Policy@Manchester Articles

Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

Policy@Manchester Articles
Expert insight, analysis and comment on key public policy issues

A fair assessment? Inclusion and student voice in GCSE assessment

Kevin Woods By , and Filed Under: All posts, Education Posted:

The government’s Curriculum and Assessment Review outlines recommendations to strengthen curriculum and assessment. Its analysis of GCSEs highlights several areas for development. In this article, Dr Hannah Wilkinson, Professor Kevin Woods and Aletia Daly highlight how their research identifies additional issues related to fairness, inclusion and student voice that warrant further consideration to support a […]

Still trash? UK flexible plastic packaging recycling and infrastructural contraction

By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Environment, Urban Posted:

From food packaging to washing detergent pouches, flexible plastic packaging is an increasingly common feature of everyday life. This rising use is commonly explained as part of well-meaning moves to lightweight products, shrink carbon footprints, and reduce the overall use of plastics, but despite these intentions, only a small fraction of flexible plastic packaging is […]

Insulating Robotics from an AI Winter

By Filed Under: All posts, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been promoted as a force that will transform the lives of working people, and the UK government is  trying to position our country  as one of the great AI superpowers. However, the “AI can solve everything” mantra has led to the development of an “AI Bubble”, buoyed by stock market and […]

Scientist or engineer in a lab working on robotics

Compound semiconductors – building UK resilience in a transactional world

Daniel Dyer By and Filed Under: All posts, On Critical Technologies, Science and Technology Posted:

Semiconductors play a key role in our day-to-day lives and are crucial for modern living. They are used to make the computer chips at the heart of smart technology including phones, laptops, cars and planes. The UK has strengths in this technology, however, steps are needed to create greater resilience in supply in light of […]

Responsible technologies: embedding mental wellbeing in design

Headshot of Pawan Srikanth By and Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, Growth and Inclusion, Health and Care Posted:

Emerging technologies – from Artificial Intelligence (AI) and big data to digital platforms, and driverless vehicles – are transforming everyday life in the UK. These innovations promise significant benefits: improving efficiency, reducing resource use, and enabling new jobs and services. Yet alongside their promise, these technologies bring new challenges. Concerns are rising about data privacy, […]

Two surgeons in scrubs looking at a scan on an electronic screen.

Machine-learning in medicine: why data access, education and ‘hybrid intelligence’ matter

Claudia Lindner headshot By Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, On Critical Technologies, Science and Technology Posted:

Technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) hold the potential to modernise health and care provision in the UK and provide innovative solutions to some of the sector’s most pressing challenges. With ongoing debate around the sector’s use of AI, and the government committed to building an NHS fit for the future, the time to discuss the […]

Prioritising equality in the workplace

Miguel Martínez LucioStefania MarinoHolly SmithHeather Connolly By , , and Filed Under: Growth and Inclusion, Urban Posted:

The development of equality and human rights is vital for the way work and employment are structured and organised. Despite the development of the Employment Rights Bill, the UK has not seen a systematic development of equality strategies, with workers’ experiences differing between private and public sectors and a lack of clear and formal legal […]

New towns, new challenges?

By , and Filed Under: All posts, Growth and Inclusion, Urban Posted:

After the last of three waves of new towns were designated, the British new towns project essentially halted in the late 1960s – until now. Government have placed the serious development of new towns firmly back on the agenda with the establishment of a New Towns Taskforce (NTT). In this article, Professor Mark Baker, Sui […]

The right to play: making play a policy and practice priority

Sarah MacQuarrie By , and Filed Under: All posts, Growth and Inclusion, Health and Social Care, Urban Posted:

Policy dialogue around children, young people and education often focuses on either wellbeing or attainment. But play is a fundamental part of childhood and adolescence, recognised as fuelling learning, development and wellbeing. The establishment of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Play could mark a turning point by placing play higher on the political agenda […]

A builder on the roof of a British house on a sunny day, changing the tiles.

Taking a calculated risk: eliminating the embodied carbon of home energy retrofits

Photo of Dr Mithila Achintha By Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Levelling up, Science and Engineering Posted:

Emissions from the construction and use of buildings contribute about 40% of global carbon emissions. As other sectors decarbonise, buildings-related emissions are projected to account for around 90% of global emissions by 2050.  In the UK, four fifths of buildings around today are expected to still be in use in 2050. With the UK having […]

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Articles give the views of the author, and are not necessarily those of The University of Manchester.

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