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Month: July 2016

Universities announce fees of over £9,000 before government approval

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

Even before official approval that universities may set tuition fees above the current £9,000 cap, some higher education institutions have already announced fees above that limit.

Durham, Kent, and Royal Holloway have already advertised fees at £9,250 for undergraduate courses in the 2017/18 year, despite the fact the vote in Parliament is yet to occur—and even if it does, only institutions that can display the highest quality teaching will be able to put fees up.

Other universities are either yet to publish 2017/18 fees or have displayed £9,000 fees with statements they are subject to change dependent on government policy.

Durham’s fee display for the upcoming academic years. Photo: dur.ac.uk

These fees come with the clarification that the £250-a-year increase is subject to changes in the rate of inflation as well as the approval by the government, though they do not appear to reference that their institution would still need to meet set teaching criteria, on the same page.

Students starting their applications for university this coming academic year will therefore be faced with potential fee levels above the current maximum, potentially before the reform has even been passed by the government.

It has been described by the Liberal Democrats’ education spokesman John Pugh as “disgraceful arrogance from some universities.

“They’ve not even shown their plans for linking fee rises to Parliament. So why are they giving universities the impression that they will pass their teaching quality assessment?”

According to Higher Education reform proposals that are being scrutinised and approved by the government at the moment, if a university can display teaching of a high enough standard using a new Teaching Excellence Framework, they will be able to increase their fees in line with inflation.

Gordon Marsden, the Shadow Education Minister, warned that this move could mean there was no limit to which fees could rise. Following the vote to leave the European Union, no guarantee could be made of what level inflation could reach, meaning a “potential for significant rises in fee costs.”

Sally Hunt, UCU General Secretary, said: “Universities advertising increased fees before the law has even been changed is just another blight on the sorry debacle that is the government’s plan for higher education.

“The time surely has now come for the government to stop the Higher Education Bill and think again.

“Those universities foolish enough to advertise higher fees will be doing nothing to quell concerns from students and parents that they are simply after as much cash as they can get.”

A government spokesperson said: “The teaching excellence framework will allow universities to maintain fees in line with inflation only if they meet a quality bar, as set out in the recent higher education White Paper.”

‘Running for their lives’: A Manchester student on the horrors of the Nice attack

Written by Daniel Austin on . Posted in News.

“This is the most relaxed place I’ve been to. It’s just so laid back. Nobody here has a care in the world.”

I was sitting at the Opéra beach on the Promenade des Anglais in Nice waiting for the Bastille Day fireworks display, talking to a Swedish friend, Jon, who I had met that week in the language school we were both attending.

“The climate, the sky, the colours… Everything here is perfect,” he told me. After six months of life as a Niçois, he had determined that this was the only place he could see himself settling down.

The major reason we both agreed that Nice was so pleasant was the people; the weather and culture combine to create a carefree atmosphere in which the vast majority seem naturally happy by default. Locals and tourists sit side-by-side on the beach during the day, and eat together in the same restaurants come the evening. The cynicism, individualism and self-absorption of life in Paris is completely alien here.

Some Spanish classmates who we were supposed to meet were still eating a late dinner, so we arranged to join them afterwards for the celebrations. Heading past the fountain at Place Massena, we passed four soldiers armed with heavy weaponry, the likes of whom are now commonplace across France after last year’s terrorist attacks in Paris and Saint-Denis.

“I’m still not quite used to bumping into people carrying machine guns,” I said.

“At least you know that if anything goes wrong, they’re there to stop it.”

“But it makes you more aware that something might go wrong.”

Photo: Daniel Austin

As it got towards 10pm, when the fireworks were due to begin, we headed up to the Promenade, which was now filled with thousands more people than when we arrived. The first flash of light pierced the pitch black sky and a golden glow fell over the Mediterranean. We stayed to watch and recorded videos to send to friends and family, and a cheer went up as the final illuminations burst into the night and drizzled down onto the sea.

Afterwards were made our way to a nearby bar for one last pint before bed. After thirty seconds or so a few people began to jog past from the direction of the Promenade. Then a few more. Then running. Then sprinting. Then screaming.

