03 August 2026 , 18:17
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The new London and South East University Group – to be known as LASE – has become the third largest university in the UK.
It has more than 50,000 students and four campuses across London, Medway and Kent.
The higher education institutions announced plans to merge in September last year and an official launch will take place on September 7, exactly one year on.
The two universities will still operate as distinct academic divisions within the university group, retaining their current names.
Students will still apply to and graduate from the institution they choose.
It comes as universities in the UK have been facing increasing financial pressures, with MPs on the Education Committee warning earlier this year that there is a “real risk” a university in England could close due to insolvency for the first time.
The Office for Students (OfS), the higher education regulator in England, told the committee that it fears 24 providers are at risk of becoming insolvent and closing in the 12 months from November last year, and warned 45% of higher education providers could be facing a deficit for 2025/26.
The universities of Greenwich and Kent said previously that their merged group will provide a strong financial foundation for getting through economic challenges and would be a “blueprint for others to follow”.
In May, King’s College London and Cranfield University, based in Bedford, announced plans to merge in August 2027.
University of Greenwich vice-chancellor and new chief executive of LASE Professor Jane Harrington said: “There has been tireless work over the last year working to an ambitious timetable and developing a new university model that has never been done before.
“It means we are starting with a smooth transition, an extremely strong senior executive team and clear direction so that we can fulfil our potential as the UK’s first super-university.”
A Department for Education spokesperson said: “We welcome this merger, which will create a strong combined institution able to reinvest in students and support the economy of the south east.
“We are committed to creating a secure future for our world-leading universities so they can deliver for students, taxpayers, workers and the economy, and we expect universities to take appropriate decisions to ensure their long-term sustainability.
“We have already taken action to put universities on a firmer financial footing, including by refocusing the Office for Students on monitoring the financial health of the sector.”
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