Engaging the public with our research

Public engagement at Manchester Met

We are proud of our connection to Manchester, and we aim to make a big contribution to life in the city.

Our ambition is to discover knowledge and share it with the world, and to make this happen, we have to be accessible to the public. 

As part of our ongoing commitment to public engagement we:

• signed the National Co-ordinating Centre for Public Engagement (NCCPE) Manifesto for Public Engagement
• committed to the Concordat for Engaging the Public with Research and UK Research and Innovation’s Vision for Public Engagement
• are a member of the United Nation’s (UN) Academic Impact Network, making sure that our engagement is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goals
• received the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for the impact of our public engagement with poetry and community languages

Partnership initiatives

We have learned from the experience of working with the community in a number of high-profile partnership initiatives.

Between 2006 and 2008, we were a partner in the award-winning £3.2m Urban Regeneration: Making a Difference project. We led on community engagement and testing modes of delivery across more than 50 innovative university-community partnership projects.

From 2008 to 2012, we were a partner in the £1.2m Manchester Beacon, in collaboration with Manchester’s universities and the Museum of Science and Industry. The Beacon attempted to change the way universities recognise and promote public engagement. 

Learning from these projects has enabled us to contribute to the national agenda through interaction with NCCPE and others.  

We understand that the design and impact of our research is improved by sustained engagement with the people who will be involved with and affected by it. We believe in responsible research and innovation, and will continue to do everything we can to push the boundaries of what is possible.