Some dove into the bar as quickly as they could and we followed. The bouncer tried to stop any more people entering as it became overcrowded, but he was pushed aside as people began to step over each other in complete desperation. I asked frantically, “What’s happening?” and the only response I got was a scream of “Someone’s there!”

We walked out on to Place Massena once more after deciding to head home, before a surge of hundreds, if not thousands, of people came bolting from behind us, like they were escaping an oncoming lion. Their eyes were wide and the screams were incomprehensible. The vast majority had no certain idea what was happening, yet knew they were running for their lives.

The urge to move as quickly as possible completely took control. My muscles went tense and all conscious thought left my brain as it concentrated on survival—simultaneously the most mortal, fearful, and alive I have ever felt. We dashed through side streets as restaurants pulled down their shutters and residents locked their doors. Once in the safety of our home, we sent messages to relatives and turned on the news to try to establish what exactly had caused such sheer panic.

At first the news was threadbare; rumours of a car crash and gunman dominated the initial drip-feed of information. As the hours ticked on the body count grew and the details became clearer—scores of people had been purposefully run over by a lorry. The total dead reached 60 and the television reporters announced the driver as a 31-year-old French Tunisian living in Nice.

President François Hollande began delivering what must be a nauseatingly familiar speech condemning the violence and pledging to reinforce military efforts in Iraq and Syria. How that is supposed to stop atrocities perpetrated by French nationals in France I’m not sure. The odious Front National leader Marine le Pen used the horror to further her fascist diatribe and call for a declaration of war on Islam. The #PrayForNice hashtags and tricolour filters were dusted off again.

Images and videos began to flood in of the dead lying on the Promenade. I learnt the French word for bowling pins as witnesses began to describe exactly what they had seen. Footage of similar incidents in recent years has desensitised us to incredible levels of gratuitous violence, but watching as people lay in pieces covered by sheets where we and so many others had stood happily in celebration hours beforehand strikes home the revolting reality that this is the real world, not a television show.

Photo: Daniel Austin

Now Nice is left to pick up the pieces. People still mill around and shops remain open, but nowhere near as many as usual. The weather has turned cold. The smiles have been replaced by an air of bewilderment. The colours have faded to grey.

The Promenade is lined for two kilometres with flowers, candles, and soft toys which cover receding pools of blood, slowly fading into the tarmac, each one the last remnants of a human. Was this a woman, a teenage boy, a baby? Where did they come from? What did they do with their lives? Were they happy?

 

The tranquil, amiable city we loved has been irreparably damaged in the most brutal and chaotic way. People left their houses with their loved ones to enjoy a celebration of freedom and equality and returned with their lives changed forever, or did not return at all.

The worst thing is the reality that whether in Nice, France, Europe, or beyond, it is only a matter of time until it happens again.

The Conservatives need a new Iron Lady

Written by Adam Heapy on . Posted in Opinion.

Theresa May will become the next Prime Minister of this country. ‘The safe pair of hands’, according to 199 Conservative MPs; for many, she’s the ideal candidate to steer our country through the turbulent tides of post-Brexit Britain and have her finger on the detonation button of Article 50.

You can sympathise with their reasoning: 19 years of Parliamentary experience and six years as David Cameron’s Home Secretary—she certainly has the credentials, especially when compared to the final, fallen contender, Andrea Leadsom, who is very much a parliamentary infant, with just six years in the Commons under her belt. The neoliberal spine of the Conservative Party, which appeared to develop under Cameron, will no doubt rejoice at the thought of a “progressive”, woman leader to receive the baton. But I wouldn’t celebrate just yet.

May’s rise to become Tory leader in recent weeks, for many, is hardly a surprise; she’s portrayed herself as the grown up, standing up amongst the bickering children: Johnson, the narcissist, and Gove, the political sociopath, both fell short of the mark; and her remaining opponent, “Andrea who?”, the closest UKIP exponent, never really stood a chance against the Conservative heavyweight—her withdrawal or eventual defeat was an inevitable one.

