'You can do things in Manchester you can't do elsewhere - that's its superpower'

manchestereveningnews.co.uk:

For many, memories of university can be hazy. But for Professor Duncan Ivison his recollections of Manchester during his student days are crystal clear.

Asked to share some of those formative memories, he flashes a smile. “I’m a big music fan and I used to come up with friends to Manchester for the music and the club scene,” he recalls with a chuckle.

Born in Montreal, the professor has held positions at the Australian National University, the University of York, the University of Toronto and several others, as well as more than 20 years at the University of Sydney.

But it was during his time at the London School of Economics (LSE), obtaining his MSc in Political Science and PhD in Political Philosophy, he first visited Manchester. READ MORE: Salford Lads Club is on the brink of closure - it needs our help “It has always been a vibrant city, but it was very different, obviously it was still going through industrial regeneration,” he reflects. “It has been transformed since I last visited.” While it may have been the infamous nightlife scene that drew him here in the 90s, today, it’s the city’s future prospects.