Our shared priorities 

A Collective Commitment to Greater Manchester

Greater Manchester’s universities have agreed four shared priorities that guide how we work together across the city-region. These were developed with the GMCA and shaped by residents through the Greater Manchester Citizens’ Panel.

Together, these priorities set out how we will support a fairer, greener, healthier and more prosperous Greater Manchester.

Our shared priorities

Through the Greater Manchester Civic University Agreement, we are focusing on four shared priorities – areas where we can make the biggest difference by working together and combining our strengths:

Explore Our Priorities

OPPORTUNITY & PROSPERITY

HEALTH & WELLBEING

CULTURE

ENVIRONMENT

Opportunity & Prosperity

Objective: Drive inclusive economic growth by supporting education, skills development, lifelong learning and innovation and ensuring good jobs. Increasing access and opportunities for all people to learn, progress, and develop, fostering a thriving, inclusive and productive economy in all parts of Greater Manchester.

We Will:

  • Strengthen the skills needed for innovation and sustainable growth.

  • Increase access to higher education and lifelong learning.

  • Improve pathways through further and higher education across the city-region.

  • Support students through joint work on housing, participation and inclusive employment.

  • Use university research to drive growth in key sectors and widen opportunity for all communities.

HEALTH & WELLBEING

ENVIRONMENT

Objective: Promote healthy lives, with quality care available for those that need it by supporting health, mental health, and social care initiatives.

We Will:

  • Strengthen universities’ role in supporting the health and wellbeing of staff, students and local communities.

  • Ensure universities are inclusive, supportive places to work and study.

  • Help reduce clinical skills gaps and support new health technologies and approaches.

  • Contribute to efforts to prevent and reduce health inequalities across Greater Manchester.

  • Improve access to timely mental health and wellbeing support for students.

  • Grow creative and arts-based approaches that enhance health and wellbeing.

culture

Objective: Enhance Greater Manchester’s global reputation as a vibrant cultural city region by leveraging creative and cultural assets to ensure access to high quality culture and leisure for all, drive economic growth, skills development and strengthen local community identity.

We Will:

  • Strengthen Greater Manchester’s creative and cultural sector and support inclusive participation.

  • Respond to the skills needs of the creative economy through teaching and research.

  • Support new creative businesses and talent across the city-region.

  • Expand opportunities for communities to engage with university cultural institutions and research.

environment

Objective: Align research, innovation, education and operations activity to promote sustainability, reduce carbon usage and build resilience to environmental challenges, thereby contributing to Greater Manchester’s transformation into a green-city region.

We Will:

  • Support Greater Manchester’s 2038 net zero target by reducing carbon across our estates and operations.

  • Embed sustainability throughout education, skills and research.

  • Contribute to a just transition and help build the skills needed for a green economy.

  • Enhance biodiversity and green space on our campuses to improve the environment and wellbeing.