<![CDATA[Newsroom University of Manchester]]> /about/news/ en Sat, 21 Jun 2025 12:31:36 +0200 Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:42:07 +0200 <![CDATA[Newsroom University of Manchester]]> https://content.presspage.com/clients/150_1369.jpg /about/news/ 144 The people of Greater 91ֱ voice their thoughts on creating a Fairer World /about/news/the-people-of-greater-manchester-voice-their-thoughts-on-creating-a-fairer-world/ /about/news/the-people-of-greater-manchester-voice-their-thoughts-on-creating-a-fairer-world/711642At the Universally 91ֱ Festival, people from all walks of life came together to prove that even the smallest action can spark change. From ambitious ideas to everyday kindness, the Wishing Tree stood as a testament to Greater 91ֱ’s commitment to a fairer future.

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This year's University of Manchester community Festival, , welcomed members of the public of all ages – from toddlers to older adults – to campus on Saturday, 14 June. As part of the community festival, the global inequalities research beacon invited visitors to take part in a unique public engagement activity, called the Wishing Tree.

Through the Wishing Tree, the beacon invited attendees to share their hopes for a better world by writing one action, big or small, that could contribute to this vision. The activity aimed to spark conversation, raise awareness of ongoing social issues, and highlight how the University’s research is working to address global and local inequalities.

Wishes spanned different generations, reflecting a deep understanding of social and environmental justice throughout Greater 91ֱ. Concerns ranged from gender equality in sports, accessible transport for all, and protecting the planet to ending poverty. The variety of ideas highlighted a collective desire for fairness and sustainability throughout Greater 91ֱ and beyond.

It was uplifting to see young children express their support for equality through messages such as “getting rid of racism” and their encouragement to reach out to isolated elderly individuals, demonstrating a deep sense of social responsibility that surpasses their age.

One standout wish called for a dedicated tunnel network for cyclists and pedestrians, envisioning a city designed around healthier and more sustainable travel options. An idea that aligns with to environmental sustainability.

Attendees were directed to existing research already creating impact with the beacon, including work related to and that ensure climate action works for everyone while amplifying the voices of young people in shaping the that support them.

Researchers working with the beacon are committed to exploring the roots of inequality and co-creating sustainable solutions that address various aspects, from poverty and social justice to living conditions and equality in the workplace. At the University, our global inequalities research plays a vital role in advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), focusing on . Through innovative research and collaboration, the university is dedicated to tackling inequalities both within and among countries, striving to create a fairer and more inclusive world.

As part of the global inequalities research beacon's mission, these wishes will inform ongoing discussions about addressing disparities locally and globally. From planting more trees to providing meals for struggling communities, every idea fuels the collective movement towards a fairer, more compassionate world.

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Thu, 19 Jun 2025 15:44:08 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/8dc6adab-8dd4-4679-b0ad-7c9ade0dd9a9/500_justnewsletterdesigns1.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/8dc6adab-8dd4-4679-b0ad-7c9ade0dd9a9/justnewsletterdesigns1.png?10000
Rethinking Sustainability: A Collective Call to Action at The University of Manchester /about/news/rethinking-sustainability-a-collective-call-to-action-at-the-university-of-manchester/ /about/news/rethinking-sustainability-a-collective-call-to-action-at-the-university-of-manchester/707671Symposium spotlights humanities, activism, and hope in challenging systemic unsustainabilityThe , held from 22–23 May 2025, was the first major event organised by the new working group Sustainability@SEED, led by Heather Alberro, Lecturer in Sustainability at the School of Environment, Education and Development (SEED).

Over two engrossing and thought-provoking days, dozens of staff and students from across The University of Manchester community, alongside practitioners, artists, and activists from across the UK, came together for transdisciplinary discussions on the fundamental transformations needed to challenge systemic drivers of unsustainability and chart more liveable pathways forward.

A key aim was to foreground perspectives and disciplines not typically centred in STEM-dominated sustainability discourses, namely the humanities, social sciences, and activist voices.

Key themes and topics included: the transformative role of hope and imaginaries; cultivating our ecological selves; working with and through climate anxiety; the relationship between war and ecological breakdown; collectively crafting new stories; generating value shifts and cultivating relations of ‘integrity over transaction’; opting for slow research and travel; how mosses might help us rethink the more-than-human ethical dimensions of sustainability; how to disrupt universities’ complicity in climate breakdown; and the need for a distributed ethics that cherishes individuals through collectives.

As speaker Susan Brown (MIE) asked, “What if education were to beat not to the neoliberal economic clock, but to the earth’s clock?” How can we develop an intersectional, ecological approach to sustainability, that recognises extreme inequality, political polarisation, misogyny, systemic racism, transphobia, pollution, and biodiversity collapse as deeply entangled and indivisible crises? And how might we better engage actors beyond our immediate circles, ensuring we don’t merely preach to the converted?

In service of keeping hope alive, these crucial conversations will continue in future events over the coming academic year.

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Wed, 28 May 2025 12:25:30 +0100 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/f1bfda7f-426e-4649-9e6d-a8bd42d6833a/500_sustainability@seed.png?10000 https://content.presspage.com/uploads/1369/f1bfda7f-426e-4649-9e6d-a8bd42d6833a/sustainability@seed.png?10000