International pressure intended to encourage democratic reform can sometimes strengthen the very governments it seeks to hold to account, according to new research from The University of Manchester.

The study examined Zimbabwe's decision to withdraw from the Commonwealth in December 2003, finding that the move was driven less by a rejection of international institutions in principle than by the ruling party's determination to remain in power.

Why Zimbabwe left the Commonwealth

Zimbabwe was suspended from the Commonwealth in 2002 amid concerns about its presidential election and democratic standards. When the suspension continued following a Commonwealth meeting in Abuja, Nigeria, in December 2003, President Robert Mugabe's government announced its withdrawal.

But the research, by Dr Arthur Shirichena of The University of Manchester and Pofela Ndzozi of Lupane State University in Zimbabwe, argues that withdrawal was a strategic political choice.

The authors examined documentary evidence, including Commonwealth and Zimbabwean government records, parliamentary material and contemporary reporting, to understand the decisions behind the country's departure.

They argue that meeting the conditions for reinstatement – including improvements to elections, media freedom, judicial independence and political violence – risked weakening ZANU-PF's control.

The government continued to pursue a return to the Commonwealth while that appeared possible on terms it could accept. Once the Abuja outcome made that prospect less realistic, leaving became a way to protect its domestic position rather than accept reforms that might undermine it.

Turning criticism into a defence of sovereignty

The study finds that the government also used international criticism to reinforce its political narrative at home.

By presenting the dispute as an attack on Zimbabwe's sovereignty and its anti-colonial liberation struggle, ZANU-PF could portray external pressure as foreign interference. The government could also cast domestic opponents who called for reform as aligned with outside interests.

This helped the ruling party mobilise political support and shift responsibility for Zimbabwe's international isolation onto its critics.

The authors argue that this strategy served the interests of the ruling coalition, even if withdrawal reduced Zimbabwe's diplomatic access and standing. The government's political survival, rather than the country's wider national interest, was the central consideration.

Lessons for international pressure today

The research highlights a challenge for governments and international organisations seeking to encourage democratic change: diplomatic isolation does not automatically lead to reform.

Where leaders see international demands as a threat to their hold on power, they may reject those demands, challenge the legitimacy of their critics or use the dispute to rally domestic support.

The authors caution that the Zimbabwe case does not provide a universal explanation for how governments respond to international pressure, but say it shows why the likely domestic political consequences of diplomatic action need to be considered alongside its intended goals.

Publication details

The research was published in
The Round Table: The Commonwealth Journal of International Affairs.

Title:
Zimbabwe’s withdrawal from the Commonwealth: a foreign policy analysis through the logics of consequences and appropriateness

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2026.2741272

URL:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00358533.2026.2741272

The featured projects address issues that affect us all:

Dr Nimesh Dhungana: Putting communities at the heart of disaster recovery

Working alongside communities affected by earthquakes, floods and COVID-19 in Nepal, Dr Nimesh Dhungana co-developed a just recovery framework for more inclusive disaster recovery. The research has helped amplify community voices in policy discussions and informed advocacy and accountability initiatives across multiple countries.

Read more

Dr Wren Radford: Bringing creative reflection to everyday inequalities

Working with Poverty Truth, Dr Wren Radford used creative methods including poetry, reflection and workshops to explore lived experiences of everyday inequality. The project placed community voices at the centre of the research. Creating new insights into social change through the co-produced journal Filled to the Brim.

Read more

Dr Sophie Everest and Dr Andy Hardman: Understanding participation through filmmaking

Researchers worked with volunteers involved in a community gardening project at Platt Hall in Fallowfield to explore how people experience and participate in cultural spaces. Through co-produced films, the project used filmmaking as both a research method and evaluation tool, capturing how cultural participation shapes people's relationships with place and belonging.

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While each project focuses on different challenges, disciplines and locations, they share a common principle that knowledge cannot be created in isolation. Humanities researchers work with communities as co-partners in the research process, creating opportunities for people to shape the questions being explored and contribute to the knowledge being produced.

This collaborative approach requires researchers to adapt and respond to the experiences, priorities and perspectives of the communities they work with. By doing so, research becomes more grounded in lived experience and better placed to drive meaningful change.

At its heart, the campaign explores how research creates impact in society. Through a focus on people and lived experience, humanities research helps ensure that knowledge serves a public purpose. Informing policy, shaping practice and strengthening communities.

Over the coming weeks, Ideas at Work will showcase stories from across the faculty that demonstrate the difference humanities research is making locally, nationally and internationally. Follow the campaign to discover how researchers and communities are working together to address some of the most pressing challenges facing society today.

Research team

Dr Wren Radford

Discipline

School of Arts, Languages and Cultures

Department of Religions and Theology

Partners

Poverty Truth Community (Glasgow)

Poverty Truth Community (Greater Manchester)

The question: What happens when we bring creative reflection to everyday inequalities?

Inequalities are often separated by different categories, whether in policy and government, or in research areas. Housing as different from mental health. Food poverty as different from children’s wellbeing. Asylum and disability as different again.

This can mean that the complexity of people’s lives is reduced to an issue, rather than seeing how various inequalities show up in people’s daily experiences. Equally it can ignore what people have already been doing to navigate these concerns, care for their community, and create wider change.

These issues were at the forefront of The Embodied Everyday project that asked what would happen if the research project was based on people exploring their everyday experiences together, with space to support creativity and conversation.

The idea

Working with members of Poverty Truth groups in Greater Manchester and Glasgow, the project examined how issues such as poverty, housing, disability, racism and mental health are often treated separately, even though they are deeply connected in people's everyday lives.

The project began with four ‘steering group’ sessions, led by Dr Radford and participants from different Poverty Truth groups, to ensure the project was designed in collaboration with people taking part. The steering group considered what questions were important to shape the research and how people wanted to take part.

As this took place during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown, the steering group had to think carefully about access and energy levels. As well, the steering group considered whether responding to creative prompts in a group on a video call would be a good way to work together. In experimenting with these questions, the steering group tried out different approaches, before settling on sending people creative journalling packs with prompts, and inviting people to take part in online reflective group workshops.

Participants took part in reflective workshops and kept creative journals using writing, drawing, collage, photography and voice recordings. These humanities-based methods enabled people to express experiencesand understandings that might be difficult to capture through more traditional research approaches, resulting in the public-facing digital resource, Filled to the Brim. 
 

The creative reflective research

The research created opportunities for participants' experiences to inform wider conversations about inequality. For more than a decade, Poverty Truth Commissions across the UK have asked: ‘What if people who struggled against poverty were involved in making decisions about tackling poverty?’

The project started with weekly sessions of online reflective workshops, with people using their creative journal at times that suited them. They could write, draw, collage, use photographs, doodle, and also send voice notes. The project emphasised that creativity comes in lots of different forms and particularly thought about ‘everyday’ forms of creativity that are often overlooked, including cooking, playing, and imagining together if the world could be different.

The materials from the workshops and in the journals reflected how people make meaning in different ways in their lives, the responses were very specific to each individual but also showed the sense of community in listening to and supporting one another.

From research to impact

The project's creative reflection approach created space for everyday insights that are often overlooked in traditional research. Central to this work were long-standing humanities questions like ‘Whose knowledge?’ or ‘What kind of knowledge?’. By working collaboratively with participants, the research challenged assumptions about knowledge and power, encouraging audiences to reconsider how lived experience is recognised and understood.

Filled to the Brim notes that listening to lived experience is not a one-off event. It requires recognising the thoughtful work communities put in to reflect on and share their experiences, and not losing that context. As Filled to the Brim states:

“We can’t be summarised or understood completely in these pages. We keep living, changing, creating, reshaping our worlds. We encourage you to keep listening to and with people who are most impacted by inequalities in our society”

Through ongoing dialogue with participants, the project developed a creative output that reflected the richness and individuality of their experiences. Rather than categorising stories into predefined themes, the digital collection presents journal pages, workshop responses and creative works that capture the complexity of everyday life and the ingenuity people draw upon in response to inequality. The collection takes its name from a poem written by a participant.

Since its publication, Filled to the Brim has continued to extend the reach of the research, sparking conversations about how inequality is understood and addressed. It invites audiences to consider a different starting point: what becomes possible when we move beyond categorising experiences and instead centre people's knowledge, creativity and lived realities?

The difference it made

• Creating space for reflection and connection: Participants reported that combining creative journalling with small-group workshops helped them reflect on their own experiences while learning from people with different backgrounds and perspectives. The process created opportunities for personal reflection, connection and solidarity across diverse experiences of inequality.
• Changing research practice: The project demonstrated how collaborative research can move beyond extractive approaches that simply collect people's stories. Participants were involved in shaping the research and deciding on outputs, helping to establish a model of co-produced research that values community knowledge and creativity. Dr Radford has highlighted how steering groups and collaborative design processes have subsequently influenced their wider approach to research practice.
• Broadening public understanding of inequality: Filled to the Brim challenged narrow discussions of poverty by showing how housing, health, discrimination, care, belonging and everyday survival are interconnected. By sharing participants' creative reflections through a publicly accessible digital resource, the project has encouraged richer public conversations about inequality, lived experience and social change.

Research team

Dr Nimesh Dhungana

Discipline

School of Arts, Languages and Cultures

Humanitarian Conflict and Response Institute

Partners

Accountability Lab, Nepal

The question: What happens when local voices shape global challenges?

Navigating disaster across the world can raise several questions, including whose voices should shape disaster governance. This research aims to make disaster governance more inclusive and accountable by strengthening the role of civil society in disaster recovery and how grassroots activism can influence disaster policy.

The idea

The research explored how people affected by disasters can have a stronger voice in decisions about recovery and rebuilding. Focusing on Nepal, the study looked at how communities, civil society activists and campaign groups responded to the 2015 earthquakes, the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2024 floods. Dr Dhungana has developed a longer-term research relationship to examine the barriers that prevent local people from influencing recovery efforts and has explored ways to improve accountability, participation and fairness in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction. The thinking behind this? These policies and programmes will be more effective and equitable when approached from a rights-based perspective and shaped by the people most affected by them.

The close partnership built with activists and community organisations on the ground for many years allowed this research to be shaped from the inside rather than the outside looking in. The research used social science and humanities-based methods, including ethnographic observation, collaborative workshops and community discussions, to understand people's lived experiences of disaster and recovery. The findings helped create the Just Recovery framework, which puts human rights, social justice and local voices at the centre of rebuilding efforts, with lessons that can be applied beyond Nepal in countries including Liberia, Pakistan and South Africa.

Working alongside communities

The project brought researchers together with civil society organisations, policymakers and local communities affected by disasters in Nepal.

Key partners included Accountability Lab, a group supporting local changemakers within communities to develop creative ideas around governance issues, and its network of activists, who develop practical approaches to improving accountability in disaster recovery. Participants included community members with lived experience of the 2015 earthquakes, the COVID-19 pandemic and the 2024 floods, whose perspectives helped shape the research findings.

The project also engaged government officials and disaster management stakeholders, using workshops, policy discussions and public hearings to help ensure that evidence from communities could inform decision-making in recovery contexts.

From research to impact

Research and evidence gathering: The project worked with communities affected by earthquakes, floods and COVID-19 in Nepal to understand barriers to participation and accountability in disaster recovery.

Knowledge exchange and collaboration: Researchers, activists and practitioners co-produced evidence and developed the Just Recovery framework, sharing findings through workshops, community discussions and policy roundtables.

Supporting advocacy and practice: Accountability Lab and its partners used the research to strengthen their advocacy for more inclusive, rights-based approaches to disaster recovery and governance.

Influencing wider change: The findings informed discussions with policymakers and practitioners in Nepal, while lessons from the project are being shared through Accountability Lab's international network in Liberia, Pakistan and South Africa.

The difference it made

• Supporting young activists and civil society organisations: The research helped Accountability Lab identify evidence-based ways to improve citizen participation and accountability in disaster response and recovery. The findings are being used to strengthen advocacy efforts in Nepal and are informing Accountability Lab's work in Liberia, Pakistan and South Africa.
• Building networks: Through the co-production of research, the project strengthened the skills and connections of local researchers, activists and practitioners working on disaster governance and migration issues. It also helped Accountability Lab expand its relationships with government agencies and migrant rights groups.
• Giving communities a stronger voice: Public hearings in the districts of Banke and Kavrepalanchok brought together many voices, including migrants, local government representatives, NGOs and media organisations. These events created opportunities for community members to raise concerns and share their experiences through local media coverage.
• Influencing policy and public debate: The project promoted the Just Recovery approach, which places social justice, human rights and community participation at the centre of disaster recovery. Its findings have informed discussions among policymakers and are contributing to wider conversations about disaster risk reduction, climate justice and local democracy in Nepal and beyond.

