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The north-west’s productivity crisis: Causes, challenges and solutions

Kieron Flanagan By Filed Under: All posts, Growth and Inclusion Posted:

The north-west has a long-term productivity problem, with the productivity gap widening over the past 15 years. But there is much that policymakers can do. In this blog, Professor Kieron Flanagan from the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research reflects on findings from the newly released North-West Productivity Forum Green Paper, on the causes of the […]

women looking at laptop

Bridging the digital divide: Greater Manchester schools creating pathways to success

Paul ArmstrongStephen Rayner By , and Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, Education Posted:

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Greater Manchester Combined Authority created the Pathways to Success strategy to support schools to deliver education to vulnerable children during lockdown. In this blog, Dr Paul Armstrong, Dr Stephen Rayner and Emeritus Professor Mel Ainscow reflect on the strategy and explore the opportunities for schools to implement aspects of it […]

picture of man talking at a community forum meeting

Air pollution: a place-based community-centred approach

Sheena Cruickshank By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Health and Care, Urban Posted:

There are major disparities in the impacts of air pollution, with low-income communities facing greater health risks due to higher exposure to air pollutants. In this blog, Professor Sheena Cruickshank, an immunologist and Academic Lead for Public Engagement with Research at The University of Manchester, outlines the disproportionate health effects of air pollution on marginalised […]

picture of woman and child at a market

The economic impact of COVID-19 on ethnic minorities in Manchester

Arkadiusz Wiśniowski By Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Ethnicity, Growth and Inclusion Posted:

Greater Manchester has seen some of the highest rates of COVID-19 and as a result has faced particularly stringent lockdown regulations. With Manchester being one of the most deprived local authorities in England, many neighbourhoods and communities were less resilient to the economic shock caused by the pandemic. In this blog, Dr Arkadiusz Wiśniowski, Senior […]

picture of child walking to school

Critical time to prevent cognitive decline in children and prevent neurodegenerative disease

Martie van Tongeren By Filed Under: All posts, Cities and Environment, Health and Care Posted:

Children and the elderly face a greater risk of negative health effects arising from exposure to air pollution. In this blog, Professor Martie van Tongeren explores the impacts of air pollutant exposure on children’s cognitive performance, working memory and attention control. He highlights policy interventions that can be implemented across schools, local authorities and the […]

Could concrete save the planet? It’s not as crazy as it sounds…

James Baker By Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering, Science and Technology Posted:

The COP26 Climate Conference in Glasgow has been hailed as ‘the last best chance’ to commit nations to the actions needed to mitigate the effects of climate change. In this blog, James Baker, CEO of Graphene@Manchester – explains how a new concrete product, developed at The University of Manchester, could be the solution to a […]

Freight ship with cargo docked at a port.

Is the shipping sector on a collision course on climate?

Alice Larkin By and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Science and Engineering Posted:

In the run-up to the COP26 climate summit in Glasgow, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres has strongly criticised the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) for not doing enough to cut carbon emissions from the shipping sector. He said the sector’s current commitments were consistent with global warming above 3 degrees, whereas the Paris Agreement sets […]

View looking up at skyscrapers in the City of London.

The Pandora Papers: A Pandora’s box for the offshore industry, or a case of ‘as you were’?

Black and white headshot of Prof Nick Lord By , and Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Growth and Inclusion Posted:

The Pandora Papers are the latest data leak offering a glimpse into the ways in which powerful individuals and corporate entities manage their finances with the assistance and direction of third party, professional intermediaries such as company formation agents and trust and company service providers. The data leak consists of just under 12 million files […]

Exploitation in the UK fashion industry: How Government and Industry can work together to fix fashion.

Author photograph By Filed Under: All posts, Science and Engineering Posted:

The rise of ultra-fast fashion is fuelled by over consumption and increasing demand for cheap new items of clothing. Fashion retailers’ requirements for both speed and low cost production has resulted in low wages, illegal migrant workers and more recently a greater risk of exposure to COVID-19. In this blog, Dr Amy Benstead, Lecturer in […]

Bridge in Belfast on a dark night.

The Sex Buyer Law: what can policymakers learn from Northern Ireland?

Head shot of Dr Peter Backus By Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Health and Social Care Posted:

In 2015, Northern Ireland criminalised the purchasing, but not the selling, of sex. A proposal that has become increasingly popular with policymakers across Europe in recent decades. The adoption of this law is a policy of the Scottish National Party and it is currently up for debate in the British Parliament. This new law was […]

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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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