Study highlights rise of ‘authoritarian peacemaking’ and its implications for Ukraine

As Donald Trump’s White House places huge pressure on Ukraine to sign a peace deal, a team of experts has published a new study examining what they describe as a worldwide shift towards “authoritarian peacemaking” - a model of conflict resolution shaped not by international institutions or liberal democracies, but by authoritarian and semi-authoritarian states whose interests lie in control, influence and geopolitical advantage rather than long-term solutions.The study, set…

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EXPERT COMMENT: Isn’t it time we ditched Black Friday for something that actually matters?

It’s everywhere. In our inboxes, through the letterbox, on billboards during the commute, and plastered across every social media feed. Black Friday is coming.Some of us approach it like a military operation, determined to get all the Christmas shopping done in one go.But many of us also recognise that uneasy feeling that comes with the frenzy — that sense, as Lily Allen sings in The Fear, of becoming a “weapon…

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Research calls for “sportswashing” rethink amid FIFA Peace Prize rumours

As global attention turns to rumours that FIFA may award a new “Peace Prize” to US President Donald Trump later next month, new research has argued that public debates about politics and sport need far more nuance than the familiar narratives of “sportswashing” allow.Two new open-access journal articles by Dr Vitaly Kazakov have challenged popular assumptions about how political actors use sport to shape global opinion - and, crucially, how…

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New hope for children with devastating rare genetic disorder, thanks to world-first research in Manchester

The parents of a three-year-old boy born with a devastating, life-limiting genetic condition say they are now excited for his future after he received a revolutionary stem cell gene therapy treatment developed by researchers at the University of Manchester.In February this year, Oliver (Ollie) Chu, was treated for Hunter syndrome in a clinical study being delivered at Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital (RMCH) in collaboration with the Manchester Centre for Genomic…

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Most people are happy to do their own hearing tests at home – could it relieve pressure on the NHS?

If the NHS recommended it, would people test their own hearing at home and use self-fitting hearing aids?A survey of over 2,000 adults found that nine in every ten said yes, they’d be willing to test their own hearing. Most also said they’d try a hearing aid sent by the NHS – either ready programmed or requiring them to set it up themselves.Currently, the NHS route involves GPs referring patients…

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Are peanut allergies actually declining?

Peanut allergy is one of the most common food allergies, affecting between 1% and 2% of people living in the west. And, for many years, their prevalence has been rising.But a recent study out of the US shows that the rate of peanut allergy diagnoses in infants has actually declined. It appears this decline may be due to changes in allergy guidelines – highlighting the importance of introducing this common…

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Rajasthan and Manchester launch global health and education partnership

The Manchester team met with Indian business and academic partners and shared the work the University has led in the state to help identify other possible collaborative education and research projects.Planned early projects will address mental health and wellbeing among youth, rural communities, and frontline law-enforcement and healthcare workers.As part of the visit, the Manchester team visited the Rajasthan Police Academy where they met the Director to hear about the…

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Psychedelics might help terminal patients find peace

In clinical trials around the world, a surprising treatment is showing promise for people with terminal illnesses: psychedelic therapy.For many, the hardest part of dying isn’t physical pain but the fear, anxiety and sense of meaninglessness that often accompany it. While palliative care in the UK is rightly praised for easing pain and managing symptoms, patients’ emotional and spiritual suffering is often less well addressed.Standard treatments – such as antidepressants,…

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Study exposes cancer care deficit for patients with learning disabilities

People in England with a learning disability have a higher risk of cancer, especially before age 50 , according to a study by researchers from The University of Manchester and The ChristieNHS Foundation Trust . Their symptoms are investigated less often, they receive less treatment, and have a poorer prognosis according to the study funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Greater Manchester Patient Safety Research Collaboration…

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Remembering Dr Lee Kai Hung CBE DL 1935 – 2025

“If there is no dialogue, there is no understandingIf there is no understanding, there is no trustIf there is no trust, there is no harmonyIf there is no harmony, there is no peace” ~Dr Lee Kai Hung~It is with deep sadness that we have learnt about the passing of Dr Lee Kai Hung CBE DL, a close friend, wise advisor and Honorary Graduate of The University of Manchester. Dr Lee was…

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The University of Manchester launches £400m global fundraising and volunteering campaign to tackle the world’s biggest challenges

The campaign reflects the University's role as a great civic university for the 21st century in the digital age. By connecting brilliant people to work together - academics, students, partners, alumni and civic leaders - the University will deliver real-world change, both locally in Manchester and globally.Professor Brian Cox, Professor of Particle Physics and Royal Society Professor for Public Engagement in Science at The University of Manchester, is a Challenge…