Research team

Dr Sophie Everest
Dr Andy Hardman
Keiran Hanson
Dr Catalina Delgado Rojas

Discipline

School of Arts, Languages and Cultures
Department of Drama and Film
Department of Art History and Cultural Practises

Partners

Platt Hall (Manchester Art Galleries)
Friends of Platt Fields
Manchester Urban Diggers
Platt Fields Market Garden

Including:

Liz Mitchell, Platt Hall Lead
Meg Parnell, Garden Project Lead
Mary Collins, garden volunteer and filmmaker
Rashid Mhar, garden volunteer and filmmaker
Helen Steyne, garden volunteer and filmmaker

The question: What happens when gardeners become filmmakers?

Since 2019, Platt Hall has been reimagining its role as a museum, working with locals to create a space designed with, rather than simply for, its community. Sophie Everest and Andy Hardman, researcher-filmmakers from The University of Manchester, have undertaken practice-based research across a range of museum and gallery contexts, embedding filmmaking within engagement, learning, curatorial and evaluation practices.

What began as a collaboration to document Platt Hall's transformation with Dr Everest and Dr Hardman developed into a project that asked: can filmmaking act as a more effective method of museological evaluation that does not just record, but shapes, change?

The idea

Participants were involved in filmmaking over an extended period, starting with observational filming of activities, long and short-form interviews and public screenings. The project then evolved into three films co-produced with volunteers from The Garden Project, following work to transform the Hall’s disused exterior into a green, community space.

What makes the co-production method distinctive is that film is not simply used to document outcomes. Filmmaking is a collaborative and socially engaged act, requiring participants to pause and evaluate at each stage of planning, directing, camera work, editing, reviewing, and screening.

This intentional, slow process creates repeated opportunities for participants to reflect on their perspectives, relationships, and sense of place, and capture how they change over time, even when these changes might exceed the written word. The result is an approach in which evaluation is more than a final reporting function, but an embedded part of the project itself, creating space for learnings to be identified and applied as the work develops.

The collaboration

Located at the crossroad of the South Manchester neighbourhoods of Rusholme, Fallowfield and Moss Side, Platt Hall was the Gallery of Costume until 2017. Since 2019, it has been undergoing a transformative redevelopment as part of the Platt Hall Inbetween project, funded by the Esmée Fairbairn Collections Fund and Paul Hamlyn Foundation.

As part of this work, The Garden Project was launched in 2021. Manchester Urban Diggers (MUD) and Platt Fields Market Garden provided the start-up design, which has since been implemented by volunteers in partnership with Friends of Platt Fields. The result is a shared space that is enjoyed both by individuals and community groups, including Stay & Play families, Health & Wellbeing participants, local primary schools, and ESOL groups.

Working with Keiran Hanson, Lecturer in Film Practice at The University of Manchester, gardeners learned narrative techniques, how to direct the camera, and editing skills. The results were three co-produced films:

• A Tale of Healing, Inspiration & Biscuit Diversity in the Platt Hall Garden Project by Mary Collins: An exploration of Mary’s journey of growth whilst volunteering in the garden and how the project helped her reconnect with others amidst personal struggles.
• Compost by Rashid Mhar: A deep dive into the lifecycle of compost, from its beginning through to decomposition and renewal as vital garden sustenance. This lifecycle acts as a parallel to the transformation occurring at Platt Hall.
• The Pleasure of the Work by Helen Steyne: A fascinating catalogue of the before and after work completed on the garden, as well as the community who helped shape it.

All films can be watched here. This research was funded by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).

From research to impact

The research has two core strands that provided routes to impact:

1. For Platt Hall, the co-produced films supported its shift towards becoming a community-first institution by placing volunteers, neighbourhood groups, and other local voices at the centre of how the museum understands and presents its work.

2. For museological research and the wider heritage sector, the project is a proof-of-concept that demonstrates how filmmaking can be an effective method of capturing a broader range of reflections and learnings over time.

The difference it made

In their words

By the numbers

5 years of collaborative research. Over 50 screening attendees. 3 co-produced films: https://www.platthall.org/projects/thegardenproject

What next?

This project is just one part of an ongoing partnership between researchers and Platt Hall and the wider Manchester Art Galleries portfolio. Building on this work, future and wider research questions may include:

• How can collaborative filmmaking be embedded as a sustainable evaluation methodology within the wider cultural sector?
• What are the limits, risks and ethical challenges of using film as a method of evaluation and shared research within a consultative process of institutional change?
• What wider value does filmmaking hold as a method of documenting and generating the dynamic social relations between people, practice, collections and place that occur in museums and heritage spaces?

Professor Stefano Bartolini, one of Europe’s most influential scholars of comparative politics and political theory, visited the University of Manchester to deliver his British Academy Lecture, titled ‘The Institutional Patrimony of the West.’

In his thought-provoking talk, Professor Bartolini drew on more than 1,500 years of history to ask the question: why have democratic institutions and systems of power-sharing emerged and endured in some societies, while proving more difficult to establish in others?

The lecture explored the long historical development of the institutions that underpin democracy in Western Europe where, rather than viewing democracy as a deliberate invention or the inevitable result of economic development, he argued that it emerged gradually through centuries of political competition, negotiation and compromise between different centres of power.

The British Academy

The event was part of the British Academy’s prestigious lecture programme, first established in 1908 and delivered by the most outstanding academics in the UK and beyond. The lectures showcase leading scholarship in the humanities and social sciences, creating opportunities for public engagement with some of the most important questions facing society. The University of Manchester is proud to be a partner in this shared mission, helping to bring research in conversation with wider audiences.

A fresh perspective

Offering a fresh perspective on the historical foundations of democracy, the talk raised topical and important questions about the future of political institutions in an increasingly complex and contested world.

Following the talk, Professor Bartolini was joined in conversation by Manchester colleagues: Professor Dimitris Papadimitriou, Professor of Political Science and a Vice-Dean in the Faculty of Humanities, and Professor Olga Onuch, Professor of Comparative and Ukrainian Politics.

Their expertise in European politics, democratic engagement, political behaviour and identity provided a fascinating discussion, covering pressing topics such as the role in trust in sustaining institutional legitimacy, contemporary political challenges, and questions of pluralism and citizenship.

Watch the full recording here.

A new opera created and directed by University of Manchester bicentenary fellow will invite its audience to shape the story live at the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall on Friday 6 November 2026.

In Ghost of the AI Empire, audience members can take part anonymously using their phones. Their choices affect scenes as the performance unfolds: for example, during a boat journey, they can calm or raise a storm, influencing whether a fugitive reaches land. An intelligent-stage system responds to the collective mood in the hall. Even the cast will not know in advance how the story ends.

The opera project and its intelligent-stage system were created by Dr Alexandra Huang-Kokina, Bicentenary Music Fellow at the University of Manchester and Artistic Director of Operactive Arts. It reimagines the Japanese ghost legend Yotsuya Kaidan in a future ruled by an AI empire, bringing elements of Japanese Noh theatre together with European opera. Live singers and musicians perform a work sung in English and Japanese, with English surtitles.

Dr Huang-Kokina said: “Opera has always been an art form of innovation. We wanted a show that responds to the people in the hall, with singers, musicians and audience creating an experience unique to that night alone. Immersive technology deepens that shared emotional experience and opens up new participatory possibilities for the live stage, while the artists remain in full creative control.”

The production has two parts: The Covenant, with music by Ryan Morgan, and Yurei, with music by Atzi Muramatsu. Harry O’Brien (University of Manchester Bicentenary PhD Scholar) provides electroacoustic sound design, and Nick Bond (University of Manchester Music and Drama alumnus) is artistic co-director. Earlier versions were performed in Edinburgh and Lund in 2025. In May 2026, Operactive Arts ran a human–AI improvisation workshop in Manchester as part of English National Opera’s Tuning into Opera initiative.

Ghost of the AI Empire takes place at 7pm on Friday 6 November at the Cosmo Rodewald Concert Hall, Martin Harris Centre, Manchester. A pre-concert talk will feature Professor Michelle Phillips, Director at Creative Manchester, Dr Courtney Chrimes, Lecturer in Fashion Business and Marketing in the Department of Materials, and Dr Alexandra Huang-Kokina.

Tickets cost £15, or £10 for concessions. A dress rehearsal will be open to students. 
For further information and to book, visit: https://operactive.co.uk/ghost-of-the-ai-empire.

A study of more than 6,000 people in the UK and Sweden suggests that although scientists are generally regarded as credible, their status as experts is more contested when they discuss issues such as health, education and employment.

Researchers from The University of Manchester and KTH Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden found that scientists were perceived as more credible than government officials, but were no more credible - and in some circumstances less credible - than businesspeople and campaigners.

The findings challenge the assumption that scientific expertise automatically gives academics greater credibility when they contribute to wider public debates.

Scientists don't automatically have the advantage

The researchers wanted to examine whether people actually regard scientists as more credible than other groups when presented with the same claims about society.

Rather than simply asking people whether they trust science, the study used a survey experiment in which participants were asked to assess statements attributed to different types of experts. These included an academic scientist, businessperson, government official or issue advocate.

The statements covered technological and non-technological issues, allowing the researchers to examine whether the identity of the person making a claim affected how convincing it appeared.

The study involved nationally representative samples of adults in the UK and Sweden. Data was collected online, with 6,198 complete responses ultimately included in the analysis. Each participant assessed 8 different combinations of statements and expert types.

Technology makes a difference

The researchers found a clear difference depending on what scientists were talking about.

When discussing the societal consequences of technological developments, scientists' credibility increased relative to other expert groups. But when the same set of experts was discussing non-technological social issues such as health, education or employment, businesspeople and issue advocates were perceived as more credible than scientists.

The researchers suggest this may reflect the different ways people understand scientific expertise. Technology-related questions may be seen as areas where scientists possess particularly relevant specialist knowledge. Wider social questions, by contrast, can involve competing values, political judgements and forms of knowledge outside academia.

Why might people distrust scientists?

The researchers considered three potential sources of distrust. People were asked whether they viewed university scientists as being:

• closely allied with vested interests rather than independent;
• ideologically driven rather than open-minded; or
• insufficiently focused on issues relevant to society.

Around 56 per cent of all respondents agreed with at least one of these statements: 37 per cent viewed scientists as influenced by vested interests, 37 per cent considered them ideologically biased, and 33 per cent believed scientific knowledge had limited relevance to the types of societal issues examined in the study.

The researchers found that these three forms of distrust were associated with the credibility disadvantage experienced by scientists.

They also found that the specific credibility gap between technological and non-technological issues was largely driven by people who expressed these concerns.

Rethinking the role of scientific expertise

The researchers say the findings highlight the difference between public trust in science in general and the credibility of scientists when they act as experts in specific public debates.

The study suggests that people may broadly support science while being more selective about whether they regard scientists as credible sources of advice on particular social questions.

“Scientists are increasingly expected to contribute to debates about some of the biggest challenges facing society, but our findings suggest that this does not automatically translate into greater credibility,” said Professor Cornelia Lawson from The University of Manchester. “This presents an important challenge for universities, scientists and research funders seeking to ensure that research has an impact beyond academia.”

The research was conducted by Anders Broström of KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Cornelia Lawson and Mabel Sanchez Barrioluengo of the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, Alliance Manchester Business School, The University of Manchester.

Publication details

This research was published in:

Research Policy

Full title of the paper:
Contested credibility: Public perceptions of scientists as experts

DOI: 
10.1016/j.respol.2026.105640

URL: 
https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S0048-7333(26)00231-3

The awards were set up as part of the University’s Innovation Festival 2026, with the aim of showcasing the role of collaboration in advancing research, driving innovation, and delivering social value across Manchester and beyond. One World Together and its partners within UoM won the ‘Social Enterprise Partnership Excellence’ category, which recognises outstanding partnerships between the university and organisations delivering measurable social, environmental or community impact. One World Together is a global movement for trust-based giving that funds community change through small monthly donations, with no strings attached.

Responding to the win, Nicola said: “I’m absolutely delighted that our partnership with One World Together has been recognised in this way. OWT grew out of research at Manchester, but what I’m most proud of is everything that has become possible since then by working together — with our community partners, schools, students and colleagues across the University.

Also shortlisted at the awards were Professor Diana Mitlin for GDI’s longstanding partnership with Slum Dwellers International (SDI), a global network of community organisers advocating for improved conditions for people living in informal settlements. As explored in a recent GDI blog, GDI’s collaboration with SDI has fundamentally shaped the trajectory of research within the institute, paving the way for projects like OWT.

Read the full list of winners and finalists here.

Read more about the history of GDI’s work with SDI and OWT here, as well as an interview with Joe Muturi, President of the Global SDI Network, here.

The Bloomsbury Prize celebrates outstanding scholarship that deepens understanding of Pakistan and South Asia. It recognises academic books that make original contributions to the study of the region’s history, politics, society, economy and culture, while illuminating the lives and experiences of its people.