Liberals have heralded the fact that the next Prime Minister of the country will be a woman, for only the second time ever, but in light of such circumstances, it’s important to remember the first.

Now, I’m not claiming that Theresa May is some kind of kitten-heeled reincarnation of Thatcher, but if our second female PM is to be celebrated as a landmark in the fight for social equality, she’ll have to earn her badges; something our first female Prime Minister, in many ways her predecessor, failed to do.

May’s credentials don’t look too great either, certainly in regard to gay rights: In 1998, she voted against equalising the age of consent for gay sex; she was absent for a vote on repealing Section 28—legislation that banned the “promotion” of homosexuality by local government and schools; she said no to same-sex adoption; no to civil partnerships; and she didn’t once bother to turn up to vote on the Gender Recognition Act either. This is the same Theresa May who, up until September 2012, was Minister for Women and Equalities. So, the “progressive” choice, then? Perhaps not.

What about the ‘safe pair of hands’ rhetoric? Don’t be fooled there either. Her six years as Home Secretary were littered with inconsistencies. Take the Modern Slavery Act of 2015, enacted by May’s Home Office. It promised a crackdown on the smuggling of people within the UK (something heralded by liberals in the opposition and her own party), a progressive measure which coincided with a failure to promise protection for domestic workers from slavery, within the very same act.

It gets worse, too. To engage a working class who have become so disenfranchised by the Tories’ austerity measures, May has attempted to paint this picture of empathy and understanding of the troubles and qualms of working families, acting as some kind of pioneer for entrepreneurship. She fails to account how it was this Conservative government—one that she was right at the heart of—that has made the economic situation of the working class far worse, praying upon the poorest and most vulnerable to prop up those at the top: if she’s to win over a disillusioned, anti-establishment working/middle class from falling into the grasps of UKIP, she has to admit to these failures.

The three million EU nationals living in the UK may have cause for concern too, when Theresa May is handed the keys to number 10. She has refused to guarantee their residency here in the UK, when she becomes our new leader. It’s a toxic claim. A claim we would come to expect from the Tory class of old, but from the new ‘liberal-ish’ brand of Conservatism that we’ve had for the past 6 years, it comes as a huge surprise and entirely at variance with the socially progressive persona she loves to ram down peoples throats. A ‘safe pair of hands’ then? Yes!

…Providing that you’re not working or lower-middle class, a foreigner living in the UK, or of a social minority group.

Such potentially ruinous comments also represents one of May’s biggest problems when the inevitable is formalised and she comes Prime Minister: The immigration-economy balancing act when negotiating our EU exit. The Leave campaign put it simply, and at times disgustingly: They wanted to regain sovereignty and control over our own borders. They won, so their demands have to be respected, in the spirit of democracy.

Immigration will always be a divisive issue, but what isn’t is the hope for a prosperous and stable economy, which at the moment seems to be best achieved by accessing the Common Market in Europe. However, the EU links these two things hand-in-hand; you can’t have full access to the Common Market without conceding free movement of EU nationals; something Daniel Hannan, Conservative MEP and passionate Leave campaigner, conveniently revealed just hours after the referendum votes had started to come in.

May—or whoever may lead our country into said negations—needs to get a fair deal for our country, which enables us to avoid economic disaster and also fulfil the promises owed to the 17.5 million who voted Leave, many of whom voted such in hope of tightening up our controls on immigration.

A tough job, no doubt; it is the toughest Prime Minister vacancy to fill since 1942. Having a strong, resilient leader is more important now than it has been in recent memory. Theresa May, at first glance, fits the bill; in Parliament, she’s notoriously authoritative and steady. “A bloody difficult woman,” according to the Conservative establishment, a label she wears proudly.

Again, however, Mrs May’s image is far more translucent. When it comes down to it, she buries her head in the sand: The Passport Agency Crisis in 2014 for example, when the backlog caused hundreds to miss their holidays—no quotes, no interviews, nothing. A similar silence met the Border Force Crisis in 2011.

If she’s to be a successful Prime Minister, she has to stop digging her heels in when it matters, she’ll have nobody to hide behind then.

