THERE were calls yesterday to preserve the identity of Newport's university in the wake of an announcement that it would be 'dissolved'.

The minister for education and skills, Leighton Andrews, said that the university will be “dissolved” and merged with the University of Glamorgan.

Tory Monmouth AM Nick Ramsay said Newport and Glamorgan were two bodies with a distinct approach to education, and asked for an assurance that the strategic board would do all it could do preserve the identity of them.

William Graham, AM for South Wales East, said the identity of Newport University and the excellence of its departments must be maintained.

“For a long time Newport has cherished the idea of a university,” said Mr Graham.

In the Senedd, Angela Burns AM, Conservative Shadow Minister for Education, slammed the move saying: "The Minister is obsessed with coercing one of Wales' top performing universities into a merger, irrespective of the views of the students affected.

"The Minister's bullying is creating significant turbulence and uncertainty for staff and prospective students and risks creating the downward spiral, which the he claims he is seeking to avoid."

A spokesman for the University of Wales, Newport, said: “We welcome the minister’s endorsement of our discussions with the University of Glamorgan aimed at creating a new university for SouthWales.

“We will now be seeking further information on how the minister’s timetable and plans fit in with our ongoing negotiations.

“We will continue to be guided by the need to protect and enhance opportunities for our students, staff and communities.”