The prize jury praised Aijazi’s cutting-edge experimentation with scholarly narrative, rooted in deeply compassionate ethnographic research and attentive to the emotional terrain of the disputed territory of Kashmir:

“An ethnography of life in ecologically fragile, militarised borderlands, Atmospheric Violence offers both a methodological and a conceptual innovation, making a compelling case for rethinking how disaster is researched and represented. Instead of framing disaster as rupture, the book foregrounds friendship, kinship, and emotional life as central to recovery. Aijazi combines rich empirical detail with strong theoretical grounding, linking affect and marginality through vivid vignettes from remote valleys in Pakistan-Administered Kashmir.”

Published in 2024 by the University of Pennsylvania Press, Atmospheric Violence has now received six international accolades, underscoring the book’s growing recognition across scholarship on South Asia, disasters, ethnography and social justice.

In the book, Aijazi challenges conventional approaches that treat disasters as isolated catastrophic events or moments of direct physical trauma. Instead, he conceptualises violence as an omnipresent condition, an ambient “atmosphere” woven into everyday life alongside military checkpoints, no-go zones and fractured landscapes. Against this backdrop, the book foregrounds the everyday practices of friendship, kinship, care and repair through which people make life possible amid ongoing violence.

The book is available to read open access here.

The first cohort was recognised at a special celebration event on 24 September 2026, where participants received certificates marking the completion of the year-long programme. The event will also welcome the programme's second cohort as Teach Economics enters an ambitious new phase of growth.

Created in response to a shortage of specialist economics teachers and uneven access to economics education across the country, the programme supports qualified teachers to develop the knowledge, skills and confidence needed to teach A Level economics alongside their existing subject specialism. The training is provided at no cost to participating teachers or their schools.

Following a successful first year in North-West England, the programme is expanding significantly during the 2026/27 academic year. Teachers from selected regions across England and Wales will be able to take part, extending the programme's reach to more schools and colleges. A UK-wide expansion is planned for the 2027/28 academic year, creating even further opportunities for teachers and students to benefit from the initiative.

The programme was launched following research commissioned by the Bank of England and undertaken by FFT Education Datalab, which highlighted significant disparities in who studies economics. The research found striking differences in participation by region, socio-economic background, school type and gender, despite economics becoming increasingly popular in recent years.

Research findings showed that students in some regions are substantially less likely to study economics than those in London, while disadvantaged pupils continue to be underrepresented in the subject. Around 70% of economics students are male, highlighting ongoing challenges in widening participation.

The celebration event brought together teachers, University colleagues, Bank of England representatives and education partners to recognise the achievements of the inaugural cohort and explore the opportunities ahead as the programme continues to expand. The programme's second cohort will begin their studies during the 2026/27 academic year. 

Children as young as five can engage meaningfully with complex ideas about human rights, new research from The University of Manchester suggests.

The study explored how children aged five to nine understood human rights through their engagement with Dreams of Freedom, a picturebook based on the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Dr Rebecca Simpson-Hargreaves found that children were able to interpret ideas about rights through their own experiences, cultural knowledge and conversations with other children - challenging assumptions that human rights are too complex for young children to understand.

Children develop their own ideas about rights

The research found that children did more than simply identify or explain the rights presented in the picturebook.

When invited to create their own rights pages, children came up with ideas including the “Freedom to protect wildlife”, the idea that “Men and women should have the same rights”, and the “Freedom to love”.

Other contributions focused on empathy and kindness, having choices, rest and play, fairness and protection.

Dr Simpson-Hargreaves says these responses show how children can interpret human rights through everyday experiences of care, fairness and belonging, rather than only through formal definitions of rights.

Children question the adult world

The research also found that children were capable of reflecting critically on the relationship between children and adults.

Some children questioned whether adults really understand children's perspectives and why adults' views are often given greater weight. This included one Year 4 pupil who said: “Adults think that because they run the country that they know best.”

The researchers say such responses demonstrate children's awareness of power relationships between adults and children.

Giving children different ways to speak

The research involved interviews, focus groups and creative activities with children in three primary schools.

Using a picturebook alongside discussion and drawing allowed children with different reading, writing and speaking abilities to express their ideas in different ways.

The research found that the whole picturebook provided a stronger basis for children's deeper reasoning than using isolated extracts. The open-ended format gave children opportunities to interpret the material for themselves and develop their own ideas.

The findings suggest that providing children with genuine opportunities to discuss complex issues can reveal forms of reasoning that may otherwise be overlooked.

“Picturebooks can provide a valuable starting point for these conversations, particularly when children are given the space to lead discussions and explore ideas in their own ways.”

Publication details

Title:
Investigating Children’s Perceptions of Human Rights Values Through the Picturebook Medium

URL:
https://pure.manchester.ac.uk/ws/portalfiles/portal/1900836669/FULL_TEXT.PDF

A placement programme at The University of Manchester is giving accounting and finance students the opportunity to apply what they have learned to real-world problems, while providing practical support to local charities.

The Social Responsibility Placement Programme led by Dr Nooch Kuasirikun, Associate Professor at Alliance Manchester Business School, was launched in summer 2025 to connect postgraduate accounting students with registered charities in Manchester.

The programme has grown from two charities taking part in its first year to five in its second, with students volunteering around one day a week over a four-to-six-week period between late June and July.

Their work has included helping charities organise financial information, analyse expenditure and donations, improve reporting and develop tools to support their financial management.

Practical help for charities

Participating charities have praised the students for their professionalism, reliability and ability to work independently while responding to the organisations' needs.

In one case, students helped a charity organise a year's worth of expenditure and work through four years of donations in preparation for a Gift Aid claim.

Another group developed a new tool designed to save staff time, improve financial reporting and help the charity identify potential financial risks at an earlier stage.

For the students, the placements have provided an opportunity to see how their accounting knowledge can be applied outside the classroom.

Several students have highlighted their satisfaction at seeing work they had produced being used by organisations in the community. One student said it was particularly rewarding to know that a dashboard they had created would continue to be used by the charity after their placement had ended.

The placements have also enabled students to develop practical skills including Excel automation and data processing, while gaining experience of working with organisations operating with limited resources.

Accounting with a social purpose

Working with charities has given the students an insight into some of the different pressures involved in managing finances in the voluntary sector, where financial sustainability has to be balanced with an organisation's social mission.

Dr Nooch Kuasirikun, who leads the programme, said the experience demonstrated the wider contribution that accounting expertise can make.

The programme is expected to expand further, with the organisers hoping to involve more Manchester charities and students in future placements.

Charities interested in taking part in the next programme, which is due to take place in June and July 2027, can contact Kirsty.Hutchison@manchester.ac.uk and/or nooch.kuasirikun@manchester.ac.uk to discuss potential accounting tasks that students could undertake.

A team of experts at the University of Manchester will combine expertise to transform how we understand British democracy.

The team will be involved in the British Election Survey (BES) - the longest-running and most authoritative survey of electoral behaviour in the UK, tracking the attitudes and behaviour of British voters at every general election since 1964.

A new study, themed ‘Representing Voters’, places the representation of different groups of voters at the heart of its design, analysis and dissemination. It will introduce new methods, new data and new ways of making the British Election Survey accessible to researchers, policymakers, journalists and the public.

The Manchester experts, Maria Sobolewska, Jack Bailey, Alex Cernat and Rob Ford are based in the departments of Politics and Social Statistics, and they form part of a research team bringing together investigators from University of Manchester, Royal Holloway and King’s College London. The full team combines expertise in electoral behaviour, survey methodology, AI, social media, candidate politics and public engagement.

For further information visit: https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/about-us/news/new-team-led-by-royal-holloway-awarded-leadership-of-the-british-election-study-to-understand-british-democracy/

Running from 17 October to 7 November, the Festival features a programme of free public events addressing some of the most pressing questions facing society today. Led by researchers from a range of disciplines and perspectives, the events take ideas and expertise beyond the University and into communities, exploring the impact of the cost of living crisis through activities designed for audiences of all ages and backgrounds.

This year’s focus on money, finance and the cost of living examines how financial pressures affect individuals, families and communities, while highlighting how social science can help us understand these challenges and their wider effects.

The Festival’s impact is clear. Last year, 93% of participants said they learned something new, while 58% said the events changed their opinion about something.

Putting money and the cost of living under the spotlight

Through discussions and workshops, participants will learn how financial decisions affect our everyday lives and challenge common assumptions about money.

This year’s theme was praised for its poignancy by Professor Miriam Ronzoni:

The activities will explore topics such as how children understand money and fairness, whether generosity can survive rising costs of living, the hidden costs of bereavement, the impact of the cost of living crisis on reading and education, and learning how research is helping communities navigate economic uncertainty.

These events offer a chance to engage with big issues in accessible, thought-provoking ways, showing exactly how the social sciences can help us make sense of the world around us.

This year's programme

This year's events are inclusive for everyone. Whether you’re a family looking for child-friendly activities over half-term, a professional looking for development opportunities, or simply interested in learning more about the topics, there’s something for you!

Below is an overview of some of the events taking place so far:

• Very Local Maths, 17 October 2026, 10.00 to 15.00

Discover the hidden mathematics behind every day cultural practices, interests, and communities, and learn how numbers influence our daily lives in ways we often don't notice.

• Is Generosity Incompatible with a Rising Cost of Living? 28 October 2026, 10.00 to 15.30

Can people still afford to be generous when money is tight? This interactive event explores giving, fairness and community in an age of economic uncertainty.

• Poetry in the Making: Education in a Cost-of-Living Crisis, 28 October 2026, 10.00 to 15.30

Through poetry and creative expression, explore how financial pressures are shaping educational experiences and share your perspective in an evolving exhibition.

• Your Money Story: How Generations Build (and Lose) Confidence with Money, 28 October 2026, 10.00 to 15.00

A series of activities demonstrating how different generations think about money, where financial confidence comes from, and why attitudes towards spending and saving can vary so widely.

• Everyday Money Mistakes, And How to Avoid Them, 29 October 2026, 18.30 to 19.30

Challenge common assumptions about money and gain practical insights into the financial decisions we make every day.

• Art as Testimony of Prison Experience, 3 November to 5 November 2026, 10.00 to 17.00

Discover how art can communicate experiences of imprisonment, provide powerful personal testimony and encourage new conversations about justice and rehabilitation.

• The Cost of Connection: Chemsex, Money and Gay Male Sexual Sub-Cultures, 3 November 2026, 14.00 to 17.00

A thought-provoking discussion examining the relationship between money, social connection and community experiences within contemporary gay male cultures.

• The Hidden Costs of Dying, 3 November 2026, 10.00 to 12.00

Bereavement can bring significant emotional and financial challenges. This event explores the often-overlooked costs associated with death and the impact they have on families.

• Seeing Yourself in Stories, 4 November 2026, 10.00 to 13.30

When access to reading is already unequal, ensuring the books available are representative is more important than ever. Join this workshop and learn how to create inclusive reading environments.

• Data Stories Manchester, 6 November 2026, 13.00 to 16.00

Discover how data can reveal hidden patterns in everyday life and how researchers use information to better understand communities and social change.

Browse the full Festival programme and book your place at events: https://uom.link/FestivalOfSocialSciences

The Fellowship recognises Professor Agénor's outstanding contributions to the fields of international macroeconomics and development economics, as well as the impact of his work with international organisations including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the World Bank.

Reflecting on the award

A prestigious recognition

Professor Agénor is internationally recognised for his research on macroeconomic policy, economic development, financial systems and growth, and has advised governments and international institutions throughout his distinguished career.

Earlier this year, Professor Agénor delivered The School of Social Science's annual Arthur Lewis Lecture, where he explored the relationship between gender equality, economic growth and public policy. The lecture highlighted how investments in education, infrastructure and social policy can help address gender disparities while supporting sustainable economic development.

Read about Professor Agénor’s recent lecture: Pierre-Richard Agénor delivers joint Arthur Lewis and Vital Topics lecture on gender equality and economic growth.

The School of Social Sciences congratulates Professor Agénor on this prestigious recognition and celebrates his continued contributions to economic research and policy.

A national survey of Ukrainian residents has provided one of the clearest estimates to date of the psychological impact of the ongoing war.

Published today in the European Journal of Psychotraumatology, the peer-reviewed study analysed data from a nationally representative survey of civilians living in government-controlled regions of Ukraine.

It provides new estimates of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex PTSD (CPTSD), finding that 31.2% of respondents met the criteria for one of these mental health conditions.

People living in conflict zones face a heightened risk of traumatic experiences such as physical violence, forced displacement and the loss of loved ones. PTSD can develop after experiencing or witnessing trauma, causing persistent symptoms including intrusive memories, anxiety, irritability and sleep problems. CPTSD is a related but more severe condition that typically follows prolonged or repeated trauma, such as chronic abuse or captivity.

The findings indicate that PTSD and CPTSD are common among Ukrainian civilians living through an active and ongoing war.

