Social responsibility
We encourage postgraduate research students to contribute to the University's strategic goal of social responsibility.
Engaging our communities
Public engagement describes the many ways in which you can communicate with and share your research with the public. It is a two-way process involving interaction and listening, with the goal of generating mutual benefit.
There are resources and case studies on different aspects of public engagement on the University's Public Engagement at Manchester website. Monthly informal events about public engagement are held for University staff and students. You can also join an email group to keep up to date with public engagement events, opportunities and resources.
To find out more about Faculty/School-specific events, please contact your School lead for public engagement or the Faculty lead, Hawys Williams (hawys.williams@manchester.ac.uk).
Environmental sustainability
Many of the Faculty's postgraduate researchers engage with the University's environmental sustainability initiatives.
These range from implementing more sustainable practices in their research areas through local Green Impact teams, to individually committing to reducing their carbon footprints through greener commutes to campus.
Sustainability at the Doctoral Academy
The Doctoral Academy is part of a wider Green Impact team based in Simon Building, off Brunswick Park. We achieved the Bronze Award in 2018 and are currently working towards achieving Silver in autumn 2019.
As a largely student-facing team, here are some of the examples of greener practices we are now engaged in through the Green Impact initiative:
- reducing food waste by providing compostable vegware cartons at our catered events for attendees to take away food, and encouraging students to bring their own containers;
- providing entirely vegetarian food at the majority of our student-facing events since 2018;
- giving away free reusable coffee mugs to all students when they hand in their thesis;
- giving away reusable tote bags made from entirely eco fabric to new students;
- improving recycling points in our offices and mapping out local ones;
- including a Green Segment in the weekly PGR bulletin, which reaches 1,300 students;
- promoting positive Green Impact issues via Twitter – tag us @FBMH_DocAcad.
PGR cyclists
All staff and postgraduate researchers are entitled to free access to the secure cycle shelters on campus.
If you are a cyclist, or are thinking about cycling in, check out the University Manchester Bicycle Users Group (UMBUG) and sign up to their newsletter, where you'll hear about plenty of upcoming initiatives including the free monthly breakfast for cyclists and runners.
Learn more about Active Travel on the Environmental Sustainability website.
If you have been impressed by a PGR student's commitment to sustainability at the University or in the wider community, please consider nominating them for the Making a Difference Awards.