NEWPORT’S University will be ‘dissolved’ and merged with the University of Glamorgan, the Minister for Education and Skills Leighton Andrews said today.

In a statement this afternoon, the minister told of the: “need to dissolve the existing University of Wales, Newport” as part of the moves to create a “strong metropolitan university in South East Wales”.

He said he expects to see “discussions between Glamorgan and Newport focus on a merger that is likely to utilise the existing vehicle of the University of Glamorgan structure.”

He added: “subject to the outcome of this statutory consultation, I would anticipate seeing real progress on the merger of Newport and Glamorgan by 2013."

He said he also expected Cardiff Metropolitan University, formerly UWIC to join the new South East Wales institution, saying: “I would hope to see progress in terms of Cardiff Metropolitan's involvement in the new merged institution in 2014.”