'This study is the result of two teams bridging disciplinary boundaries and adapting their research approaches in a wartime context,' said Professor Olga Onuch from The University of Manchester. 'With two of us being Ukrainian, it was not only urgent but personal. Studying trauma experiences and PTSD and CPTSD in a nationally representative sample allows us to give back to our professional and personal communities and facilitate better policy and response mechanisms. We do this work out of a shared sense of the social responsibility of science to society.

“Understanding PTSD and CPTSD - and war exposures more broadly - in a nationally representative sample during an ongoing war is vital for political, economic and societal life in Ukraine. Knowing these patterns can help communities, governments and international actors prepare immediate support and plan for longer-term needs.

Co-author Professor Volodymyr Kulyk, from the Department of Social Sciences at Kyiv School of Economics, adds: “It is important to keep in mind that PTSD and CPTSD are not limited to veterans or people close to combat zone but also are widespread among other categories of people heavily affected by the war, such as Internally Displaced Persons, people who suffered from missiles and drones attacking their cities and towns far from frontline, and those taking care of wounded or traumatized people.”

Involved in the study was – what the authors themselves describe as – “an unusual collaboration” of mental health researchers and social scientists. All had a specific interest in the impact of psychological trauma in Ukraine, on both mental health and sociopolitical outcomes.

The study grew out of research at The University of Manchester examining identity, democracy and social resilience in wartime Ukraine. This work, led by Professor Onuch as part of the Identity and Borders in Flux (IBIF) project, highlighted the need for a stronger understanding of trauma and war experiences. It led to a wider international, interdisciplinary collaboration involving researchers from Manchester, King’s College London, Kyiv School of Economics, The George Washington University, the Centre for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) and Combat Stress. The research was then developed through the Conflict and Cooperation in Eastern Europe (KonKoop) network. 

Assembling a truly interdisciplinary team enabled rare access – in the current circumstances – to a robust, national representative sample, which (via a telephone survey) assessed lifetime exposure to traumatic events, war-related traumas, and symptoms of trauma-related mental health conditions.

From the total sample of 2,504 adults, the results showed:

• Most participants reported high levels of exposure to lifetime and war-related traumatic events, including fires or explosions, shelling, destruction caused by the war, and the injury, displacement, disappearance or death of family members or other loved ones.
• 31.2% of respondents met the criteria for PTSD (25.2%) or CPTSD (6%)

Factors associated with a greater likelihood of PTSD or CPTSD included being female, older age, lower educational attainment, previous military service, displacement due to the war, and a greater number of lifetime traumatic events and war-related stressors.

Being single was the only factor specifically associated with CPTSD rather than PTSD.

Because data were collected at a single point in time during an active conflict, the findings represent a snapshot of the population’s mental health rather than how symptoms change over time.

“One finding we found particularly interesting was that PTSD was much more common than Complex PTSD in this representative national sample,” says lead author, child and adult clinical psychologist, Dr Emma Facer-Irwin, who is a clinical lecturer at KCL. “This may suggest that psychological responses to ongoing war do not always fit neatly into models developed in post-conflict settings. When the threat remains active and unpredictable, the ways people experience and adapt to traumatic stress may be different, and this is an important area for future research.'

Professor Kulyk adds: “As pressure on Ukraine’s health system grows and uncertainty around future humanitarian support increases, understanding the prevalence of PTSD and complex PTSD is essential for planning both immediate and long-term mental health services. Further research will be essential to understand how the psychological impact of the war develops among the general population evolve as the conflict continues.”

As a limitation of their research, the authors note that the study relied on self-reported symptoms – which may be influenced by how participants interpreted the survey questions.

The next area of research they are looking to tackle is to improve understanding of the potential effects of trauma on political attitudes.

Publication details

This research was published in:
European Journal of Psychotraumatology

Title:
Prevalence of exposure to lifetime and war-related traumas, PTSD and complex PTSD in a sample from the Ukrainian general population

URL: 
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/10.1080/20008066.2026.2697563

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1080/20008066.2026.2697563 

Professor Sadiah Qureshi’s exploration of extinction, empire and the natural world is among six works shortlisted for the 2026 Wolfson History Prize.

Now in its 54th year, the prize – which celebrates historical non-fiction that combines outstanding research with compelling and accessible writing for non-specialist readers - is the most valuable history writing prize in the UK. The winner will receive £50,000, while each shortlisted author will receive £5,000. The winner of the 2026 prize will be announced in December.

Vanished, published by Allen Lane, examines the history of extinction and challenges the idea that it is simply a natural phenomenon.

Professor Qureshi’s book argues that extinction is a surprisingly modern idea that has allowed humans to imagine themselves as on the verge of apocalyptic mass extinction and desperate to resurrect lost species. Her research shows that extinction is both an evolutionary process and a human act, leaving us facing chilling political choices in the present.

The Wolfson judges described Vanished as a “dazzling” work, praising its breadth and originality as an account of “the idea and reality of extinction in the natural and human world”.

Exploring the history of extinction

Vanished explores how extinction – now fundamental to modern science and environmentalism – was only recognised as inherent in the natural world in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries.

The book also explores how new ideas about animal extinction were quickly intertwined with debates about race, prehistory, and conflict, revealing the human choices and political forces that have shaped understandings of extinction.

By uncovering the cultural, political and imperial contexts in which extinction was first understood, Professor Qureshi traces the roots of many contemporary political crises from climate change to rights for all life on earth.

Vanished was previously shortlisted for the 2025 Royal Society Trivedi Science Book Prize, which celebrates the best popular science writing from around the world.

The Wolfson nomination is the latest major recognition for Professor Qureshi’s work.

In 2025 she was awarded the prestigious Wilkins-Bernal-Medawar Medal and Lecture by the Royal Society – its highest honour for a historian of science – in recognition of her internationally acclaimed research on science, race, empire and the history of extinction.

Historian of science, race and empire

Professor Qureshi is a writer and historian of science, race and empire and is Chair of Modern British History at The University of Manchester.

She has made major contributions to the history of race, science, and empire while also engaging audiences beyond academia through her writing, media work, museum collaborations and public discussions.

Her writing has appeared in publications including the London Review of Books, Times Literary Supplement and New Statesman.

The 2026 Wolfson History Prize shortlist spans almost 3,000 years of human history and includes books on ancient Mesopotamia, Europe’s last pagan societies, the German Peasants’ War, Alfred Tennyson and Liverpool’s post-industrial decline.

The winner will be announced on Tuesday 1 December.

Climate change is increasing the likelihood and intensity of extreme rainfall, putting China’s agricultural land at growing risk of flooding, disruption and damage, according to new research led by Dr Haoyu Hu from The University of Manchester.

The study mapped extreme precipitation across China between 2000 and 2023, combining detailed rainfall data with information on cropland and transport networks.

Its findings come as China has experienced a series of severe flooding and extreme rainfall events this year. In July alone, more than 16 million people were affected by natural disasters across the country, with flooding and geological disasters among the main causes. Earlier this month, Typhoon Saudel brought torrential rainfall and flooding to several southern and eastern provinces, with more than 400mm of rain recorded in 24 hours in parts of Fujian.

Scientists have also found evidence that human-induced climate change has already intensified extreme precipitation across China, while research published this year found climate-related changes are increasing the risk of extreme rainfall events in northern China.

Farmland increasingly exposed to extreme rainfall

The research shows that exposure to extreme precipitation varies substantially across China, with southwest China remaining particularly vulnerable.

The study also identified significant exposure in the Huang–Huai–Hai Plain and Northeast China Plain, important agricultural regions where changes in rainfall patterns could have major consequences for food production.

Climate change could make disruption worse

The researchers warn that the consequences of heavier rainfall extend beyond damage to crops themselves.

Flooding can cut off roads used to transport agricultural products, machinery and supplies. Areas dependent on a small number of major roads can become particularly vulnerable if flooding, landslides or bridge damage cuts those routes.

While major highways can improve accessibility in normal conditions, local roads and alternative routes can provide vital resilience when extreme weather disrupts the main transport network.

Recent flooding in China has demonstrated how quickly heavy rainfall can overwhelm infrastructure and isolate communities. In July, heavy rainfall triggered floods across multiple river basins, with hundreds of rivers exceeding warning levels.

What the researchers say

According to the researchers, the study highlights the need to prepare agricultural systems for a future in which extreme rainfall poses an increasingly significant threat.

“The floods we have seen across China recently provide a stark reminder of how quickly extreme rainfall can disrupt agricultural and transport systems,” said study co-author Yuxin Pan. “Our research shows that these risks are not evenly distributed, and some farming regions are much more exposed than others.”

“As the climate changes, we need to think beyond the direct impact of heavy rainfall on crops,” added Dr Haoyu Hu. “A flood can also cut off the roads that farmers depend on to move food, supplies and equipment. This combination of climate exposure and poor accessibility can create particularly serious vulnerabilities.”

The researchers say targeted investment in local transport networks, emergency response and agricultural infrastructure could help reduce the risks faced by the most vulnerable regions.

This research was published in:
Land Use Policy

Full title of the paper:
Compound exposure of cropland to extreme precipitation and transportation disadvantage in China

DOI:
10.1016/j.landusepol.2026.108327

URL:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0264837726004114

Published by Routledge as part of the Routledge Research in Art and Politics series, the volume moves beyond understanding capitalism simply as an economic system in which artworks are bought and sold. Instead, it considers the wider ways in which capitalist structures shape artistic production, creative labour, technologies, cultural institutions and the conditions within which art is produced and experienced.

Edited by Dr Danielle Child, the collection brings together 24 contributors offering diverse perspectives on the relationship between art and capitalism since the advent of modernity. The book is organised around five key themes: Art Markets, Money and Myths; Work, Labour and the Artist; Capitalist Technologies; Spaces of Art and Capital: Institutions and Beyond; and Crisis, Contestation and Critique.

Reflecting on the publication of the book, Dr Child said: “Compiling a coherent edited monograph is not an easy task (especially when covering such a vast subject!). It involves drawing on established networks built over many years, discovering new researchers, supporting ECRs, and building working relationships and trust with your authors."

Contributors explore subjects ranging from art markets, artistic labour and the contemporary craft economy to racial capitalism, artificial intelligence and artistic practice, private museums, global cultural institutions, extractivism and colonialism. Questions of race, gender, class and global and geographical inequality run throughout the collection.

By bringing these perspectives into conversation, Art and Capitalism: A Contemporary Perspective demonstrates how the relationship between art and capitalism extends beyond questions of commerce to encompass the social, political, technological and institutional conditions of cultural production. It also considers how artists and cultural practitioners have contested capitalist structures and imagined alternative ways of working and organising.

The book will be of interest to scholars, students and practitioners working across art history, fine art, museum studies, curatorial studies, politics and visual culture.

Art and Capitalism: A Contemporary Perspective, edited by Danielle Child, is published by Routledge: https://www.routledge.com/Art-and-Capitalism-A-Contemporary-Perspective/Child/p/book/9780367689292

As Director, Professor Phillips leads the strategic direction and development of the University’s Creative Manchester interdisciplinary research platform, bringing together academics, cultural partners and communities to advance creative research, practice and innovation.

Michelle brings considerable research and creative industry engagement experience to the role. Her research practice explores audience response to live and recorded music, neurological response to music listening, music and time, perception of contemporary music, entrepreneurship, and music and Parkinson’s disease.

To find out more about Michelle and her research, we sent her some questions and learned about her career to date, what culture has inspired her recently, and her love of bubble tea:

What attracted you to the role of Director of Creative Manchester and what excites you most about joining Creative Manchester at this point in its journey?

I’m really excited about this role, and have been warmly welcomed by you all at Creative Manchester! I know that I have big shoes to fill after John’s term, and I hope I can do the job that the marvellous Platform, the fantastic team, and the University deserve.

Creative Manchester is a shining beacon of everything that gets me up in the morning - innovation, interdisciplinarity, partnerships and collaboration, and place-based research that is relevant and impactful. I’ve loved being part of some Platform events including a panel of creativity and AI, and on ‘The science and politics of togetherness in music’ as part of the ‘Neither Factory Records nor Madchester’ event at Jodrell Bank last summer, and attending multiple others. We often fall into working in disciplinary silos, but I find that putting knowledge into boxes - for example, the arbitrary arts and sciences divide - is often unhelpful, and can prevent us from developing really exciting and truly groundbreaking ways of doing and seeing things. Expertise comes from all corners, and the Platform’s work across the University, city and beyond, embraces that.

The Creative Manchester Platform is in such a brilliant place, having thrived thanks to John, Anne-Marie, and the whole team. What excites me about joining at this time is the chance to build on this, and find opportunities ahead to experiment, explore, bring different people together in new ways, and think about how to do meaningful work that can feed into future research, practice and policy.

For colleagues and partners who may not know you yet, could you tell us a little about your background and what has shaped your career?

I grew up in Doncaster, Yorkshire where I was lucky enough to benefit from the kind of free music education that is sadly rare these days. I found my home and tribe in music and musical theatre. I studied music and German at the University of Nottingham, and (after a stint training as a chartered accountant with KPMG) then a PhD in music, maths, and time perception in the Centre for Music and Science at the University of Cambridge.

