With over 1,400 pieces of feedback submitted, it’s now our turn to write our new Manchester 2035 strategy.
We want to say a huge thanks to all of you who were involved in the Manchester 2035 Ideas Labs.
Whether that was online or at the pop-up stand in the Nancy Rothwell Building. You brought the ideas, the energy, and the big questions. Your voice has been front and centre throughout this process and now we’re using your feedback to shape the University’s next 10-year strategy.
Improving the student experience was at the heart of the launch of our strategy process, and it will remain so as we finalise it over the coming weeks.
Watch the pop-up Ideas Lab in action:
Your comments and feedback told us you want Manchester to be ambitious but grounded in what makes it special. You supported our bold ideas, raised thoughtful challenges, and reminded us that our core values matter just as much as our plans for the future.
Now, we’re moving into drafting, which means your feedback is helping us to write a strategy that sets our direction to 2035 – one that’s big on impact, and ready to make real change.
Explore what we heard
Across the five leaps proposed at our Ideas Labs, here’s a quick snapshot of what you – along with our staff and wider community – had to say:
- Flexible, personalised, and digitally enabled learning
- You were excited about learning that fits around your life – with more personalised learning that sets you up for the career you want to shape and support that’s joined up and easy to access. Where AI is used to enable personalisation, you want to help shape how we can use it ethically and sustainably.
- Digital inside and out
- You backed better digital tools to improve teaching and learning, and boost collaboration, but highlighted that technology should support your interactions with your peers and teaching and support staff, not replace them.
- Accelerating the path from research excellence to impact
- You supported research that brings together different areas of expertise and called for more focus on real-world outcomes and support for students and researchers making a difference.
- A powerhouse of innovation
- You welcomed more opportunities to build entrepreneurship skills, launch your own ideas, and get the support needed to take them forward.
- The university to partner with
- You’re excited about learning through real-world experiences – working with community and global partners to build skills, tackle challenges, and make your education at Manchester more connected to the world around you.
You can read more in-depth feedback on our Digital Ideas Lab.
What’s next?
The Manchester 2035 strategy will launch in October, and you’ll find out more via Student News and the Oxford Road chats on Instagram. But that’s just the beginning. The implementation of the strategy will be a collaborative process too, and there’ll be more chances to get involved in the new academic year.
Want to stay in the loop or read the feedback?
Head over to the Manchester 2035 site to dive into the details and see how your voice is helping shape the future.