‘Super-University’ To Be Created As Merger Will Happen In 2026

The UK’s first “super-university” is to be created with the merger of the universities of Kent and Greenwich.

Under the proposed name of London and South East University Group, the single institution will have one vice-chancellor from the academic year starting in autumn 2026.

The super-university will stretch across an entire region from London to Canterbury, with 54 miles between the two main sites.

The Office for Students, England’s higher education regulator, welcomed the move and suggested more universities may explore similar options as they battle economic challenges, with 40% of English universities now believed to be in financial deficit.

But the University and College Union say there will “almost certainly” be redundancies as a result.

For students, there will be no visible change, with applications continuing as normal to each institution and degrees awarded in the name of Kent or Greenwich.

Prof Georgina Randsley de Moura will remain the interim leader of Kent until the merger, when Prof Jane Harrington, who runs Greenwich, will become the vice-chancellor of the new institution.

Prof Randsley de Moura said the “trailblazing model” would enable the universities within the new group to retain their name, identity and campuses.

Prof Harrington said the universities had worked together on the Medway campus for 20 years and now wanted to go further to contribute to the economy across London and the South East.

“This is about taking the best of both universities and saying what do we want to offer to our communities,” she said.