I was at the Royal Northern College of Music between now and then, for 16 wonderful years, where I was involved in running the undergraduate programmes, and leading the entrepreneurship training for students. I chaired the national subject association for music (MusicHE, formerly NAMHE) and ran a multi-million pound project across performing arts universities to explore how we can best prepare arts graduates for freelance careers.

My research is in the area of music psychology, and in particular, what makes a live music experience special (using behavioural, neurological and physiological methods), and how music can help people living with Parkinson’s. UKRI featured my work in this area as part of their ‘101 jobs that change the world' video series a few years ago.

I have longstanding and treasured collaborators in psychology, neuroscience and chemistry at the University of Manchester, and look forward to meeting lots of other researchers with similar interests.

My favourite kind of research is with interdisciplinary teams and industry partners, and is designed from the starting point of what people need. I’ve soaked up any opportunity to work with people across Greater Manchester, whether that has involved co-designing the Science and Industry’s exhibition ‘Turn It Up: The Power of Music’, or running a project which matched up composers and people living with Parkinson’s to write new pieces of music together. I was very proud to win the I Love Manchester Alan Turing Award last year, which ‘honours the boldest problem-solvers in Greater Manchester, individuals and organisations using fresh ideas and forward thinking’, and to be nominated for a ‘Northern Power Women’ and a ‘Women of the Year’ Award this year.

I live in Salford with my husband and our two boys aged 12 and 10, who keep us busy with board games, video games and Dungeons and Dragons. I also spend time playing tenor and baritone saxophone with my good friends in the Equinox saxophone ensemble, and enjoy serving as one of two Editors-in-Chief of the journal ‘Psychology of Music’.

As you begin your tenure, what are some of the priorities you hope to focus on during your first year?

I find the University’s ‘From Manchester for the World 2035’ strategy very inspiring, and the motivation to ‘build things that matter’. It champions everything that I believe a university should, with its focus on innovation, impact, collaboration, questions of what knowledge and skills our age demands and what changes lie ahead, and the aim of turning ideas into action locally and globally. I love the idea of building and nurturing solid foundations, whilst also leaping into new spaces.

It’s fantastic to see the Platforms woven throughout the strategy, and my priorities, along with being shaped by John’s advice and legacy, and the wisdom of the Creative Manchester team, are in line with that: bridging gaps between people and teams within and external to the University and making new links to create exciting future partnerships and projects. My focus is also on furthering and creating new links between Creative Manchester, teaching and supporting new partner-enabled learning initiatives, and mobilising people and resources to create new ways of thinking and doing to turn discovery to impact, and ultimately make the world a better place.

What role do you think creativity can play in addressing some of society's big challenges?

Universities have a job to do, and it’s an urgent one. There are huge challenges and problems in the world. As powerhouses of knowledge and skills, universities need to have an impact, and to make the world a better place for everyone. I think we’re failing if we don’t seek to do that every day.

Creativity is about finding new ways of doing things. We are organisations full of passion and motivation, of new knowledge and perspectives from all backgrounds and from all around the world. We’re a microcosm of brilliant collaborators who can put our heads together, with our friends in industry and in our cities and regions, to tackle the problems that people are facing. Working together as teams of people with different backgrounds, cultures, languages, perspectives and ways of seeing and being in the world, we can do so much more than alone as individuals. Just thinking about this makes me excited - we can make such a difference finding innovative ways to do and think about things, together.

Are there any books, exhibitions or cultural experiences you've enjoyed recently that have inspired you?

I’m an avid reader, and recently have loved George Saunders’ ‘Vigil’, Douglas Stuart’s ‘John of John’ and Lee Yuri’s ‘Broccoli Punch’ (translated from the Korean by Amber Hj Kim). Recent musical highlights have been Mika live at the AO Arena, and RNCM Artist of the Year pianist Liana Storey playing Rachmaninov’s ‘Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini’ at the Bridgewater Hall.

An experience that will stick with me for a long time was a visit to the ‘Birds’ exhibition at the Mauritshuis in The Hague earlier this year. I was blown away! I’d mainly wanted to see ‘The Goldfinch’ (especially given how much I love Donna Tartt’s wonderful novel of the same name), but the exhibition was so much more than that moment. Taking up only one room, the exhibition includes not only Leonardo da Vinci’s sketches of flying machines, and works by Rembrandt, Picasso and Emin, but also pieces which invite visitors to question their relationship with birds and the natural world; a video of a Greenpeace campaign which depicts a ballet dancer covered in oil whilst performing the ‘dying swan’, and documentary footage showing how chicks are farmed in factories. For me it was everything an exhibition should be – beautiful, stimulating, and provocative.

Creativity means different things to different people. What does creativity mean to you?

I see creativity very broadly. Everyone is creative. For me, creativity is about making new ideas that have value for others. That value can take many forms - cultural, social, community, economic, environmental or value in terms of representation or health and wellbeing. I think we risk limiting what impact we can have and what new knowledge we can make if we see some people as creative and not others, or if we see value from one point of view only, e.g., if we see financial value as the main or only motivator for an idea.

Quick fire:

1. Coffee or tea?
   Either! Can I add bubble tea to the list and choose that?
   

2. A cultural event you're looking forward to this year?
   Two cultural events I’ve waited for took place over summer - the release of Nintendo’s ‘Splatoon Raiders’ (I’m a big video gamer) and the announcement of the Booker Prize long list (something I look forward to every year!). I’m now really looking forward to the Manchester Literature Festival event with Russell T Davies and Bernardine Evaristo on 11th Oct - two cultural heroes of mine.
   
3. What's on your playlist right now?
   My ‘favourites’ streaming playlist has 218 tracks on it and I’m always looking for new things to listen to. My latest playlist additions are ‘You got me singing’ by Leonard Cohen, ‘Ko’u I Noa’ for solo viola by Lanzilotti, and ‘Django (live)’ by The Oscar Peterson Trio (from an album of live recordings never previously heard until their release earlier this year).
   

4. One word that describes your vision for Creative Manchester?
   Innovative.
   

The Manchester China Institute (MCI) at The University of Manchester successfully hosted the Manchester International Arbitration Training Programme (MIATP) from 1 to 7 September 2026, bringing together more than 40 participants from leading universities and legal institutions across China and Ireland for a week of learning, discussion and professional exchange in international arbitration.

Participants included representatives from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Zhejiang University, Sun Yat-sen University, Tongji University, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law, Hunan Normal University and Trinity College Dublin, alongside members of the Hong Kong Bar and senior lawyers from the Shanghai Lawyers Association and Guangzhou Lawyers Association.

The programme was formally opened by Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, who welcomed participants to the University. Professor Lei Chen, Director of the Manchester China Institute, introduced the programme and highlighted the importance of international collaboration, knowledge exchange and supporting the next generation of arbitration professionals.

Over the course of the week, participants engaged in lectures, interactive workshops, practical exercises and networking opportunities delivered by an internationally distinguished faculty of judges, King's Counsel, barristers, arbitrators, legal practitioners and academics. Faculty members included Sir Bernard Rix, Sir Christopher Vajda KC and Sir Bernard Eder, among many other leading experts in the field.

Hosted by the Manchester China Institute, the programme drew upon The University of Manchester's academic strengths while providing a platform for international exchange and professional development. Through discussions on arbitration agreements, arbitral procedures, investment arbitration, enforcement of awards and practical advocacy skills, participants gained valuable insights into the evolving landscape of global dispute resolution.

Beyond the classroom, the programme offered opportunities for participants to build professional networks with peers and experts from different jurisdictions. Social activities, including the programme gala dinner at Manchester Museum and organised visits to Manchester City's Etihad Stadium, encouraged meaningful dialogue and fostered new professional connections among those with a shared interest in international arbitration and dispute resolution.

At the conclusion of the programme, participants received certificates of attendance and joined a growing international network of professionals, academics and students committed to advancing arbitration and dispute resolution worldwide.

The exact timeline of the recent Nepal flooding disaster is becoming clearer. At 8:37am, instruments recorded what was initially interpreted as an earthquake near Nepal’s border with China. Seven minutes later, CCTV recorded the Gyirong Port border post being destroyed by a massive debris flow and flood.

Nepal’s flood authorities learned about the incident at about 9:00am and sent out an emergency SMS alert at about 9:15am. But by that time, Nepal was already deep into a major disaster.

The 38 minute gap between the tremor being detected and the emergency alert is striking. But it would be wrong to assume Nepal’s authorities could simply have acted on the initial signal: at the time, it appeared to be a small earthquake, rather than a much rarer mountain collapse. The flood also arrived too swiftly for water-level sensors: they went almost immediately from recording normal levels to being destroyed.

The more interesting question is what a better-integrated warning system might have made possible. Could seismic readings, satellite images and other observations have been combined quickly enough to recognise what was happening and alert people further downstream?

Existing early-warning systems have often been designed around particular hazards such as regular rain-caused floods or glacial lake outburst floods (Glofs). But this disaster was neither a Glof nor a regular flood. Instead it appears to have involved a rare, large-scale collapse of rock and ice, which turned into a devastating debris flow and flood.

As a recent study of a strikingly similar flood in India last year argued, this type of hazard is largely absent from existing warning frameworks. As warming destabilises glaciers and thaws permafrost, such events are likely to happen more often.

Cascading mountain hazards that cross borders

In July 2025, a glacial lake in Tibet burst and swept down this very same stretch of river into Nepal, killing at least nine people and leaving around 20 missing in Nepal. Eleven people were also officially reported missing on the Chinese side.

After the flood, Nepal and China agreed in principle to share real-time information about floods, landslides and glacial lakes. However, despite Nepal’s foreign minister raising the issue during a visit to China in May 2026, no formal agreement has been signed.

Across the Himalayas and Hindu Kush mountain ranges, rivers, weather systems and infrastructure frequently span national boundaries. Our ongoing research shows a hazard that begins in one place can have lethal consequences – and create new warning requirements – far downstream.

A warming climate is increasing these risks by thinning glaciers, thawing permafrost and destabilising slopes, even if climate change isn’t the sole explanation for every disaster. Meanwhile roads and hydropower projects are putting more people and infrastructure in threatened valleys.

Cooperation has to come before the disaster

Some cross-border early-warning arrangements already exist between Nepal and its neighbours, particularly for recurring floods. But sudden, cascading events such as the recent disaster pose a different challenge. A warning has value only if it travels the whole distance – from a sensor in the mountains, through scientific agencies, national and local authorities, to households in the valleys and plains below, in the minutes that matter.

Community-based flood warning already works in parts of Nepal’s Koshi basin, where upstream gauges and trained local volunteers buy downstream villages precious time. A regional early warning system would have to link these community-level systems with national and cross-border monitoring, so that information can move from the source of a hazard to the people at risk. That means agreeing in advance what should be shared, how warnings should be passed between countries and agencies, and what action they should trigger.

That requires institutional changes and political commitment, as much as new technology. The region’s existing water treaties were written to divide flows and manage dams and barrages, not to govern cascading hazards in the high mountains. Governments could establish permanent bodies responsible for Himalayan rivers and their associated hazards. Featuring both scientists and policymakers, and linked to counterparts in neighbouring countries, these public bodies would be mandated to share data, jointly monitor glaciers, lakes and slopes, and coordinate warnings across borders.

The aim would be to make cooperation routine and sustained between disasters, rather than improvised in a crisis when events may unfold too quickly for international debate. None of this requires neighbours to resolve their wider disputes; it asks only that disaster warning be ring-fenced as shared humanitarian infrastructure that keeps working unabated.

The technologies for predicting and monitoring high-mountain hazards are improving fast. We now need more international scientific and policy cooperation, and warning systems capable of turning these observations into rapid action.

By Mehebub Sahana, Senior Research Fellow and Lecturer in Environmental Management, The University of Manchester; Nimesh Dhungana, Lecturer in Disasters and Global Health, Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute, The University of Manchester; Priyank Pravin Patel, Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Presidency University, Kolkata, and Reshma Shrestha, Associate Professor, Department of Geomatics Engineering, Kathmandu University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

Developed in response to a growing concern for the wellbeing of young people in the UK, the #BeeWell programme listens to young people about their wellbeing, and drives action in response to what they say. Since launching in 2021, #BeeWell has listened to the voices of nearly 200,000 young people across Greater Manchester, and Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton, working with over 320 secondary schools, and hundreds of partners across these regions to act on the data and improve young people’s wellbeing.

Leadership for the next phase

Laura and Marie bring a track record from central government and the voluntary sector. They are joining #BeeWell following work as a senior civil service jobshare team at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport where they were co deputy directors for grants, risk, assurance and counter fraud

Laura Clayton brings social research, organisational transition experience, expertise in grant-making and risk management. She led research into wellbeing and engagement at Historic England, supporting its shift to a self-sustaining charity model. She also served as lead trustee for Otakar Kraus Music Trust, helping expand music therapy services for young people with additional needs.

