One World Together Takes Home Partnership Excellence Award
The team at (OWT) 鈥� a social enterprise co-founded by GDI鈥檚 and Chibwe Masabo Henry 鈥� is delighted to have been awarded a prize at the University of Manchester鈥檚 inaugural Partnership Excellence Awards.
- One World Together receives the 鈥�Social Enterprise Partnership Excellence鈥� award at the University's Innovation Festival
The awards were set up as part of the University鈥檚 Innovation Festival 2026, with the aim of showcasing the role of collaboration in advancing research, driving innovation, and delivering social value across Manchester and beyond. OWT and its partners within UoM won the 鈥楽ocial Enterprise Partnership Excellence鈥� category, which recognises outstanding partnerships between the university and organisations delivering measurable social, environmental or community impact.
Responding to the win, Nicola said: 鈥淚鈥檓 absolutely delighted that our partnership with One World Together has been recognised in this way. OWT grew out of research at Manchester, but what I鈥檓 most proud of is everything that has become possible since then by working together 鈥� with our community partners, schools, students and colleagues across the University.
We鈥檝e been able to turn research into action, create opportunities for young people and students to see themselves as capable of making change, and build new ways of sustaining and strengthening community-led organisations over the long term.
OWT may have started here in Manchester, but the relationships, ideas and possibilities it is building reach far beyond it. It feels like a wonderful example of what 鈥榝rom Manchester, for the world鈥� can mean in practice.
Also shortlisted at the awards were for GDI鈥檚 longstanding partnership with , a global network of community organisers advocating for improved conditions for people living in informal settlements. As explored in a , GDI鈥檚 collaboration with SDI has fundamentally shaped the trajectory of research within the institute, paving the way for projects like OWT.
Our nomination is noteworthy insofar as it recognises the significance of alternative understandings, or alternative ways of knowledge. GDI鈥檚 diverse engagement with the informal settlement residents that make up SDI federations is a project in social justice; but it is also our intellectual interest of their understandings, of local ecologies, of political realities and of community knowledge. We are stronger together.
We鈥檙e immensely proud of the partnerships GDI has nurtured over the decades. As an institute with social justice at its heart, our researchers are accustomed to working alongside others to deliver new ideas addressing some of the world鈥檚 biggest challenges. We鈥檙e thrilled that two impactful GDI projects were recognised as both winners and finalists and will continue championing the power of partnership across our scholarship, teaching, and wider public engagement.
Read the full list of winners and finalists here.
Read more about the history of GDI鈥檚 work with SDI and OWT , as well as an interview with Joe Muturi, President of the Global SDI Network, .