The universities of Greenwich and Kent have announced plans to form a multi-university group in the first collaboration of its type since the start of the financial crisis in the UK sector.

Both universities will be brought under one structure, led by current Greenwich vice-chancellor Jane Harrington, but each institution will retain its own name and identity.

The newly formed entity is set to be called the London and South East University Group, subject to a consultation, and is being labelled a ¡°superuniversity¡±.?It hopes to start operating ready for the start of the 2026-27 academic year.

It will instantly become one of the largest institutions in the UK and the largest in south-east England. Kent has about 19,000 students across its campuses in Medway and Canterbury while Greenwich has just short of 30,000.

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Harrington said: ¡°Our vision is to deliver education without boundaries, from city to coast. Combining the strengths of two proud institutions gives us a greater foundation to transform lives and unlock opportunity across London and the south east.¡±

Universities have been encouraged to consider new operating models amid a funding crunch caused by frozen tuition fees, declining international student enrolments and rising costs.

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Kent has suffered financially in recent years, undergoing several rounds of redundancies and course closures. Earlier this year a voluntary redundancy scheme sought to save ?19.5 million and its last permanent vice-chancellor, Karen Cox, stepped down in May 2024. Earlier this year Greenwich said that it was facing ¡°significant financial challenges¡±, announcing job cuts which the University and College Union said would cost more than 300 jobs, equivalent to a quarter of the academic workforce.

Under the new arrangement, students will continue to apply to, study at and graduate from their chosen university?but the group?will have one unified governing body, academic board and executive team.

¡°Students will remain at the heart of everything we do, as we continue to provide innovative teaching, personalised support and a culture that celebrates individuality,¡± Harrington added.?¡°As a civic university group, we will be a powerful force for our region ¨C energising communities, upskilling local people and partnering with business to tackle the challenges of today and tomorrow.¡±

Georgina Randsley de Moura, Kent¡¯s acting vice-chancellor ¨C who will step aside after the merger ¨C said: ¡°This exciting collaboration is about harnessing the combined power of two ambitious universities looking to the future, to ensure we are sustainable, impactful and can make a bigger difference to the communities we serve.

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¡°Together, we can deliver world-class teaching, grow research that tackles real-world challenges, and create new opportunities for people and places across our wider region. From supporting health and well-being to driving innovation in food, sustainability and the creative industries, our work will have impact locally, nationally and globally. Importantly, we will foster a culture where staff and students thrive, collaborate and succeed together.¡±

But Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, said that staff and students would be ¡°alarmed¡± by the announcement.

¡°It is clear this is the result of severe financial pressure ¨C anyone attempting to say otherwise is deceiving the public ¨C and urgent reassurance that jobs and student provision will be protected is now needed,¡± Grady said.

¡°This isn¡¯t a merger; it is a takeover. Kent is an institution under severe financial stress and Greenwich is seizing control.

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¡°If today¡¯s announcement is indicative of how the government intends to deal with financial instability in the sector we should all be worried. It instead needs to present us with a clear and coherent strategy for how it will deal with the crisis in higher education.¡±

Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of Universities UK, welcomed news of the partnership.

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¡°Right across the university system in the UK, leaders are thinking and working differently in response to sustained financial pressures. Income has been falling and costs going up. To adapt, we see university leaders thinking about how you can do things differently to be able to grow and thrive in the future. This is a perfect example of that creative thinking,¡± she said.

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com