Marie-Elise Howells brings policy and delivery experience across central government, education, and community organisations. At the Department for Education, she led work on special educational needs, school infrastructure, and early years education. At DCMS she led work on community resilience, volunteering, and youth connection, before job sharing with Laura. She has spent two decades as a trustee and governor across local and national education and youth charities.

Laura and Marie said, "We’re beyond thrilled to join #BeeWell at a crucial moment for young people across the country. We've been inspired by the rigour, commitment, passion and collaboration shown by the team and by partners. We can't wait to work alongside staff, partners, and young people - from the Isle of Wight to Rochdale and beyond - to make sure every child gets what they need to thrive in their local area."

They succeed James Robertson, who served as National Director since autumn 2023 and is moving to Japan for family reasons.

James said,"It has been a pleasure and privilege to be #BeeWell’s first National Director and to spearhead its development over the last three years. Thanks to the hard work of all the team and the generous support of The National Lottery Community Fund, #BeeWell is in great shape to expand its reach and its impact in the period ahead under Laura and Marie’s leadership."

David Gregson, #BeeWell Patron said: “Laura and Marie will be outstanding leaders of #BeeWell, building on the tremendous base that James has built. Their experience of both operational delivery and policy making at the highest levels, makes them ideally placed to take #BeeWell’s work to a new level to grow. We are thrilled that they have chosen to join #BeeWell as it enters this next phase.”

To find out more about #BeeWell’s work with schools and partners, please visit: https://beewellprogramme.org/about/about-coalition-of-partners/ and https://beewellprogramme.org/school-case-studies/

Contact #BeeWell comms team on Beewellprogramme@manchester.ac.uk.

Dr David Buil-Gil, Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Criminology in the Department of Criminology, was recognised for his article, The Structure of Unstructured Time and Crime: A Spare Time Model, published in The British Journal of Criminology in 2025.

The award will be presented at the ESC Conference in Warsaw, Poland, in September 2026.

Research on spare time and crime

The award-winning article examines the relationship between unstructured spare time and crime and considers the implications for crime prevention.

In its citation, the judging panel highlighted the article's combination of theoretical development and statistical analysis, noting that the research offers a new perspective on how spare time may influence criminal behaviour and crime trends.

The panel also pointed to the study's relevance for policies and interventions that encourage structured activities and positive social engagement among groups at higher risk of offending.

Award for innovative criminology research

The judging committee said: "Dr Buil-Gil's article offers an original contribution to criminological research and demonstrates a high standard of scholarship.

"The committee was impressed by both the conceptual development of the work and its careful empirical analysis. It makes an important contribution to current debates about crime prevention and criminological theory."

About the award

The ESC Young Criminologist Award recognises an outstanding article by a European criminologist who was 35 years old or younger when the article was published. The nominee must be the sole author of an article on a criminological topic published in a peer-reviewed journal in a European language within the three calendar years preceding the year of the proposed award.

The jury consists of two current or past at-large members of the Executive Board of the ESC and the Past-President. Each year, one member of the jury will be replaced by a new member. The ESC Executive Board is responsible for constituting the jury.

The article was nominated by Thiago R. Oliveira (The University of Manchester), Iain Brennan (University of Hull) and Fernando Miró-Llinares (Universidad Miguel Hernández de Elche).

About Dr David Buil-Gil

Dr David Buil-Gil is Senior Lecturer in Quantitative Criminology and Research Director in the Department of Criminology at The University of Manchester. His research focuses on crime measurement, quantitative methods, cybercrime, crime prevention and comparative criminology. He works with policymakers, statistical agencies and criminal justice organisations in the UK and internationally to improve understanding of crime and its causes.

Further information about David's research is available on his University research profile: David Buil-Gil Research Profile

Publication details:

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/bjc/azaf035

The University of Manchester and the Fear and Belonging in Minority Buddhist Communities Research Project Team invite you to a launch event for ‘grasp, grasp’ by Sian Fan, with an artist Q&A led by Chris Wright, former Executive Director of FutureEverything.

The event takes place on Wednesday 30 September, 6.30-8.15pm, at esea contemporary. Tickets are free (limited capacity, advance booking required).

‘grasp, grasp’ is a digital artwork which draws on the anonymised life stories of members of two different Buddhist communities, collected by University of Manchester academics Erica Baffelli and Jane Caple.

The work is a web-based experience filled with emotive photography and soundscapes, which traverses multiple pathways. It changes shape, operating in different sequences and moving in different directions, inviting viewers to reflect on the ephemerality of emotions.

Without attempting to pin it down, the work hopes to assert the complicated beauty of human experience. It seeks to form a blurry vision of lives lived, that, with your gaze soft and your grip gentle, you can find yourself enveloped within.

Doors at the venue will open at 6.30pm, with the live stream beginning online at 7pm. The artist presentation will be followed by a drinks reception for guests attending in person.

Sian Fan is an award-winning interdisciplinary artist. Her work combines movement, the body and technology to explore embodiment, identity, and human experience in the digital age. She is particularly interested in popularised depictions of Asiatic bodies in movies, anime and video games; in folkloric stories both modern and traditional; and in the thresholds of human identity where one exists as both and neither at the same time. Read more at www.sianfan.com.

For more information and to book tickets, visit Tickettailor.

The pupils most at risk

• Pupils receiving SEN support were more than twice as likely to be suspended as pupils without SEN, while those with an EHCP also had more than twice the odds of suspension.
• Pupils eligible for free school meals were nearly two and a half times more likely to be suspended than those who were not eligible.
• Pupils reporting higher levels of peer pressure and experiences of bullying victimisation were more likely to be suspended.
• Pupils who reported they had used any substance in the past 30 days were nearly three times more likely to be suspended than those reporting no recent substance use, in part because substance use is itself direct grounds for suspension under DfE guidance.

What could help prevent suspensions?

• School belonging, satisfaction with academic attainment and positive relationships with school staff were all associated with lower odds of suspension.
• Stronger emotion regulation was also associated with lower suspension risk.
• Suspensions are associated with multiple overlapping individual and school-level factors, highlighting the need for preventative approaches that address underlying needs rather than relying solely on disciplinary measures.

The research used data from the #BeeWell programme, a youth wellbeing measurement programme led by The University of Manchester in collaboration with Anna Freud, a children’s mental health charity, and the Gregson Family Foundation.

The #BeeWell survey captures young people's wellbeing alongside factors that can influence it, including school experiences, health behaviours, peer and family relationships and neighbourhood characteristics. Survey responses can be linked with administrative data held by participating local authorities, allowing researchers to examine young people's experiences alongside information about suspension and exclusion.

The researchers analysed data from 19,064 pupils in Years 8 and 10 across 69 mainstream secondary schools in Hampshire and Southampton during the 2023/24 academic year. Around six per cent of pupils in the study had been suspended at least once during the academic year.

Looking beyond suspension and moving towards engagement

“Our findings show that suspension is not simply about what happens in an individual classroom or about a young person's behaviour in isolation,” said lead author Dr Stephanie Cahill. “Pupils' experiences of disadvantage, their relationships with peers and staff, their sense of belonging and their additional educational needs all form part of a much more complex picture.

The researchers say the findings highlight the importance of early intervention and preventative support, particularly for pupils experiencing disadvantage or additional educational needs.

Supportive relationships between pupils and school staff, as well as a strong sense of belonging, may play an important role in helping young people remain engaged with education.

The study also highlights the importance of understanding the different pathways that can lead to suspension– a one-size-fits-all approach is unlikely to work for all pupils.

The researchers caution that the study identifies associations rather than causal relationships. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying these patterns and how schools can most effectively intervene to prevent suspensions.

“We recognise that the current climate within education has meant that many teachers are working under very challenging conditions and that often ‘blanket’ approaches are taken due to limited capacity,” said Professor Neil Humphrey. “In order to ensure more work can be done to understand individual pathways and prevent suspensions, there needs to be increased support for schools from the government.”

You can find helpful resources from #BeeWell on school belonging here.

Publication details

The study was published in the British Educational Research Journal.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/berj.70250

Professor Konstantinos Stathopoulos is a leading corporate governance scholar whose research examines how companies are governed and how corporate decision-making affects different stakeholders. His work has a particular focus on executive compensation and the ways in which poor governance practices can affect stakeholder wealth. More recently, his research has examined the interests and influence of stakeholders, including employees, in corporate decision-making and governance. 

He is Vice President of the International Corporate Governance Society, Chair of the Corporate Governance Special Interest Group of the British Accounting and Finance Association and an Otto Mønsted Visiting Professor at Copenhagen Business School. He was Editor-in-Chief of Corporate Governance: An International Review from 2019 to 2024.

Professor Andreja Zevnik is an interdisciplinary scholar whose research explores political resistance, protest, race, identity and marginalisation.

Her work draws on psychoanalysis, continental philosophy, and postcolonial theory to examine how political identities and forms of resistance are produced. Her recent research has focused particularly on the racialisation and political mobilisation of Roma communities in Europe, Black Lives Matter and other forms of anti-racist political mobilisation. Her research with colleagues has also helped to raise awareness of antigypsyism and strengthen political representation and advocacy among Roma communities in Slovenia.

“Our newest Fellows represent some of the most influential voices in social science today,” said Will Hutton, President of the Academy of Social Sciences. “Their work is expanding knowledge, challenging assumptions and generating insights that are informing and even redefining decision making across government, business, education and civil society.”

“I am delighted to welcome these leading experts to the Academy, and look forward to working with them to raise the profile and impact of the social sciences across the UK and beyond.”

Since appointing its first research leads in 2022, Creative Manchester has continued to grow, nurturing exciting interdisciplinary research and convening research communities at The University of Manchester and the city region. In line with the University’s Manchester 2035 strategy, the platform is working to convene a challenge-led research model in collaboration with our Cultural Institutions, partners and communities that champions our world-leading collections and archives, amplifying their reach. To achieve this, a new Research Theme focussed on activating the University’s and Cultural Institutions’ vast archival collections is being developed from September 2026. This theme compliments Creative Manchester’s existing three research themes - Creative Industries and Innovation/CreaTech, Creative and Civic Futures and Creativity, Health and Social Care – which continue to remain relevant and are expanding in line with the aspirations set out in Manchester 2035.

The newly appointed Academic Lead for Research Partnerships (Special, Scientific and Cultural Collections), Professor Ana Carden-Coyne, will work closely with the Platform’s leadership, Creative Manchester Director Professor Michelle Phillips and Deputy Director Dr Constance Smith, as well as with Associate Vice President (Cultural Portfolio), Professor John McAuliffe to develop and help coordinate activity across the theme.

In this role, Professor Carden-Coyne will focus on developing the academic work and grant capture on research collections across University of Manchester Library and the wider Cultural Institution collections’ research activities. She will partner and engage with our diverse community of academic researchers, curators, conservators and imaging specialists, and further grow the Platform’s interdisciplinary research networks to address strategic opportunities.

Professor Ana Carden-Coyne is Director of the Centre for the Cultural History of War (CCHW) in the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures. She is a cultural historian and curator inspired by people’s creative responses to war and conflict, acts of resistance, and calls for civil and human rights. Working closely with other disciplines, cultural practitioners, and museums energises her thinking. When activated through collaboration, co-curation, and shared decision-making, the cultural leadership of contemporary communities and artists not only enriches our collective knowledge, but also transforms our human connections. Her work is grounded in deep respect for the makers of objects, artworks, and stories that are held dear in the past and present, which can be brought to light for future generations.

As part of her recently funded Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) project Understanding Displacement Aesthetics and Making Change in the Art Gallery with Refugees, Migrants and Host Communities (2021-24) she published the accompanying project book Understanding Displacement Aesthetics: History, Art and Museums (MUP, open access) this year.

For more details on Professor Carden-Coyne's work and publications, please refer to her Research Explorer page.

Key points

• In the age of AI, business communications start to look more alike.

• The researchers generated AI-augmented twins of more than 26,000 real-world crowdfunding campaign descriptions. Across the resulting AI-augmented versions, there was substantially less variation than across the original human-written narratives. Among other differences, the AI-rewritten pitches varied 43% less in how abstract their language was, and variation in length and writing quality fell by around 80%.

• As AI makes polished communications easier to produce, audiences likely develop more demanding expectations about the quality of these communications.

• Business owners may increasingly need to provide evidence for the claims they make about their businesses, as audiences become less willing to rely on plausible-sounding statements alone.

• Cultural competence and storytelling skills could even become more valuable, rather than less, as it becomes more challenging to craft effective business communications in the age of generative AI.

What the experts say

"Generative AI can support entrepreneurs in many aspects of storytelling, but it cannot substitute for the cultural understanding required to navigate an increasingly complex evaluative environment," said lead author Dr Karl Taeuscher from The University of Manchester’s Alliance Manchester Business School. "Business owners will still need to understand their audiences, recognise cultural expectations and know how to position their businesses in ways that are both credible and distinctive."

