Education Today Education Today Magazine
The University of Greenwich and the University of Kent have announced a planned partnership leading to the creation of a new ‘super-university’, the London and South East University Group.
The new model is expected to bring both institutions under one structure, whilst enabling each university to retain its name, identity and local presence.
The collaboration will be a trailblazing model, establishing a first-of-its-kind multi university group, which will create a blueprint for other institutions to follow. The new university group will become one of the largest higher education institutions in the UK and the largest in the South of England. It will be the biggest recruiter of students in London and the South East.
Professor Jane Harrington, Vice Chancellor of the University of Greenwich, said: “Our vision is to deliver education without boundaries, from city to coast. Combining the strengths of two proud institutions gives us a greater foundation to transform lives and unlock opportunity across London and the South East.
“Students will remain at the heart of everything we do, as we continue to provide innovative teaching, personalised support and a culture that celebrates individuality. As a civic university group, we will be a powerful force for our region – energising communities, upskilling local people and partnering with business to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow.”
Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura, Acting Vice Chancellor and President of the University of Kent said: “This exciting collaboration is about harnessing the combined power of two ambitious universities looking to the future, to ensure we are sustainable, impactful and can make a bigger difference to the communities we serve.
“Together, we can deliver world-class teaching, grow research that tackles real-world challenges, and create new opportunities for people and places across our wider region. From supporting health and wellbeing to driving innovation in food, sustainability and the creative industries, our work will have impact locally, nationally and globally. Importantly, we will foster a culture where staff and students thrive, collaborate and succeed together.”
The new ‘super university’ will have one unified governing body, academic board and executive team, and one vice-chancellor. The first vice-chancellor will be Professor Jane Harrington. Students will continue to apply to, study at and graduate from their chosen university, preserving each institution’s identity whilst benefitting from the scale and opportunities of the new group.
The combined entity will provide a strong financial foundation to weather current and future economic challenges, widen access to higher education across South East London and Kent, address skills gaps and inequalities, and increase research capacity, particularly in shared priority areas, such as food and sustainability, health and wellbeing and the creative industries. Its collective power will enable it to tackle real world issues with greater impact locally, nationally and globally.
The two universities are working closely with the Department for Education and Office for Students, both of whom support the sector’s need to evolve to ensure future sustainability and impact and deliver positive outcomes for students.