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Blackpool FC welcomes Sadler Bursary scholars from The University of Manchester for matchday experience

Eight University of Manchester students, who are care-experienced recipients of the Sadler Bursary, were welcomed to Bloomfield Road for a unique matchday experience as Blackpool FC played Cardiff City on Saturday 8th November.The visit was made possible by alumnus and Blackpool FC owner, Simon Sadler, whose £1.5 million philanthropic gift has enabled the University to launch a transformative bursary programme for care-experienced students.The Sadler Bursary provides an annual grant of…

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The Post Office: an emblem of the UK’s relationship with the state, sliding into dystopia

The Horizon scandal, which led to the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of subpostmasters, has severely dented the public’s perception of the Post Office as an institution. Against this backdrop, branch closures are planned across the Post Office network. These further cuts to a system already struggling can only do further harm to the sense that well-resourced public services could and should play a central role in everyday life. In my…

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Russia’s covert propaganda network is largely ineffective, new study finds

A study led by The University of Manchester which examined the extent and effectiveness of Russian state-sponsored online propaganda efforts has found that - despite significant investment - the Kremlin's attempts to influence Western media and public opinion are largely failing. Focusing the recent EU elections, researchers analysed the output of five outlets with confirmed Kremlin sponsorship, and uncovered a network of websites and social media accounts designed to mimic…

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I’ve studied organisational failure for decades – the Church of England needs more than a new leader

Cary Cooper, Professor of Organisational Psychology and Health In a book I wrote with a colleague on organisational failures (The Apology Impulse) the inability of many of them to confront their failures, except to say a meaningless “we’re sorry”, is legend. We highlighted the many cases of organisations in the private and public sector apologising profusely for a high-profile failure, but not taking any personal or organisational responsibility for it.…

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Study shows links between social media use, unhealthy lifestyles and teenage wellbeing

A new study from The University of Manchester has highlighted a link between social media use, unhealthy lifestyles and wellbeing in young people, with those with the healthiest lifestyles experiencing the highest wellbeing. The research, led by Dr Chris Knowles and a team of experts from the Manchester Institute of Education, as part of the #BeeWell programme, analysed the habits of nearly 18,500 Year 8 students from Greater Manchester. Findings…

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104,000 panel solar farm set to power The University of Manchester

The University of Manchester has signed a landmark new deal that will see up to 65% of its electricity demand supplied through a brand-new renewables project. In a major move towards achieving its 2038 zero carbon ambitions, the University has partnered with leading UK clean energy company Enviromena to buy electricity generated from its brand-new solar farm based in Medebridge, Essex. Once complete, Medebridge Solar Farm will comprise 104,000 solar…

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World’s purest silicon brings scientists one step closer to scaling up quantum computers

Ravi Acharya, a PhD researcher who performed experimental work in the project, explained: "The great advantage of silicon quantum computing is that the same techniques that are used to manufacture the electronic chips — currently within an everyday computer that consist of billions of transistors — can be used to create qubits for silicon-based quantum devices. The ability to create high quality Silicon qubits has in part been limited to…

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Hope and optimism on the rise among young people

Overall, this year’s #BeeWell survey results, which analysed data on young people from across all 14 Local Authorities in Greater Manchester, Hampshire, Isle of Wight, Portsmouth and Southampton, found that young people are generally satisfied with their lives. However, there are noteworthy inequalities in life satisfaction, mental wellbeing and emotional difficulties across gender and sexuality. 41.2% of young people who identify as lesbian or gay reported a high level of…

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‘Leaveism’ and ‘presenteeism’: Here’s how to be happier at work

Way back in February 2020, before most of us really knew anything about COVID, we wrote an article for The Conversation about “leaveism” and its impact on flexible working. Barely a month later, the world was bracing for a pandemic that would inadvertently create the largest (forced) working experiment of all time. by Cary Cooper and Ian Hesketh This was a great opportunity for researchers like us to watch how…

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Exercise at consistent times could help re-align your body clocks for better skeletal health and performance, scientists suggest

Consistent daily patterns of exercise and rest can synchronise the local body clocks associated with joints and spine with the brain clock, potentially helping individuals to maintain skeletal health, improve athletic performance and avoid injury, research by University of Manchester scientists has argued. Though the study, published in Nature Communications today (14/11/23) was in mice, the scientists suggest there is a high probability human cartilage and intervertebral discs - which…

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We drink more when we are happy than when we are sad

There’s a long-held belief that people drink alcohol in excess to drown their sorrows. But recent research into mood and drinking has found the opposite is also true. Using data from 69 studies (12,394 people in total) in the US, Canada, France and Australia, all of which employed surveys to assess mood and drinking levels, the researchers found no evidence that people drank more on days when they felt down.…

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