A London university has merged with Kent University to become the UK’s first super-uni

Greenwich University and Kent University have merged to form the country’s first super-uni.

On Wednesday 11th February, the two institutions formally signed the merger agreement confirming the partnership.

The merger was first announced in September 2025. It will come into force from 1st August 2026, under the name The London and South East University Group, though each university will retain its name, identity and local presence.

The new super-university will become the third-largest education institution in the UK, following UCL and the Open University.

The Department of Education and the Office for Students has approved the initiative.

via Pexels

What does this mean for students and staff?

The London and South East University Group will bring together around 50,000 students from across the two campuses.

Staff from both universities will be employed by the group, operating under one board of directors, executive team and vice-chancellor. Professor Jane Harrington, current vice-chancellor of Greenwich, is in charge of the role.

Both universities assured students there would be no changes to their day-to-day experience for the foreseeable future. They hope future collaboration will create new opportunities and benefits for students.

For now, Greenwich and Kent will continue to teach and recruit for courses separately, with students continuing to use the services and facilities of their own universities. Degrees will be awarded by each student’s chosen institution.

Why is the merger happening?

This announcement comes amid financial challenges for both institutions, as well as wider pressures across the higher-education sector.

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In November, the Office for Students warned nearly half of providers could face deficits in 2025-26. The universities of Kent and Greenwich both announced significant job cuts during the previous academic year as a result of financial pressures.

The super-university is hoped to provide greater stability, improve access to higher education, address skills gaps and inequalities, and increase research capacity.

The partnership describes itself as a “collective power will enable it to tackle real-world issues with greater impact locally, nationally and globally”.

University mergers are not unusual. In 2024, City, University of London and St George’s, University of London combined to form City St George’s.

Further mergers could follow if economic pressures continue.

The Department for Education told the Guardian that ministers are keen to “welcome innovative approaches such as this one”. Professor Jane Harrington echoed this sentiment, hailing it as “a truly significant moment for the sector… [providing] a blueprint for other institutions in the future”.

Currently, no other universities have publicly announced merger plans on this scale, though eight institutions are reportedly considering joining up courses as a cost-saving measure.

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Featured image via Pexels