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Two British universities have merged to form what they describe as the UK’s first “super-university.”
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London’s University of Greenwich and the University of Kent in southeast England announced on Monday that they had completed a merger establishing the new “London and South East University Group, which will be known as LASE.
The new group, which has been designed to allow other universities to potentially join in the future, will have more than 50,000 students, making it the third largest university in the UK.
The two universities will continue to operate under their own names and will maintain distinct academic divisions, with prospective students applying, studying, and graduating at the institution of their choice. The LASE group will have a chancellor, governing body, and senior executive team.
The official launch of the LASE group is set to take place on 7 September, with events marking the occasion scheduled to be held across its four campuses – Greenwich, Avery Hill, Medway, and Canterbury.
In a press release, Professor Jane Harrington, the founding vice-chancellor and CEO of LASE, promised a “truly spectacular launch” and said more details would be released at the time.
“A massive thank you to everyone who has been involved in getting us to this point – there has been tireless work over the last year working to an ambitious timetable and developing a new university model that has never been done before,” Harrington said.
“It means we are starting with a smooth transition, an extremely strong senior executive team and clear direction so that we can fulfil our potential as the UK’s first super-university,” she added.
The merger comes amid mounting economic pressures facing British universities, including some of the most highly regarded higher education institutions in the world.
In May, members of parliament on an education select committee warned that UK universities were under serious economic strain and that there was a possibility of a major institution closing down.
“The higher education sector in England is facing a financial crisis that now poses a real risk of institutional insolvency,” the education committee said in its report.
“We heard compelling evidence that, without urgent and coordinated action, there is a clear possibility of a university closing,” it continued, adding: “The consequences would be severe, not only for students and staff, but for local economies, communities and the UK’s global academic reputation.”
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