University of Manchester goes all in on Microsoft 365 Copilot
What does it take to bring AI to an entire university community? This customer story video shows how the University of Manchester deployed Microsoft 365 Copilot to 65,000 students and staff with a focus on governance, transparency, and structured training. Watch the video to spark ideas for scaling AI responsibly at your organisation.
What is the University of Manchester doing with Microsoft 365 Copilot?
The University of Manchester is rolling out Microsoft 365 Copilot across the entire institution. This means all **65,000 students and staff** will have access to Copilot within the Microsoft 365 tools they already use, such as Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams.
The initiative is part of a broader effort to **rethink how people work, learn, and collaborate** using AI. Rather than limiting Copilot to a small pilot group, the university is making it available at scale so that everyone—from academic staff to professional services and students—can explore how AI can support their day‑to‑day tasks and long‑term projects.
How is the university supporting responsible use of Copilot?
Alongside the technical rollout, the University of Manchester is putting a strong focus on **training and guidance** so that Copilot is used in a thoughtful and responsible way.
The university is:
- Providing **training resources** to help people understand what Copilot can and cannot do.
- Emphasising **effective use**, such as using Copilot to draft, summarise, and organise information rather than to replace critical thinking.
- Highlighting **responsible use**, including checking AI‑generated content, respecting academic integrity, and being transparent about when AI tools are involved in the work.
This combination of access plus structured support is designed to help the community **reimagine everyday workflows** while maintaining academic and professional standards.
Why partner with Microsoft on this AI initiative?
The University of Manchester is partnering with Microsoft because Microsoft 365 Copilot is embedded in the tools the university community already uses every day. By working with Microsoft, the university can:
- **Integrate AI into existing workflows** in Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams, rather than introducing a completely separate system.
- Benefit from Microsoft’s **enterprise‑grade security and compliance**, which is important for a large institution with **65,000 users**.
- Collaborate directly with Microsoft UK leadership—highlighted by the involvement of **Microsoft UK CEO Darren Hardman**—to **reshape how teaching, research, and administration** can be supported by AI.
This approach allows the university to build on familiar tools while **reimagining how people create, communicate, and manage information** across the campus.
University of Manchester goes all in on Microsoft 365 Copilot
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