Whatever your opinion on Thatcher, her boldness is never debated; she was assured and vehement, in both domestic and foreign policy. If May is to successfully guide our country through these unpredictable and irresolute times, she needs to be our Iron Lady, mark II—which, I can assure you, is something I never thought I’d hear myself say.

Apply to join the 2016/17 Editorial Team

Written by The Mancunion on . Posted in Uncategorised.

Applications to join the Editorial Team for 2016/17 are now open. This is your chance to work for the biggest student newspaper in the country and gain authentic journalism experience.

The experience you will gain working for a student print publication will be invaluable and enhance your CV immeasurably. Previous section editors have gone on to careers in the national press, public relations, and broadcast journalism.

All current students at the University of Manchester are able to apply and you don’t necessarily have to have worked for The Mancunion before—our only requirement is a demonstrable passion for journalism.

You have until midnight on the 30th July to apply and we will announce our new team by mid-August.

Please keep in mind that successful applicants will be invited to training days on the 8th and 9th of September, which while not compulsory the training will be comprehensive and highly beneficial to your understanding of your positions requirements and the inner workings of The Mancunion.

To apply, please fill in the application form at the bottom of this page. If you have any questions please don’t hesitate to contact [email protected].

The Mancunion offers a wide range of positions, so whether you’re highly opinionated, a fashionista, a grammar king or queen, or a social media guru we have a positon for you. If you become part of The Mancunion team you will also be welcomed under The Manchester Media Group umbrella and have opportunities to expand your journalism into not just print but also TV and radio through Fuse FM and Fuse TV. If none of that is enough to tempt you into joining us, we also quite like a social and promise that your year in student media will be unforgettable.

 

Positions available are:

Head News Editor
Deputy News Editor

Features Editor
Deputy Features Editor

Head Opinion Editor
Deputy Opinion Editor

Head Music Editor
Deputy Music Editor

Games Editor

Head Fashion Editor
Deputy Fashion Editor
Deputy Fashion Editor (Beauty)

Head Film Editor
Deputy Film Editor

Books Editor

Head Food & Drink Editor
Deputy Food & Drink Editor

Arts Editor

Theatre Editor

Head Lifestyle Editor
Deputy Lifestyle Editor

Head Sport Editor
Deputy Sport Editor

Subeditors

Online Editors – A team in charge of publishing content and improving the design and audience of the website, alongside the Editor and Deputy Editor, and overseeing high quality social media output to ensure we reach a wide student audience.

 

All section editors are expected to work diligently with the rest of Editorial Team to ensure the paper produced weekly is to a consistently high standard.

The role does require a significant amount of time to be committed, but this volunteering time will be printed upon your degree certificate, and will be highly valued by employers. We will also work to help you manage your time effectively to ensure you’re able to create a balance between university work and your editorial commitments.

Section editors are required to run weekly meetings for contributors to attend and pitch stories. They must act as mentors for their contributors and work to engage them in The Mancunion and help them to improve their writing and understanding of journalism. After distributing the articles for that week they must then work to ensure all the content is submitted to our sub editors on time. They then must use InDesign, which they will get thorough training in prior to the first print deadline, to layout their section ready from print every Friday.

Overall we ask that all section editors work enthusiastically and passionately throughout the year to ensure all the editorial staff feel supported and part of a strong team. Our aim is to create quality journalism in an inspiring environment.

Applications are now closed

UCL Cut The Rent achieves £1 million concession

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

Rent strikers at University College London have won a landmark victory, securing a concession of more than £1 million by the university following complaints of sky-high prices and poor conditions.

Following five months of non-payment by more than 1,000 protestors from the UCL Cut The Rent (UCL-CTR) campaign, the university have offered £350,000 of accommodation bursaries in the upcoming academic year, as well as £500,000 in bursaries for 2017/18.

Further rent cuts and freezes of more than 1,200 rooms bring the total package to over £1 million, and UCL promised to waive late payment charges on all unpaid rent settled up by the 24th of June.

