WALES' newest university opens its doors for the first time today.
University of South Wales brings together University of Glamorgan and University of Wales, Newport.
The merged institution is now home to 33,500 students over its Cardiff, Pontypridd and Newport sites, putting it in the top ten biggest campus universities in the UK, according to officials.
Vice-chancellor of the University of South Wales, Julie Lydon, said: "The university will compete equally for students and reputation with the UK's major regional universities and will help the region compete head-to-head for investment and growth with major city regions such as Bristol, Manchester, London and Tyneside."
First Minister Carwyn Jones said the new university is an exciting prospect for higher education.
Welsh Education Minister Leighton Andrews announced plans to shake up higher education in south-east Wales last July.
The Labour AM said he wanted to leave the region with two universities within four years: the long-established Cardiff University and a single "post-1992" institution.
Plans to merge Cardiff Metropolitan with Newport and Glamorgan were abandoned, although Mr Andrews has indicated he has not given up on his plan to create a "super university" in the region.
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