Paul Starkey, Marketing Manager, University of Manchester
The workshop series International Dialogue on Education Berlin is a joint initiative of the British Council Germany, the German Academic Exchange Service, the German-American Fulbright Commission, the Australian Group of Eight and the Canadian Bureau for International Education in Berlin.
Through the contributions of international participants the series aims to enrich the debate on science, research and higher education policy in Germany, to place German perspectives in a global context and to learn from positive examples from other countries.
Paul Starkey, Marketing Manager, University of Manchester
Paul Starkey
Following the publication of a government white paper on Higher Education in the 2001, two of the UK's most prestigious Universities, UMIST and the Victoria University of Manchester, which had a history of academic collaboration and occupied neighbouring campuses in Manchester City Centre began to discuss ways in which they could work closer together. In early 2003 a full merger of these institutions was announced.
This merger presented an unprecedented opportunity in UK higher education: to build a compelling and distinctive brand born out of strength and confidence. While defining and promoting the new institution and helping build a common sense of purpose was the immediate concern, the real opportunity resided in establishing a new, truly world-class institution and brand to support it.
This workshop will explore some of the reasoning why the University decided to embark on the most detailed and thoughtful brand development exercises ever carried out in British Higher Education, the process of developing the brand and its implementation and how this work ultimately contributed to the development of the Manchester 2015 Strategic Plan, an ambitious agenda to transform the face of UK higher education forever.
Five years down the line, we will look at how successful this work has been and how the University is working to build a sustainable brand and reputation beyond 2015.