The strike began in January with the aim of achieving rent cuts of 40 per cent. Originally the protesters numbered around 150 but this shot up to 1,000 in April. UCL-CTR encouraged and assisted other universities to engage in the strike, as well as carrying out an occupation of university property and disruption of the university’s open day. It was revealed that the median rent had risen by 56 per cent in only seven years.

In March striking students hit back at their treatment by the university, reporting being patronised and receiving threats of eviction. At points throughout the drawn-out campaign UCL has been accused of engaging in “social cleansing”.

In December the university paid a total of £300,000 in compensation to residents of Hawkridge House, which was described as “rat infested” and a “construction site”.

This escalation of the dispute has led to what the campaign describe as the “first step” in achieving more equal and fair rent-setting policy at the university. “UCL­CTR will continue to campaign for this outcome by any means necessary, including fresh waves of rent strikes during the 2016/17 academic year if students deem them required”, says their official statement.

Campaigners see the concession as vindication for the months of pressure they have placed on university management. “This victory marks a shift in power back toward the student. In recent years, students have been forced into protest to defend their status—the rent strike has proven how students can proactively organise and mobilise to get their voice heard and to hold previously unaccountable university management to account”, said Pearl Ahrens, one of the UCL-CTR campaigners.

“UCL’s offer is not the serious commitment to improving accessibility to education that is required at the institution, but it is a vindication of our tactics,” said Iida Käyhkö, another campaigner. “Universities are ignoring their social responsibility and exploiting students with extremely high rents—if they don’t listen now, they can expect to see an increasing number of students on rent strike in the coming years. Direct radical action is the future for student housing campaigns.”

UCL Vice-Provost Rex Knight said: “We welcome this outcome, which has come about as a result of positive negotiations between UCL, UCLU and UCL-CTR campaign. From the outset we have appreciated that affordability is a big issue for our students, and a challenge for a university based in the heart of central London. The new bursaries we have announced will make a significant difference to all students in greatest need, and will help ensure that UCL remains an institution open to all.”

Assessing Manchester United’s transfer window so far

Written by Magnus Henderson on . Posted in Sport.

Manchester United, over the past three seasons, have been the butt of the joke when it comes to transfer windows. Ever since the promotion of Woodward to overseer of transfers in 2013, the club has been used by players (Ramos, Fabregas) to engineer themselves expensive new contracts at their respective clubs. There was also the nightmare of Moyes’ first window where Fellaini, the only purchase that window, was signed on transfer deadline day for a reported £27.5 million. Van Gaal was infamous for having spent £250 million whilst at United, with not much actual improvement to the squad. Woodward is not a very popular character with the United fan base, for obvious reasons.

However, the former JP Morgan investment banker has pulled his finger out in the past few weeks. Whether this is the ‘Mourinho factor’ coming into play already, or Woodward feeling the heat from two failed managerial appointments and many unsuccessful signings, the impact seems to be positive. United have already signed Eric Bailly and Zlatan Ibrahimović, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan’s transfer only needing official confirmation. Whilst this not job done, these are large steps in the right direction.

The capture of Zlatan Ibrahimović, the most renowned, for free, shows real purpose. He has just completed his most prolific campaign to date, and has the winning mentality and motivation which matches Mourinho’s. He adds quality on the pitch and a real presence off it too. The Swede is a physical specimen, thought to be still in his prime at 34 years old, allowing potential negative comparison with a certain Wayne Rooney (30). Martial and Rashford will both learn much from the experienced front man.

Expectations cannot be too high however. Whilst Zlatan has just had his most successful season, it must be taken into consideration that the level of opposition in Ligue 1 is nowhere near as challenging as that in the Premier League. The Swede said himself that “we [PSG] decide when to win, we decide when to score”. The English top division really can be the most unpredictable and challenging competition, the success of Leicester City’s last campaign the latest example. Another potential hiccup in the acquisition of Zlatan is also the dangerous combination of egos (Mourinho and Ibrahimović’s) at the ‘biggest club in the world’, and how much these egos could have negative effects on the promising careers of Rashford, Martial, Depay and so on.