The researchers caution that the study presents a plausible scenario rather than a prediction, as both AI technology and social norms surrounding its use are changing rapidly. The analysis of AI-augmented crowdfunding descriptions is intended to illustrate the research’s central argument rather than to test it.

Publication details

The research was published in the journal Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587261472523.

Manchester Literature Festival returns from 9-25 October, giving the city’s book lovers the opportunity to come together to share their passion for language, to be entertained, to learn, and to reflect on their connections with place, politics and people.

Creative Manchester and the Centre for New Writing will be supporting an exciting series of events, with highlights including influential and much-loved literary voices, conversations with acclaimed debut novelists, podcast recordings, poetry readings and much more!

The full schedule of partnership events are as follows:

• Maggie O’Farrell – Friday 9 October, 7pm, Royal Northern College of Music
• Sarah Hall: Burning Snowflake – The 2026 Faber Lecture (SOLD OUT) – Saturday 10 October, 6pm, Manchester Museum
• Paul Mason: Reds – Sunday 11 October, 2pm, Martin Harris Centre
• The Observer Book Club with Deborah Frances-White – Sunday 11 October, 4.30pm, Martin Harris Centre
• Patrick Radden Keefe – Monday 12 October, 7.30pm, Royal Northern College of Music
• The Observer Book Club with Yann Martel – Wednesday 14 October, 7.30pm, Martin Harris Centre
• Sufiyaan Salam and Monika Radojevic – Sunday 18 October, 5pm, Manchester Museum
• Lady Hale and Lara Feigel – Wednesday 21 October, 7pm, Central Library
• The Observer Book Club with Min Jin Lee – Wednesday 21 October, 7.30pm, Contact Theatre
• Karen Solie: Rylands Poetry Reading – Thursday 22 October, 7pm, John Rylands
• An Afternoon with Elif Shafak – Sunday 25 October, 3pm, Royal Northern College of Music

For more information and to book tickets, visit the Manchester Literature Festival website.

Key findings

• Presenteeism is no longer simply about going into work while sick - people can now work while unwell from home or elsewhere.
• Digital technology can make it harder to switch off, with employees potentially feeling pressure to remain available through email, messaging platforms and other workplace technology even outside normal working hours.
• Mental health needs to be recognised alongside physical illness when considering why people work while unwell, as existing research has focused heavily on physical sickness.
• Working while ill can take different forms - from completing a normal working day remotely to doing only urgent tasks or checking emails intermittently.
• Employers should consider whether workers have flexibility to reduce their hours or workload when ill, rather than treating working while sick as an inherently good or bad behaviour.

Presenteeism is no longer just about physical presence

The researchers propose redefining presenteeism as the “behaviour of attending work in the state of suboptimal health, with varied location choices and degree of engagement”.

This means that presenteeism should be understood not simply in terms of whether someone turns up to work, but also where they work, what health problem they are experiencing and how much effort they put into working.

The authors argue that existing approaches to measuring presenteeism are too narrow because they generally focus on how often people go to work despite being ill, or on the extent to which illness affects their productivity. Instead, they propose a three-dimensional framework based on health, location and engagement.

Eight ways of working while unwell

The first dimension considers whether presenteeism is triggered by a physical or mental health problem. The second considers whether someone works on-site or remotely. The third considers whether they work a full schedule with normal levels of engagement or reduce their hours and effort. Together, these dimensions produce eight different forms of presenteeism.

For example, an employee with a physical illness might go into the workplace and work a full day, while another might stay at home and only deal with urgent requests. Someone experiencing anxiety or depression could similarly work either remotely or on-site, with either full or reduced engagement.

The researchers say this approach could help distinguish between situations where working while ill may be harmful and situations where employees are able to adapt their work in ways that allow them to protect their health while meeting essential responsibilities.

The paper also highlights concerns about inequality in access to flexible working. Remote working is not available to everyone, meaning that some workers may be able to adapt their working arrangements when ill while others have little choice but to attend their workplace.

What the experts say

“The world of work has changed dramatically, but our understanding of what it means to work while sick has not necessarily kept pace with this transformation,” said Professor Cary Cooper, 50th Anniversary Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health at The University of Manchester. “Technology has given people much greater flexibility over where and when they work, but that flexibility can become a trap if employees feel they have to be available all the time.”

Making flexibility work for employees

The authors argue that future research should examine whether giving employees greater control over their location, working hours and workload can make presenteeism a more adaptive behaviour. They also call for greater attention to mental health-related presenteeism, which they say has been relatively neglected by existing research.

The researchers stress that working while sick should not automatically be regarded as either positive or negative. Instead, they argue that understanding how someone works while unwell - and the circumstances surrounding that decision - is essential to understanding its effects on health and performance.

The paper concludes that organisations need to strike a balance between maintaining performance and protecting employee wellbeing as digital technology continues to reshape the workplace.

Publication details

The paper was published in journal Health Psychology Research.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.36922/HPR026130066

Key findings and recommendations

• China’s state support for green industries is effectively subsidising the global transition to a low-carbon economy.

• China has become dominant in the so-called ‘new three’ green technologies - batteries, electric vehicles and solar power.

• Attempts by countries such as the US and EU states to compete with China could slow the adoption of green technologies and increase the cost of decarbonisation.

• Governments increasingly face four broad choices - compete with China, cooperate with it, accept Chinese dominance, or abandon parts of the green transition.

• The UK should strengthen cooperation with China on green technologies rather than trying to compete directly.

• The UK should continue to avoid tariffs on Chinese green technologies and seek Chinese investment in UK manufacturing.

A global climate dilemma

The report says China now occupies a leading position across many of the technologies needed for the green transition including solar, wind, batteries, hydrogen and electric vehicles. Its dominance has helped drive down the cost of these technologies, but this has also created growing geopolitical and economic tensions.

“China’s dominance of green technology presents a fundamental dilemma for governments,” lead author Dr James Jackson of The University of Manchester’s Sustainable Consumption Institute. “The world needs these technologies to decarbonise, but efforts to compete with China risk making the transition more expensive and more difficult.”

The authors argue that countries should focus more heavily on cooperation - particularly where access to affordable green technologies is essential to meeting climate targets.

Opportunities for the UK

The report identifies green technology as an opportunity to improve UK-China relations following a period of strained diplomatic ties. It recommends that the UK should seek closer trading relationships with China, while maintaining the ability to challenge Beijing on other issues such as human rights.

Among its recommendations, the report says the UK should encourage Chinese EV manufacturers to establish production facilities in Britain, while using the country’s expertise in financial services to support investment in green technologies. It also recommends that the Bank of England consider measures used by China’s central bank to support the development of green industries.

Publication details

Subsidising Global Decarbonisation: China-UK Relations is published by The University of Manchester. Dr Jackson is the lead author, alongside Mathias Larsen of the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment at the London School of Economics.

Publication details

The study was published in the Journal of Sex Research.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/00224499.2026.2710145.

Key findings

• AI adoption is heavily concentrated in London, the South East and larger businesses, meaning its economic benefits could reinforce existing regional and productivity inequalities

• The country lacks the computing and energy infrastructure needed to deliver the Government’s ambitions, which could consume more than a quarter of the UK’s electricity

• Poor-quality, fragmented data and outdated IT systems could hamper AI adoption across government

• Skills shortages are holding back AI adoption, particularly among smaller businesses and in the public sector, despite years of government investment in digital skills

• AI is not a ‘magic bullet’ for Britain’s economic and public-service problems, and rapid expansion could create new environmental, social and governance risks

Unequal benefits and risks

Researchers Nathan Critch and Darcy Luke say years of short-term and fragmented policymaking by successive governments have left the UK with significant infrastructure and capacity gaps which could undermine Labour’s plans.

The Government’s AI Opportunities Action Plan includes plans to increase UK AI computing capacity twentyfold by 2030, develop AI Growth Zones, establish a National Data Library and expand the use of AI across government and the wider economy.

The researchers warn that the benefits of AI are unlikely to be shared evenly across the UK without policies specifically designed to encourage wider adoption.

Only 15% of UK businesses had adopted at least one AI technology in 2022, with adoption particularly concentrated among larger companies. AI adoption was highest in IT and telecommunications and legal services, while it was much lower in hospitality, health and retail - sectors which employ large numbers of people.

AI firms and businesses using AI are also heavily concentrated in London and the South East.

The study argues that this creates a risk that AI will make already productive businesses and regions even more productive, while areas and sectors which have struggled with low productivity are left further behind.

UK lacks infrastructure for AI boom

The UK currently has only around 3% of the world’s computational power - much of which is not optimised for AI - leaving the country dependent on cloud computing provided by large technology companies.

The researchers warn that expanding computing capacity will place enormous demands on the UK’s energy infrastructure. They estimate that a twentyfold increase in UK computing capacity could increase the energy consumed by AI infrastructure from around 3.6 terawatt-hours (TWh) in 2020 to 72 TWh – more than a quarter of the UK’s total electricity consumption.

This creates a tension between the Government’s AI ambitions and its commitment to reaching net zero, particularly given constraints in the electricity grid and limited energy storage capacity. The researchers also highlight the water required to cool data centres as a potential environmental constraint.

Poor data and outdated technology

The study identifies the quality and accessibility of government data as another major obstacle. A National Audit Office survey found that 62% of responding government bodies identified a lack of access to good-quality data as a major barrier to implementing AI. Government data is often held in fragmented systems and legacy IT infrastructure, while data held by local authorities can be siloed across incompatible systems.

The researchers argue that these problems will make it difficult to deliver the Government’s plans for AI-enabled public services without significant investment in underlying digital infrastructure. They also warn that the public sector faces persistent digital skills shortages, with problems particularly acute in local government.

Skills shortages could limit AI adoption

Despite a relatively strong range of AI-related training in the UK, demand for AI skills continues to outstrip supply.

Smaller businesses are particularly disadvantaged because larger companies can offer higher salaries and attract workers with scarce AI expertise. The researchers also highlight a lack of in-work training, vocational education and further education provision compared with the emphasis placed on higher education.

These problems could limit the Government’s ambitions to use AI to improve productivity across the economy and make public services more efficient.

Decade of AI policy leaves UK with major gaps

The researchers argue that Labour’s approach is part of almost a decade of increasingly active government policy on AI, stretching back through the Conservative governments of Theresa May, Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak. They describe this pattern as “hyperactive incrementalism” - characterised by short-termism, fragmentation, limited evaluation and repeated policy initiatives.

While the UK has developed an internationally significant AI sector, the researchers say this should not be confused with widespread adoption of AI across the economy.

Successive governments have focused heavily on developing the UK’s AI sector, they argue, but have been less successful at encouraging businesses and public services across the country to adopt AI. The result is a significant gap between the Government’s ambitions for AI and the infrastructure, skills and organisational capacity needed to deliver them.

AI is not a ‘magic bullet’

The researchers argue that there is currently little evidence that AI can, by itself, deliver the broad improvements in productivity, government efficiency and public services envisaged by policymakers.

They also warn that rapid AI expansion could create new problems, including threats to data protection and civil liberties, surveillance, deskilling and unemployment, and increased environmental pressures.

What the researchers say

“AI adoption is currently concentrated in the businesses, sectors and regions that are already among the most productive,” said Darcy Luke from The University of Edinburgh’s BRAID (Bridging Responsible AI Divides) Research Programme. “Without policies that encourage much wider adoption, there is a real risk that AI will reinforce existing inequalities rather than reduce them.”

The researchers conclude that while Labour’s plans represent the most comprehensive attempt by a UK Government to harness AI, the scale and depth of the barriers involved mean that AI may ultimately become “another problem for an already problem-laden government, rather than the solution it is hoped to be.”

Publication details

The paper was published in the journal The Political Quarterly.

DOI: 10.1111/1467-923X.70019

Key findings

• Many older residents want to "age in place" in the communities where they have built their lives, but many feel excluded from discussions about the future of their neighbourhoods.
• Residents expressed concerns that regeneration could lead to gentrification, exclusion and division, and questioned whether new homes and amenities would benefit existing communities.
• Community spaces, local shops and faith settings provide vital social infrastructure, helping older people maintain social connections and access informal support.
• Everyday encounters between people from different ethnic, cultural and generational backgrounds help create belonging, familiarity and continuity as neighbourhoods change.
• The researchers warn that regeneration should protect and strengthen existing communities, with investment directed towards community organisations as well as new buildings and infrastructure.

North Manchester is undergoing one of the largest programmes of urban regeneration in the country. The £6 billion North Manchester Strategy includes the redevelopment of North Manchester General Hospital, a new mental health facility and the Victoria North housing development, while other major schemes are planned across the area.

Victoria North alone is expected to deliver up to 15,000 new homes over 15 to 20 years, and has been selected as one of the Government's New Towns Initiative sites.

What the researchers say

The researchers say the scale of investment presents a major opportunity to improve health and wellbeing, but warn that the benefits must be shared with the communities already living in the area.

