The University of Manchester has entered a partnership with Microsoft to become the world’s first university to provide its 65,000 students and colleagues with equitable access to the full Microsoft 365 Copilot AI suite, alongside training to support effective use.
This exciting partnership supports our strategic ambition of becoming digital inside and out, supporting colleagues and students to improve their skills and work more effectively. It builds on Manchester’s 76-year AI legacy, from Alan Turing to today’s ground-breaking research, positioning the University as a leader in ethical, responsible AI adoption.
As a student, you’ll be able to use it to support your studies (of course, within our existing AI usage guidelines) as we know that many of you are already becoming familiar with the benefits of AI tools.
Universal access will help address the emerging digital divide by ensuring that all of you can benefit from advanced assistive and productivity tools, regardless of personal means.
Employers increasingly expect graduates to be confident users of AI technologies; through access to Microsoft 365 Copilot and training, you will be well prepared for the modern workplace, in whatever direction your degree may take you!
We know that sustainability and environmental considerations come hand-in-hand with AI and are hugely mindful of this, especially as a University with sustainability at its heart. Microsoft’s long-standing commitments to sustainability were an important consideration for us in partnering with them. These include being committed to becoming carbon negative, water positive and zero waste by 2030.
As you would expect, we will also be working closely with the Students’ Union, our trade unions and staff networks as we progress with our planning and subsequent rollout, to be completed by this summer.
Amrit Dhillon, Faculty of Science and Engineering Executive Officer for the University’s Students’ Union, said: “Having access to this free, equitable AI platform from a sector-leading company will be an amazing aid to revision and translation. It will help students thrive.”
But she also acknowledged the need for appropriate use policies and training support to ensure that students use AI “ethically and responsibly”.
Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, said: “AI is now part of everyday life. Our responsibility is not only to make these tools available to all our students and staff on an equitable basis, but to use the depth of expertise across our university to shape how AI is developed and applied for public good.
“By embracing the AI transformation early, we are working with students, colleagues and partners to maximise the benefits and manage risks responsibly. The great universities of the 21st century will be digitally enabled – this partnership represents a significant step on that journey for Manchester.”
Professor Jenn Hallam, Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students, said: “Every student deserves access to the best AI tools to enable them to thrive in their studies – no matter their circumstances or background. AI is an enabler for teaching and learning, not a replacement. It’s not just supportive in the classroom, but in wider productivity and future life skills and we’re giving students the tools and training to use it in the right way, ethically and appropriately. We’re not just preparing graduates who can go out and get good jobs, we’re preparing the next generation of citizens. That’s the mission of Manchester – you’ll get a great degree, but we’ll also prepare you for a fast-changing world.”
Patrick Parkinson, Head of Research for the University of Manchester’s School of Natural Sciences, said: “To meet the major challenges of the 21st Century, we’re increasingly going to be doing interdisciplinary research. This means being on top of lots and lots of different fields all at the same time.
“As a researcher in photonic materials, M365 Copilot’s really going to make a difference, enabling me to stay on top of the huge flow of information coming from fields in materials, photonics, physics and engineering applications to meet some of the greatest challenges when building large, interdisciplinary teams.”
Expect more news over the coming weeks.