All in all, the acquisition of Ibrahimović is a statement: Manchester United can still attract the biggest names in the business, despite not qualifying for the Champions League. Mkhitaryan is further evidence. The Armenian midfielder had the best season of his career at Borussia Dortmund last year, chalking up 21 goals and 20 assists in 50 appearances across all competitions. While Mourinho is not as obsessed with multi-functional players as Van Gaal was, Mkhitaryan can play, and play well, in almost any position in midfield and attack. The thought of United paying £26 million for the Armenian when Liverpool splashed out £34 million for Southampton’s Sadio Mané will bring smiles to the Old Trafford frequents.

The transfer which understandably brings the least amount of excitement to United fans is the purchase of Eric Bailly. At a reported £30 million, the former Villarreal defender was unquestionably expensive. It is not an exaggeration to say the majority of United fans had never heard of Bailly before the transfer. However, upon closer inspection, and after a few chats with some football nerds, Bailly is a player who has impressed in the last campaign. He is tall, quick and strong, and, most importantly, young. At 22 years of age, Mourinho has time to iron out the deficiencies in his game, such as his lack of discipline.

Whilst each of these transfers have their merits and drawbacks, the most important thing to note is that United are addressing problem areas. Zlatan adds to the worryingly young strike force of Rashford and Martial, Mkhitaryan fills the right-wing gap that has inadequately been Mata’s for the last two seasons, and Bailly will displace the shaky Blind at centre-half. There are two, probably three, areas still to address however. With it being likely that Jones and Blind will see the exit door this summer, a top class defender is needed to rotate with Smalling and Bailly at the back. Darmian’s position, right back, may also be in question after a poor second half of the season and Euros campaign. And finally, a bruiser in midfield is a characteristic of Mourinho’s sides, something which United currently lack.

The speculation that United have tabled a £80 million plus offer for Juventus’ Paul Pogba is exciting, but unfortunately not very realistic. There are three crucial reasons why seeing Pogba back at United is unlikely. Firstly, Manchester United are currently the second richest club in the world, behind Real Madrid who are also interested in Pogba. If push comes to shove between the two clubs, not only are Real wealthier, they also have an ace in the hole with Morata, a player Juventus are keen to recapture after Los Blancos activated their buy-back clause. Secondly, there is the draw of Madrid. They have arguably the most star-studded team in the world, and to be a part of that group is fine praise indeed. There is only one clear winner when compared with United, who have in the last three years struggled to challenge for Champions League football, let alone titles. Thirdly, and finally, Manchester United were the club who foolishly let go of the talented youngster in 2012, after Ferguson failed to integrate the player into the first team. Now, four years on, Pogba probably looks back at leaving United as the best decision of his career. I doubt he would want to rush back in any hurry.

A more realistic target to fill the ‘midfield bruiser’ role is Pogba’s international teammate, Blaise Matuidi. The Frenchman has been a mainstay in the PSG side for many years and effective for his national side at this summer’s Euros. With the giant French club having recently signed Polish holding midfielder Krychowiak from Sevilla, the door has seemingly been left open for Matuidi to fly to England to discuss his future. Another link drawn between Matuidi and Manchester United is his (super) agent, Mino Raiola. Other clients of Raiola are, you guessed it, Ibrahimović and Mkhitaryan. More dots are connecting day by day, and it only seems like a matter of time before speculation becomes reality. Raiola does, of course, represent Pogba too; however, Matuidi looks like the more acquirable play.

The transfer window is picking up pace, with big moves occurring daily and speculation of bigger moves written about even more often. United have made a promising start, but if Ibrahimović wants to win the league title in his first season at Manchester United—like he has at all his previous clubs—he needs to hope Woodward and Mourinho keep up the good work. There are still some Van Gaal-sized holes needing filling in the squad before United look to realistically make a challenge for the title, most notably in the defence and midfield.

Brexit begins to take its toll on British research

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

It seems the consequences of the vote to leave the EU on research at British universities are already beginning to take effect, as academics from UK universities report more distant treatment by their European colleagues.

Academics from Bristol, Durham, Exeter, Oxford and Cambridge told BBC Newsnight that European researchers have become reluctant to form teams to bid for funding in cutting-edge areas of development.

