South Wales university merger talks to go ahead

Leighton Andrews revealed yesterday that he will now begin more focused consultation with staff and students at the University of Wales Newport, Cardiff Metropolitan University and the University of Glamorgan to see how proposals to create a single institution might be realised.

The Argus has previously reported how Mr Andrews backed the Higher Education Funding Council For Wales proposals to merge the three institutions into a "true metropolitan university" in South East Wales, comparable in size to other similar city regions.

Mr Andrews said yesterday that such as move would create a university with 27,180 full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students, similar in size to Manchester Metropolitan University, which has 27,185 students, and larger than the University of the West of England and the University of Plymouth which each have around 21,000 students.

Mr Andrews said the three individual universities would be better able to respond to the challenges faced by higher education as one institution, and that such a move would reduce duplications across the region.

He said the combined resources of the three universities would be able to reach a wider audience, and that while each institution has its own strengths, a single university would draw on these and allow for quality teaching and a better chance when competing for research funding.

Mr Andrews said those with an interest in higher education had had an opportunity to comment on the proposals, and he would now begin more focused discussion with the three universities.

He added: "I would prefer to see voluntary mergers between institutions rather than enforced ones."

The University of Wales Newport previously welcomed the proposal - which would see an institution formed around the campuses at the universities' current sites in Newport, Cardiff and the Valleys - saying such a plan would allay concerns of staff and students about a possible takeover.