This event was recorded on Tuesday, 19 November 2024 at the University’s Whitworth Hall and is the fourth and final live instalment of the Talk 200 lecture and podcast series. In contrast to the preceding three Talk 200 live events, this was a live podcast episode, centred around a panel discussion rather than a lecture from an individual speaker.

Professor April McMahon, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students at The University of Manchester, was joined by Professor Duncan Ivison, the University’s President and Vice-Chancellor; alumna and former General Secretary of our Student’s Union Naa Acquah; and Management student and scholarship recipient William McArthur to discuss the University’s commitment to supporting students from all backgrounds.

The panel looked back to the University’s origins and its fundamental belief in education without barriers and how, 200 years later, those values are as important as ever. Established as a radically progressive institution that did things differently, we are today committed to understanding our history – both celebrating our achievements and working to repair any inequalities. Our experts considered how we strive to deliver equitable, affordable student experiences and provide access to career experiences that are truly transformative.

Find the full transcript of this episode on the Talk 200 webpage.

Find out more about:

Teaching and learning excellence at Manchester - https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/te...

Manchester Access Programme (MAP) - https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/so...

Widening participation - https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/so...

Equity and Merit - https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/so...

Our history - https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/hi...

Talking fairness and equality: “We’re not moving fast enough” - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJscminQjm8&t=0s

Host Andy Spinoza invites Professor John McAuliffe, Director of Creative Manchester, Co-Director of the Centre for New Writing, and Professor of Poetry at The University of Manchester; Professor Caroline Bithell, Professor of Ethnomusicology at Manchester; and Keisha Thompson FRSA, Innovation Fellow with Creative Manchester; to explore Manchester’s rich creative and cultural environment – and the University’s important contribution to it.

They consider how the city’s industrial past has helped to shape its cultural and creative landscape, highlighting key figures such as novelist Anthony Burgess and the formation of the University’s cultural institutions, including the John Rylands Research Institute and Library, Manchester Museum and more.

The group delves into the importance of investment in culture and how we can strive to make it more accessible to all, and eye our future goals in this ever-changing sector.

This podcast episode was recorded on 18 June 2024.

Find the full transcript of this episode on the Talk 200 webpage.

Further information

Find our more on:

• Creative Manchester
• Manchester Museum
• Jodrell Bank
• The Whitworth
• John Rylands Research Institute and Library
• British Pop Archive
• In Place of War: Supporting, developing and promoting artists from conflict zones
• The natural voice movement: Giving a voice to singers and cultures across the world
• Manchester Camerata x The University of Manchester
• Klezmer – The Michael Kahan Kapelye
• Universally Manchester Festival
• UNESCO Manchester City of Literature
• On Creativity: Practices and Perspectives (University College for Interdisciplinary Learning course)

In this bonus content to accompany Professor Mike Shaver’s live lecture: ‘The unmaking of everything’, you’ll hear the full panel discussion with him that followed Mike’s talk.

If you haven’t seen the lecture yet, head to manchester.ac.uk/talk200 to hear from the Director of Sustainable Futures at The University of Manchester as he discusses sustainability challenges and the complex nature of our material world, with a particular focus on plastics.

Listen from our panel experts, chaired by Colette Fagan, Vice-President for Research at Manchester, including Dr Helen Holmes, Deputy Director of Sustainable Futures; Dr Rosa Cuéllar-Franca, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Chemical Engineering; and Dr Ciaran Lahive, a Research Fellow at the Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub.

Find the full transcript of this episode on the Talk 200 webpage.

Further information

Find out more about:

• Sustainable Futures research platform
• Sustainable Materials Innovation Hub
• Sustainable Consumption Institute
• The Tyndall Centre, Manchester
• Recycling waste in the beer industry – explore how Manchester researchers at The University of Manchester are using innovative methods to analyze and remove plastic from the brewing process