Welsh Education Minister Leighton Andrews has restated his desire to see a merger of Cardiff Metropolitan, Glamorgan and Newport universities.
Mr Andrews, in a written statement, said the new super university would be better at responding to the challenges of higher education.
The plans were originally outlined in November by Mr Andrews in his response to the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales’ (HEFCW’s) advice on the structure of higher education sector in Wales.
He said: “In the South-east region in particular, we need a more coherent, geographically balanced and sustainable offering of HE provision, which builds on individual institutions’ existing strengths.
“This approach would help to create an academic and vocational portfolio of significance in the UK and international market. It would ensure that what are currently three individual institutions would, as a whole, be better able to respond to the challenges facing the HE sector. In particular, these include making an improved contribution to economic development and the need for a skilled workforce, and playing a significant role in the wider social and cultural context in which HEIs operate.
A single strong, competitive post-92 university in SE Wales would build on the collaborative work established to date through the University of the Heads of the Valleys, thus promoting progression to HE from FE and other routes, and support for businesses. It would also provide an opportunity for these institutions to develop provision further across the region, in order to minimise duplication and reach a wider audience.
“The combined resources of a larger institution would put it in a better position to penetrate, for example, Gwent and to build further opportunities for HE provision for learners in the Cardiff area. A more solid basis for working together would also facilitate greater progress of work being taken forward through, for example, the SE strategy Regional Strategy Steering Group.”
If a merger went ahead, the new university would have 27,000 full-time students.
Mr Andrews added: “I shall now be instigating more focussed discussions with the University of Wales, Newport, Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of Glamorgan on the options for creating a single institution in South-east Wales. I shall also be seeking the views of staff and student representatives at these three institutions. I would prefer to see voluntary mergers between institutions rather than enforced ones. These discussions will provide an opportunity for representatives at all levels within the institutions to put forward their views on how best to achieve a single institution.”
Rubbish, bring back the federal University of Wales, it was destroyed by the Philistines trampling the vinyard, no guesses for the origin of the quote.