The Museum of Science and Industry celebrated the success of Manchester as European City of Science with a reception on 25th October 2016. It was attended by Sir Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester Council; Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester; Trustees of the Science Museum Group (SMG); Members of the Museum of Science and Industry (MSI) Advisory Board; Partner organisations from the Manchester Science Festival and guests. The occasion also marked the conferring of a Science Museum Group Fellowship, by SMG Chairman Dame Mary Archer, on Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell to mark the city’s hugely successful year as European City of Science.
Dame Nancy was nominated and elected in recognition of her distinguished contribution to public engagement with science, particularly in Greater Manchester, and as an advocate for women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. She joins a distinguished set of Science Museum Group Fellows who include astronaut Helen Sharman; scientist and environmentalist James Lovelock; English geneticist, and Chief Executive of the Francis Crick Institute, Sir Paul Nurse and Her Majesty the Queen.
About Professor Dame Nancy Rothwell
As well as being President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester since July 2010, Nancy is a distinguished physiologist, Co-Chair of the Council for Science and Technology and previous President of the Royal Society of Biology. In September 2016, she become the President of The British Science Association (BSA).
She led Manchester’s bid to secure the EuroScience Open Forum (ESOF), which had never been held in the UK before. This then led to the city’s designation as European City of Science 2016. Since then she has been the Champion of ESOF and supported the work that went into producing the events that have happened throughout the year, attracting thousands to the city to celebrate Manchester’s scientific heritage and more recent scientific advancements.
“I am delighted to have been elected as a Fellow of the Science Museum Group, and I would like to thank the Trustees for this honour. This is a hugely exciting time for public engagement with science, and I have been particularly privileged to play a role in championing and supporting Manchester’s role as European City of Science and host for the EuroScience Open Forum, ”said Dame Nancy, “I know that there will be a strong legacy for the city region in terms of continuing to engage young people and the wider public with STEM subjects, and I look forward to supporting this.”
Highlights of the year’s City of Science programme have included the Great Science Share where young people from 77 schools across Greater Manchester took the lead in sharing they science they enjoy; the Manchester Robot Orchestra; the week-long Science in the City festival; partner citizen science projects #BritainBreathing and Cloudy with a Chance of Pain, and a number of major exhibitions and events including Wonder Materials: Graphene and Beyond at the Museum of Science and Industry, The Imitation Game at Manchester Art Gallery and Climate Control at Manchester Museum, as well as a science themed Manchester Day Parade – events which were seen by a total of half a million people.
For further details visit http://manchestersciencecity.com/