine.

In addition, we are excited about the opening of our Institute of Sport, in early 2022, bringing together our research excellence in all aspects of sport, exercise and wellbeing; from the physiological research that exists in our Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, to the management and leadership in sport from our Business School, to the world of textiles and clothing for sport from our Fashion Institute. Again, you can read about some of our impactful research in this magazine.

The University continues to perform well. We remain as popular as ever with undergraduates and have grown our numbers, whilst also raising our quality thresholds.

Following on from a Queen’s Anniversary Prize and the accreditation of our Business School by the leading international agencies, I was delighted that we were named as the Sunday Times University of the Year for Student Retention, which points to the attention that we devote to ensuring that every student journey matters.

I hope that you enjoy reading this edition of Met Magazine and thank you once again to all of you who have contributed towards our endeavours to support students during what has been an exceptionally challenging year.

We have a vital role to play in catalysing our recovery from COVID-19 with regard to both the education and the training, research and innovation that is needed to drive the country forward. The stories inside this issue give you a flavour of what we can achieve.