The universities of Kent and Greenwich have merged to form the London and South East University Group (LASE), creating the UK's first "super-university." The move comes amid sector-wide financial pressures affecting higher education providers.
LASE now ranks as the UK's third-largest higher education institution, with over 50,000 students across four campuses located in south-east London and Kent. Leaders of the newly formed group state that the combined entity is financially stronger and better positioned to address regional challenges.
Prof. Jane Harrington, Chief Executive of LASE, indicated that the merger would enable the universities to offer subjects previously unavailable as separate institutions. Students will also gain access to libraries and wellbeing services across all four campuses. The group aims to leverage its enhanced capacity to help tackle youth unemployment in areas of urban, rural, and coastal deprivation across south-east London, Medway, and Kent.
Merger Details
The legal merger was completed last month. While operating under the unified London and South East University Group banner, the individual universities will retain their distinct academic divisions and names. Students will continue to apply to either the University of Kent or the University of Greenwich, and their degrees will be awarded under those names.
Despite the stated benefits, the University and College Union has previously expressed concerns that such mergers signal a "broader problem for the sector" due to ongoing economic strain on higher education institutions.