Manchester Metropolitan University and University of Manchester’s Institute of Biotechnology awarded Queen’s Anniversary Prizes at Buckingham Palace

“Mother Tongue Other Tongue continues to be a fantastic way to bring together people from many different backgrounds”.

Vice-Chancellor Professor Malcolm Press, Manchester Metropolitan University

“We are proud of the fact that we’re helping to deliver solutions for a more sustainable world”.

Professor Nigel Scrutton, The Manchester Institute of Biotechnology

The Manchester Metropolitan University has received the award for its Mother Tongue Other Tongue project, an annual poetry contest for pupils run by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at Manchester Metropolitan University.

The project encourages children who speak a community language at home to celebrate their ‘mother tongue’ by writing a poem in it, and for pupils learning a new language at school to write a poem in their ‘other tongue’. Mother Tongue Other Tongue has engaged more than 30,000 students aged 8-18 since 2012.

The Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (MIB) has also been awarded for the recognised environmental benefits of its pioneering expertise in industrial biotechnology.

Working with industrial partners, the MIB aims to transition chemicals manufacture from petrochemicals to sustainable biomanufacturing through the development of disruptive bio-based technologies. This approach will foster innovation and drive a new bioeconomy, with Manchester a key driver of green growth and a recognised northern research powerhouse with a global outreach.

The Queen’s Anniversary Prizes reward outstanding contribution made to the UK by an academic institution. The Prize itself consists of a silver gilt medallion and a decorated and inscribed certificate granting the award, signed by Her Majesty The Queen.