Despite the fact that the country has not yet left the EU and even upon leaving could be a member of the European Research Network, the uncertainty over Britain’s future has led to academics being asked to retract funding applications.

Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University Chris Husbands said: “In an international environment, you bid [for funding] in international teams. Since the referendum result, of the 12 projects that we have working on for submission for an end of August deadline, on four of those projects researchers in other European countries have said that they no longer feel that the UK should be a partner because they don’t have confidence in what the future is going to hold.

“Leaving the EU doesn’t necessarily mean being outside the European Research Network. Norway, Switzerland, they are part of the European Research Network, and it may be that there’s where we end up.

“But it’s not where we are now and in that uncertainty people are making decisions about what might happen—and like all people planning for the future, they’re planning on a worst-case scenario.”

According to Universities UK, an estimated 60 per cent or more of the UK’s international research partners are from EU countries. The vote to leave will introduce more impediments to the funding and execution of work by academics hoping to work with international colleagues.

University VCs have also reported current and prospective staff members deciding not to maintain or take up positions at their universities, deciding instead to find employment in a country still in the EU.

Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Manchester, said: “The University of Manchester is, and will remain, not just a UK, but also a global university that embraces staff and students, and academic and business partnerships from across the world. It is particularly important at this time that we welcome and support our current and future colleagues and students from Europe and other continents and show them how much they are valued.

“I know from the many messages that I have received since [the result was announced], that the referendum outcome is cause for concern and some distress for many staff and students, particularly those who are nationals of other EU countries and/or who hold grants or are working in partnerships with other EU agencies or institutions.

“Until we are informed about any detailed Government plans, it is not possible to predict precise consequences or to offer any concrete assurances.”

Rothwell will be holding a consultation regarding the implications of the Brexit vote at 9:30am on Thursday the 14th of July in Lecture Theatre B of the Simon Building.

Emma Atkins replaces Michael Spence as Education Officer

Written by Charlie Spargo on . Posted in News.

A new Education Secretary has started her tenure at the Students’ Union, following the sudden resignation of re-elected officer Michael Spence.

Michael Spence served as Education Officer at the University of Manchester Students’ Union from July 2015 and was re-elected in March with 1,738 votes.

He ran on a platform of continuing to fight against additional course costs and subject closures, campaigning for better course representation, and introducing ‘Education Surgeries’.

It was recently announced he would not continue in the position “after a period of reflection”.

Emma Atkins, who came second to Spence in March’s elections with 1,342 votes, was offered the position soon after. As the resignation came so late in the academic year, it was decided a by-election would be “impractical”, according to the Students’ Union.

Atkins, who ran under the slogan ‘Game of Loans’, promised more communication and information sharing between departments, workshops to learn life skills, and improving the value for money of education at Manchester.

She joins re-elected Naa Acquah and new starters Ilyas Nagdee, Sorcha Floyd, Saffa Mir, Izzy Gurbuz, Jenni Smyth and Tamara O’Neill on the Exec Team.

“Emma has a clear mandate from our students to take up the role and will do so with the other officers from 1 July 2016”, said the Union in its official announcement.

“During his time at the Students’ Union, Michael has achieved great things in office. In a challenging year for Higher Education, he has played a key role locally and nationally in forming a response to the consultation of the Government’s recent Green Paper and the changes being proposed.

“Emma is due to graduate in German and Spanish and has been involved in a number of educational related activities with the Students’ Union including outreach work teaching English to parents of pupils in schools.

“The rest of the team are looking forward to working alongside Emma as they prepare to embark on the academic year ahead.”

What is Anthony Martial’s best position?

Written by Magnus Henderson on . Posted in Sport.

Anthony Martial hit the ground running in his debut season for Manchester United. Much was made about the Frenchman’s price tag and age, especially The Sun who led with the headline What a Waste of Money the day after his arrival. Martial has proved his critics wrong and was widely believed to be United’s second-best performer last campaign, behind shot-stopper David De Gea, earning himself his own brilliant chant from the United faithful.

