Through their unique combination of disciplines and specialist expertise, they are positioned to influence the grand challenges of this century, notably poverty eradication, securing social justice, environmental change and sustainable urbanism. The University of Manchester is a public research university in Manchester, England, formed in 2004 by the merger of the University of Manchester Institute of Science and Technology and the Victoria University of Manchester. The main campus is south of Manchester city centre on Oxford Road. The university owns and operates major cultural assets such as the Manchester Museum, Whitworth Art Gallery, John Rylands Library and Jodrell Bank Observatory—a UNESCO World Heritage Site