Manchester, 9 July 2026 – Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester
On July 9th 2026, the event “Science Diplomacy and International Research Collaboration: Challenges and Opportunities for the North West” took place at Alliance Manchester Business School, University of Manchester. The event marked the re-establishment of the North West and Yorkshire constituency of the Society of Spanish Researchers in the United Kingdom (SRUK/CERU).
The event brought together academics, researchers and diplomats to discuss the challenges and opportunities for using science diplomacy as a mechanism to strengthen collaboration among European representatives in the region.
During the event academics, regional stakeholders, and diplomats discussed their current and future relationships in order to forge partnerships that can serve as a catalyst for advancing international collaboration in science and beyond. The event followed a place-based approach to science diplomacy, showcasing how scientific cooperation should not just happen in high-level meeting rooms but should also be rooted in the unique geographical, cultural, and socio-economic realities of a specific location.
The afternoon began with opening remarks from James Evans, Associate Dean for Research at the University of Manchester, followed by special remarks from Alejandro Polanco Mata, Consul General of Spain in Manchester at the Spanish Consulate in Manchester, finishing with the contribution of Mabel Sanchez Barrioluengo, Senior Lecture in Science Policy and Innovation and Deputy Director of MIOIR, and Director of North West/Yorkshire SRUK/CERU Constituency.
The programme continued with a presentation by Virginia Alejandra Amigo Dotras, Policy and Research Analyst at Connects-UK, on “EU-UK Scientific Collaboration: Funding, Mobility, and Shared Research Infrastructure”. The presentation addressed the current context of scientific collaboration between the European Union and the United Kingdom, focusing on funding, mobility and shared research infrastructure.
The presentation was followed by the first panel on “Challenges and Opportunities for EU Researchers in the UK”. The panel brought together Panos Sousounis, Associate Dean for Internationalisation in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Manchester; Luke Georghiou, Professor of Science and Technology Policy and Management at the University of Manchester; Igor Arrieta Torres from the RAICEX General Secretariat; and Cesare Ardito and Silvia Massini from Comites Manchester, the Committee of Italians Abroad. Panellists brought to the discussion current issues and opportunities for EU researchers and they highlighted the importance of collaboration to achieve successful outcomes for the research community.
Following this panel, Andrew James, Professor of Innovation Management and Policy at the University of Manchester, presented “Navigating Research Security: UK Academics’ Response and Implications for their International Collaboration”. During this presentation, Andrew James emphasized the importance of research security and its implications for academics that collaborate internationally.
Following this session, we had the opportunity to attend the last panel that explored “Science Diplomacy and the Geopolitics of Place”. The panel included Nicoleta Teodorovici, Consul of Romania in Manchester and President of the Association of the Manchester Consulate Association; Minna Jalili, Policy Officer for Research & Innovation at the European Delegation to the UK; and Alice Naisbitt, Research Associate at the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, University of Manchester. During this panel discussion topics such as geopolitical implications on science diplomacy were discussed, bringing to the table opportunities of collaboration and good practices to look at as an example.
The event concluded with remarks from Javier Garcia Oliva, Head of the Law Department at the University of Manchester highlighting the importance of events like this one, in which different actors converse in order to achieve common goals.
This event marked the re-establishment of the SRUK/CERU North West and Yorkshire constituency that aims to provide a space for Spanish researchers working across the region to connect and participate in events and activities such as this one.
The event was supported by the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research, the University of Manchester and the Consulate General of Spain in Manchester, alongside SRUK/CERU and the other participating organisations.
SRUK/CERU thanks all speakers, participants and collaborating organisations who joined the event and contributed to the discussions. This event provided a space for collaboration to address challenges and create opportunities for international scientific collaboration.