"Regeneration could potentially bring enormous benefits to communities, but it is vital that we don't lose sight of the people who already live in these places,” said Dr Camilla Lewis from The University of Manchester's Manchester Urban Ageing Research Group. "Older people have deep connections to their neighbourhoods and have built up knowledge, relationships and networks over many years. These are valuable assets for regeneration, not obstacles to it.”

The research found that community organisations and volunteers play a significant role in supporting older people, particularly from ethnically minoritised backgrounds, helping to reduce the effects of social isolation, poor health, financial pressures or language barriers

Community spaces also provide opportunities for interaction between people from different ethnic and cultural backgrounds, helping to maintain a sense of connection as neighbourhoods change.

The researchers warn that these forms of ‘social infrastructure’ can be overlooked when regeneration focuses primarily on physical development.

They are calling for investment to be directed towards existing community organisations alongside new housing and infrastructure, and for regeneration to be designed collaboratively with older people.

"Regeneration needs to start by understanding what is already valuable about a place - its people, its relationships, its cultural diversity and the spaces where communities come together,” said Dr Niamh Kavanagh from The University of Manchester. "Our research shows that these everyday connections matter enormously to older people. They can provide a sense of belonging and continuity at a time when neighbourhoods are undergoing profound change.”

"The challenge is to make sure that regeneration strengthens these connections rather than unintentionally disrupting them.”

The report recommends that future regeneration should be equitable, embedded within existing communities, designed collaboratively with older people, culturally sensitive and supported by sustained investment in social infrastructure.

The researchers say the lessons from North Manchester are relevant to the wider UK as cities and towns respond simultaneously to an ageing population, housing pressures and major programmes of urban development.

The study was carried out over 12 months and involved 41 interviews with older residents, community organisations and regeneration stakeholders, two focus groups and four creative co-production projects involving more than 50 older people. The research focused primarily on Cheetham Hill and Crumpsall, while also considering the wider North Manchester area.

Publication details

Read the full Ageing, inequality and urban regeneration: Collaborative research with older people living in North Manchester report here.

Tackling the public’s energy concerns

Amidst growing climate change concerns and exposure to fossil fuel price shocks, local energy schemes are beneficial for engaging the public directly in an energy transition, encouraging community cohesion, bringing direct financial benefits to participants, and providing energy for more remote locations.

However, PPERC’s response, Putting Power in its Place, states that the government’s plan also provides a major opportunity to address issues of energy poverty.

“What we argue for is genuinely community owned, democratic energy projects which provide both direct returns to those facing energy poverty and debt but also opportunities to develop skills and greater community cohesion,” said Dr Gareth Fearn, Leverhulme Early Career Fellow and editor of the paper.

Key recommendations

Their paper outlines five practical recommendations to ensure the LPP delivers on its full potential.

• Bring power to the people by proactively identifying communities most in need, building mechanisms for democratic ownership, creating bespoke regulation, and ringfencing funding for engagement and participatory energy planning.
• Address energy poverty by embedding it as a key funding criterion, targeting local schemes in areas with high energy debt, creating a single UK registry of community energy organisations, and engaging with existing community groups.
• Develop skills through community power and support job creation by creating a more inclusive, better-targeted skills strategy and integrating small and medium-sized enterprises and voluntary, community and social enterprises.
• Connect the LPP to other plans, such as aligning the Warm Homes Agency with Great British Energy (GBE) Local, and guiding local authority planners on how to include community energy in local policy.
• Invest in the ‘one stop shop’ by ensuring energy and retrofit advice services have secure, long-term funding for delivery partners, creating a nationally visible advice helpline, and developing a comprehensive business- and community-focused energy advice service.

Creating local job opportunities

PPERC’s research suggests that proactively working with communities leads to better energy planning. Whilst community projects can give more people a stake in the future of energy, their paper suggests that the full benefits will only be realised if the LPP ensures clear, inclusive pathways into jobs and skills for locals. This includes addressing any structural barriers to pursuing training faced by marginalised groups.

“We see the LPP, and the expanding role of Great British Energy at a local level, as a means of bringing a range of different people into the energy transition in both materially and socially beneficial ways,” said Dr Fearn.

Looking to the future

Since the Local Power Plan was announced in February, the political context and global energy pressures have continued to shift, further emphasising the need to strengthen energy security and ensure the plan delivers lasting benefits for the communities most affected.

By establishing protected mechanisms for public and democratic ownership over the projects, PPERC argues, the LPP will be able to maximise the potential of community energy to deliver much-needed impact.

Publication details

The full response and recommendations, Putting Power in its Place: A PPERC response to the Local Power Plan, can be read here.

• Fathers who undertook solo caregiving became more confident and capable parents.

• Early childcare experiences helped fathers better understand the emotional, practical and mental load of caring for children.

• Mothers were often able to return to work earlier or pursue career progression because they had confidence in their partner's caregiving abilities.

• Couples were more likely to view childcare as a shared responsibility rather than primarily the mother's role.

• Many fathers continued to organise work around family responsibilities years after their leave ended.

• Some fathers became more open about caregiving responsibilities at work and more willing to prioritise family life over career progression.

Rethinking careers and parenting

"Our research shows that fathers' solo caregiving can have long-lasting effects on how couples organise work and family life years later,” said Professor Emma Banister from the Work and Equalities Institute at Alliance Manchester Business School. "The fathers we spoke to developed confidence and skills through caring for their child alone, and those experiences continued to shape their decisions about work and parenting long after their leave had ended."

Challenge to traditional gender roles regarding paid and unpaid work

The study also found evidence that fathers who had taken sole responsibility for childcare were more likely to challenge traditional expectations about parenting and work.

Several participants reported openly discussing childcare commitments with colleagues and managers, rejecting the idea that caregiving should be hidden or secondary to paid work.

The researchers argue that organisations and policymakers should do more to support fathers who want to take an active role in childcare.

Implications for parental leave policy

The researchers say the findings strengthen the case for expanding dedicated leave for fathers.

While Shared Parental Leave was introduced in the UK in 2015 to encourage more equal parenting, uptake remains relatively low because of affordability, eligibility restrictions and the way the system is structured.

The study suggests that creating more opportunities for fathers to undertake solo caregiving could help promote greater gender equality both at home and in the workplace.

"The benefits we observed weren't simply about fathers spending more time with their children - it was the experience of taking responsibility for childcare independently that appeared to make the difference,” said Professor Ben Kerrane of Manchester Metropolitan University. “That experience helped reshape how couples thought about parenting, careers and family responsibilities, with effects that were still visible five years later.”

Publication details

The study was published in journal Human Relations.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1177/0018726726146203

• Multiple agencies share responsibility for tackling economic crime, in some cases creating uncertainty over leadership and accountability

• Competing priorities and budget pressures can limit organisations' ability to devote resources to economic crime investigations

• The broad and evolving nature of "economic crime" makes it difficult to define priorities and measure success

• Outdated technology and poor data-sharing arrangements continue to hamper investigations and intelligence gathering

• The UK's response relies heavily on cooperation between organisations with different responsibilities, cultures and objectives

Economic crime has become one of the UK's biggest crime threats

The researchers say economic crime encompasses a vast range of offences, from online fraud and investment scams to money laundering, bribery and sanctions evasion.

However, a key issue identified by the study was ambiguity surrounding the term ‘economic crime’ - which lacks clear boundaries and scope - and how different threats should be prioritised.

The research found that political priorities and major world events can rapidly reshape which forms of economic crime receive attention and resources. As a result, agencies can find themselves responding to an ever-expanding range of threats, stretching already limited resources.

The authors argue that while the broad label of economic crime helps attract political attention and funding, it can also obscure important differences between offences that require very different responses.

Outdated systems slowing investigations

Participants in the study also highlighted concerns about the technological tools available to investigators. Some reported that basic collaboration and data-analysis capabilities lag behind those available in the private sector, with information-gathering processes that should take days sometimes taking months.

The researchers found that these limitations can make it more difficult to identify emerging threats, share intelligence and coordinate action across agencies.

What is needed

The researchers say the enabling conditions needed to tackle the problem are:

• A shared definition of economic crime, clear enough to guide prioritisation yet flexible enough to serve both political and operational purposes

• Data-sharing arrangements and intelligence infrastructure that allow partners to act and build understanding simultaneously

• Clear incentives and dedicated resourcing that allow partners to commit meaningfully beyond their core organisational mandates

• Clear delineation of roles and responsibilities across agencies, with recognised leadership

• Formalised but flexible accountability arrangements that create soft mechanisms for ensuring participation without undermining partner autonomy

Why this matters

Fraud is now one of the most common crimes affecting people in the UK, while money laundering enables a wide range of serious criminal activity, from organised crime to corruption.

The findings also have wider relevance for governments around the world that are increasingly relying on multi-agency partnerships to tackle complex forms of crime that cross organisational and national boundaries.

What the researchers say

"The National Economic Crime Centre was created to bring together the many organisations involved in tackling economic crime, recognising the need for a collective response” said Professor Nicholas Lord. “However, coordinating agencies with different responsibilities, priorities and resources is not straightforward, and certainly needs more than goodwill.”

"What emerges from this study is a picture of a system that depends heavily on cooperation between organisations,” added Professor Elisa Bellotti. “The challenge is not simply understanding economic crime itself, but creating the conditions that allow different institutions to work together effectively in responding to it.”

Publication details

The study was published in the Journal of Economic Criminology.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconc.2026.100228

She added: "While I welcome the child-focused courts that the government has introduced, the family justice system has an opportunity to move from seeing children as passive recipients of adult decisions to recognising them as active participants. If children's voices are consistently heard, respected and acted upon, family courts will be better protect their safety, wellbeing and long-term health."

Recommendations

The researchers are calling for major reforms to private family law proceedings, including:

• Ensuring children's voices are routinely and meaningfully heard throughout family court proceedings.

• Embedding the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child more fully into domestic law.

• Reforming family court practice so children's views genuinely influence decisions affecting them.

• Providing specialist training for judges, legal professionals and safeguarding practitioners on children's rights, trauma, coercive control and child sexual abuse.

• Introducing stronger safeguards against technology-facilitated abuse, including the misuse of children's medical information.

• Expanding access to child-centred, trauma-informed interventions such as play therapy and specialist counselling.

The authors conclude that meaningful reform will require not only legislative change but also a cultural shift across the family justice system towards recognising children as equal rights holders whose lived experiences should guide judicial decision-making.

Publication details

The paper was published in the Journal of Social Welfare and Family Law.

This study was supported by a grant from the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Participatory Research Fund to Dr Elizabeth Dalgarno, Principal Investigator. The findings remain the responsibility of the research team.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/09649069.2026.2696734

 Justice, Arts, Memory, Migration (JAMM): Creating Solidarities across Borders will bring together academics, artists and cultural practitioners to share experience and best practice across universities, cultural institutions and community organisations. 

Dr Warren is a member of JAMM's management committee and is working group co-leader of the 'Urban Space, Creative Sectors & Social Cohesion working group. She is involved alongside other Manchester participants: postgraduate researchers Clare Courtney and Haoyue Gul (University of Manchester) and Mahboobeh Rajabi, Founder and CEO of DIPACT, an innovative, artist-led platform and cultural café. 

Dr Warren commented:

JAMM brings together 70 researchers from 27 countries and has been awarded €170,000 in the first year with an estimated €680,000 over four years (depending on the number of participating COST member countries). It was one of only 80 projects out of 1,090 applications selected for funding by COST.

Applications to join JAMM Working Groups are now open and academics, students and cultural practitioners are being encouraged to take part:
Explore and apply to JAMM

The ‘Ageing, inequality and urban regeneration: Collaborative research with older people living in North Manchester’ report is being launched at a community celebration in Cheetham Hill next week. Findings from the research highlight the importance of major regeneration projects, like those in North Manchester, being designed in collaboration with the area’s older population.

Dr Camilla Lewis, Senior Lecturer in Architectural Studies, who co-led the research explains:

As well as sharing first-person perspectives from over 40 older residents and a variety of community organisations, Ageing, inequality and urban regeneration has six overarching aims for policy makers to ensure the urban regeneration is inclusive for all ages and communities. The report will be shared widely with local and national decision-makers.

Read the full Ageing, inequality and urban regeneration: Collaborative research with older people living in North Manchester report here and the executive summary here.

James is Professor of Human Geography in the School of Environment, Education and Development. His research explores how cities can become smarter and more sustainable through urban experimentation, helping governments and communities learn, innovate and respond to complex societal challenges.

In addition to being Associate Dean for Research, he has held a number of leadership roles across the University, including Head of the Department of Geography, Director of the Manchester Urban Institute and Academic Lead for Sustainability.

Professor Fiona Devine, Vice-President and Dean, said:

James said:

James will take up the Vice-Dean for Research role from Professor Maggie Gale, who will become the new Head of the School of Arts, Languages and Cultures in the Faculty of Humanities on 1 August.