At 20 years old, the future looks bright for Anthony Martial, but with the emergence of Marcus Rashford and the highly anticipated transfer of Zlatan Ibrahimović, what role will Martial play in the Manchester United team? The question is much more complicated than it first seems.

Martial is, by trade, a striker. His first few matches for United showed that. Ice cold finishes against Liverpool and Southampton both came when Martial played as a lone forward. His diving header against CSKA Moscow showed that he also has good aerial ability.

There are a few problems however, with the Frenchman taking up the central forward role. After United’s dismal 0-0 draw with PSV in the group stages of the Champions League, Scholes criticised Martial’s attitude: “He doesn’t look bothered if he misses a chance, he doesn’t look bothered if he scores a goal. As a centre forward, all you live for is scoring goals, all you want to do is score goals”.

While Scholes’ comments were greeted with anger on social media from United fans, the former Red has a point. Martial is prone to becoming isolated when playing as the lone striker and is often crowded out by more physical defenders. His movement off the ball is not as effective or subtle as Rooney’s or Rashford’s either. Martial is a player who lights up the pitch when he has the ball at his feet and space in front of him, but opposition defences quickly wised up to this and tightly marked the Frenchman out of games.

With almost all successful teams nowadays playing with a central striker and flanked by two wide forwards—excluding the anomalous Leicester City—there are players other than Martial to consider for the role. Marcus Rashford’s meteoric rise has shown that he is more than capable; seven goals and two assists from 13 central appearances emphatically surpass Martial’s three goals and two assists from 18 games leading the line. If the rumours are true, and Ibrahimović will be gracing the Old Trafford turf next season, it seems likely that Rashford and Zlatan will be contesting the central role.

The other position Martial seems to fit pretty snugly is on the left wing. Due to Van Gaal’s determination to play Rooney as the central striker for much of the season, Martial was shoved out on the left for the majority of the campaign. However, like many of Van Gaal’s decisions, this move seems to have accidentally benefitted the team.

The role highlighted another one of the Frenchman’s key attributes, his incredible close-control dribbling when running at speed. His debut goal against Liverpool came from picking up the ball on the left wing and dribbling inside. The incredible winner against Everton in the FA Cup semi-final was a similar situation; Martial cut in from the left and played a smart one-two with Herrera before slotting the ball past Robles.

As mentioned earlier, Martial is at his most dangerous when the ball is at his feet and there is space in front of him. On the left, with modern fullbacks so often playing high up the pitch, Martial is granted that space which he so often exploits.

A trademark move of his is to gain possession on the left side of the opposition’s penalty area and, instead of cutting in on his strong foot, taking the ball to the goal line and squaring the ball to the penalty spot for an easy tap in for his attacking team mate. Classic examples are his assists to Fellaini in the FA Cup semi-final and to Giroud in an international friendly against Germany in November.

The impact Martial has on the left wing are highlighted by WhoScored.com’s rating system: While playing at ‘attacking midfield left’ Martial has a rating of 7.29 and while at ‘midfield left’ 7.53. These clearly outdo his rating as a ‘forward centre’ of 6.74.

But again, like playing Martial as a striker, there are factors which could be detrimental to him playing on the left. For starters, he is not renowned for his defensive contribution which is often needed when playing on the wing. The only time Martial is freed from the burden of tracking back is when he is on the left of a front three. Mourinho, unfortunately, has shown his preferred formation to be a 4-2-3-1, meaning that Martial would have to work hard defensively if playing wide.

A second, although far less threatening factor is the return from injury of Luke Shaw. Before breaking his leg against PSV last year, Shaw struck up an impressive connection with Memphis Depay on the left hand side and his return may see Depay in the starting 11 more often, in an attempt to rekindle that partnership. The problem with this theory, however talented Depay may be, is that Martial is clearly the better player. Depay is also likely to have a worse attitude towards defensive contribution, seeing him standing out of favour with Mourinho.

With all aspects considered, it seem favourable that the left side of midfield is more suited to Martial’s skill set. In the freak occurrence that both Rashford and Zlatan are injured, Martial can do a job leading the United attack. However, the Frenchman still has much to learn if he wants to play centrally on a consistent basis.