THE UNIVERSITIES of Kent and Greenwich will merge in 2026 to form the UK’s first regional “super-university”.
The new institution, to be called the London and South East University Group, will have one vice-chancellor and around 50,000 students, the BBC reported.
The Office for Students welcomed the move, saying more universities may look at mergers as many face financial difficulties.
According to reports, 40 per cent of English universities are now in deficit. The University and College Union (UCU) warned the merger would “almost certainly” lead to redundancies. UCU general secretary Jo Grady said it was “a takeover by Greenwich” as Kent was “on the brink of insolvency”.
The Department for Education said ministers “welcome innovative approaches such as this one”. Kent’s interim leader Prof Georgina Randsley de Moura will stay in post until the merger, when Greenwich vice-chancellor Prof Jane Harrington will lead the new university.
Both universities said the merger would strengthen finances. Prof Harrington told BBC: “This is about taking the best of both universities and saying what do we want to offer to our communities.”
Students will continue applying to Kent or Greenwich separately, and degrees will retain the universities’ names. Both institutions said there were no immediate job loss plans, though each has recently made cuts.
The merger will cover campuses in Canterbury, Medway, Greenwich and Avery Hill. The OfS said it would ensure students’ studies are not disrupted.
