Bengaluru, 26 Oct 2026: Manchester Museum, part of the University of Manchester, and Science Gallery Bengaluru have agreed a partnership designed to tackle some of the shared challenges facing both cities.
The two organisations have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) focused on collaboration to create new opportunities for young people and to tackle issues around biodiversity and nature.
Manchester Museum will draw on Science Gallery Bengaluru’s work with students, specifically through its Mentorship Initiative, to build innovative programmes for young people, focused on learning, mentorship and the development of creative pathways.
In its commitment to the Anthropocene, Science Gallery Bengaluru’s Nature Lab, as part of the pioneering Public Lab Complex, will collaborate with the Manchester Museum’s world-class conservation initiatives to serve as a two-way bridge between biodiversity and nature-related research and public engagement.
Esme Ward, Director of Manchester Museum, said: “Bengaluru is a city driven by creativity and innovation, where there’s a tangible sense of care for the natural world and a commitment to creating opportunities for future generations.
“The people and ideas I experienced on a previous visit there have helped to shape the work we do at Manchester Museum and there’s a strong sense of shared purpose between our two organisations. Science Gallery Bengaluru does an incredible job of inspiring young people and we’re excited to build on that in creating an even brighter future for communities here in Manchester.”
Dr Jahnavi Phalkey, Director of Science Gallery Bengaluru, said: “At Science Gallery Bengaluru, we value research-based engagement and new ways of bringing science to the public. Our Nature Lab, part of the pioneering Public Lab Complex, is one way we continue to explore our commitment to the Anthropocene.
“Visiting Manchester Museum and seeing how it puts community spaces into practice offers a valuable point of connection between our institutions. We are delighted to collaborate with Manchester Museum and explore how our two institutions can learn from each other.”
The MoU was signed during an event at Science Gallery Bengaluru, organised as part of the Greater Manchester Mission to India and attended by Professor Duncan Ivison, President and Vice-Chancellor of The University of Manchester, and Bev Craig OBE, Mayor of Greater Manchester.
This partnership builds on work Manchester Museum has done through its award-winning South Asia Gallery, a British Museum partnership, which is the first permanent gallery in the UK to celebrate the experiences and contribution of the South Asian diaspora. The Museum has also previously partnered with the Indian Music Experience Museum in Bangalore on the RhythmXChange project, which looked at rhythm as a shared language, working with young musicians from India and the UK.
During the mission, The University of Manchester announced plans for a new centre, focusing on education, research and innovation, in Bengaluru. The proposed centre will provide a permanent platform for the University to deepen its engagement with one of the world’s most dynamic education, research and innovation ecosystems. It will help to bring together academic expertise, industry knowledge and entrepreneurial talent to address shared challenges and create opportunities for students and researchers in India.
About Manchester Museum
Manchester Museum, part of The University of Manchester, is one of the UK’s largest university museums. The Museum underwent a £15 million transformation project that concluded in February 2023, making it more inclusive, imaginative and caring to the diverse communities it serves. As a result of this work, it won the prestigious European Museum of the Year Award in 2025. Judges praised the way the museum had reimagined its mission, acknowledging and addressing its complex history and creating a space where all individuals, regardless of identity or background, can see themselves reflected and represented.
Its collections span natural science and human cultures, while its galleries range from the UK’s first permanent gallery dedicated to the experiences and histories of South Asian diaspora communities to the live amphibians and lizards housed in the Vivarium.
About Science Gallery Bengaluru
Science Gallery Bengaluru is a public institution for research-based engagement at the interface between the human, social and natural sciences, and engineering, art and design. We do so through Living Exhibitions, Public Engagement Programmes, Mentorship Initiative, and a pioneering Public Lab Complex.
Our founding partner is the Government of Karnataka. We also draw on the intellectual capital of three of India’s leading research institutions: the Indian Institute of Science is our lead academic partner, and the National Centre for Biological Sciences, and International Centre for Theoretical Sciences are our collaborating academic partners.
Science Gallery Bengaluru is Asia’s first, India’s only, and the world’s largest member of the Global Science Gallery Network with sister galleries in Melbourne and Monterrey. We are the only free-standing gallery in the network located outside the walls of a university.
