In the face of the ever-present economic challenges facing the higher-education sector, two universities have merged to form the UK’s first ever “super-university”.
The universities of Kent and Greenwich have merged to form the provisionally named London and South East University Group. The merger is set to launch in the 2026-27 academic year, which would see both universities run by the same governing body, one executive team and one vice-chancellor.
The current vice-chancellor of Greenwich, Jane Harrington, is expected to take up the leadership position.
In light of the restructure, both universities are assuring students that they will still be able to apply to, study at, and graduate from their chosen institutions. They have confirmed that the names, campuses, and degree programmes will remain unchanged.
The move comes against a backdrop of growing financial pressure. The higher education sector faces these pressures as it sees a drop in international student enrollment due to visa changes and high costs, parallel with stagnant domestic tuition fees that haven’t kept up with rising operating costs and inflation. The decision to merge universities also occurred after the recent job cuts and course closures at the University of Kent.
Speaking to the BBC, Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union (UCU), claimed that Kent was “on the brink of insolvency” and warned that the move “isn’t offering stability to students, to staff, or the sector.”
In contrast, the Office for Students (OfS), the regulator for England’s higher education sector, welcomed the decision and suggested that other universities may need to follow suit. In a report published in May, the OfS stated that four in ten universities in England are expected to be in financial deficit by the summer.
Uncertainty remains about what the merger will mean for staff. Even Professor Harrington has acknowledged that savings will need to be made through reducing senior roles, raising further concerns over job security across the new university group.
With both Kent and Greenwich together representing more than 45,000 students, this is the first merger of two universities of this size. There is some precedent, however, in the formation of the University of the Highlands and Islands, which brought together several smaller colleges.
As financial pressures grow, and depending on the success of the union between Greenwich and Kent University, more mergers may follow.
The University of Sheffield recently underwent course closures and a programme that saw the voluntary redundancy of 300 staff members towards the end of 2024, whilst Hallam University experienced a £16.3m deficit at the end of the 2023-24 financial year. Further strike action is expected at both universities, with staff being balloted for strike action over job cuts at the University of Sheffield, as announced by the UCU.
As further pressures grow to balance the financial difficulties without resorting to job cuts and course closures, more mergers and similar models could be seen closer to home.
