The universities of Greenwich and Kent have formally secured approval to merge, establishing what they describe because the UK’s inaugural “super-university”.
This new entity is poised to change into the third-largest greater schooling establishment within the nation and is presently consulting on the title London and South East College Group.
Professor Jane Harrington, the present vice-chancellor on the College of Greenwich, is about to guide the mixed group as its designated vice-chancellor.
The merger, initially introduced in September final yr and hailed as a possible “blueprint for others to observe”, has now seen authorized documentation signed and acquired official backing from each the Division for Training and the Workplace for College students, the establishments confirmed on Wednesday.
The brand new college group is slated to begin operations on 1 August 2026.
Regardless of the merger, each Greenwich and Kent will proceed to perform as distinct educational divisions, retaining their particular person names inside the overarching construction.
College students will nonetheless apply to and graduate from the college they select, the establishments stated.
All employees from each universities can be employed by the college group, which can have one vice-chancellor, one board of governors and one government staff.
The Press Affiliation understands senior government positions can be confirmed by April, and can embody performing College of Kent vice-chancellor Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura.
Prof Harrington stated that collectively the schools can “proceed to offer world-class instructing, develop our analysis tackling real-world challenges, and finally foster a tradition the place employees, college students and communities thrive, collaborate and succeed collectively”.
She added: “For present and future college students, they are often reassured that nothing modifications for them, aside from the reassurance of the larger resilience and new alternatives that can come from the collective sources of being a part of this new multi-university group.”
It comes as universities within the UK have been going through growing monetary challenges, with the Workplace for College students warning in November that round 45 per cent of suppliers may very well be going through a deficit for 2024/25.
College and Faculty Union basic secretary Jo Grady warned in September the merger was a “results of extreme monetary stress”.
The colleges stated the merged group will present a robust monetary basis for getting by means of financial challenges.
College of Greenwich governing physique chairman Craig McWilliam stated: “The brand new multi-university group represents a daring and accountable response to the pressures going through greater schooling, rooted in sturdy governance, shared values and a transparent civic objective.”
