UK's first 'super-university' to be created as two merge from 2026

Prof Georgina Randsley de Moura will remain the interim leader of Kent until the merger, when Prof Jane Harrington, who runs Greenwich, will become the vice-chancellor of the new institution.

Prof Randsley de Moura said the "trailblazing model" would enable the universities within the new group to retain their name, identity and campuses.

Prof Harrington said the universities had worked together on the Medway campus for 20 years and now wanted to go further to contribute to the economy across London and the South East.

"This is about taking the best of both universities and saying what do we want to offer to our communities," she said.

The planned merger is likely to provoke anxiety about long-term prospects among staff.

Prof Harrington said she recognised there would be concern about posts, and said they would be saving costs by reducing senior roles.

Across England, job losses at many institutions over the last couple of years have been adding up, with the University and College Union (UCU) estimating the overall number of posts cut is about 5,000.

Mergers, once rare, have become more common, with City St George's created from two separate parts of the University of London last year.

Most others have involved smaller or specialist institutions.

Alex Stanley from the National Union of Students said these decisions were being made to run universities efficiently and as a result, students were facing cuts to courses and staff ratios were getting worse.

"What we're seeing with the tuition fee increase coming around the corner, is that students are being asked to pay more for less," he said.

The plans unveiled on Wednesday are on a bigger scale, with two universities offering a full range of courses and spread over a wider geographical area.

The merger will be watched with interest by other universities looking at ways to collaborate to stabilise their finances.

Tuition fees have increased to £9,535 this academic year, but the real value to universities has fallen because of rising costs since the big uplift 13 years ago increased fees from just over £3,000 to £9,000 a year.

In the last academic year, the number of applications from international students, who pay higher fees, was 16% lower than universities had hoped.

It followed visa restrictions introduced in 2024 which prevented international students bringing family members.

Vivienne Stern, from Universities UK, said the merger was significant, and a sign of how universities were thinking differently.

She said the "slow erosion" of university finances needed to be stopped and the government "was needed on the pitch pretty fast" with longer-term solutions.

Those government plans for the future funding of universities in England are expected later this autumn.

Ministers have already said they are looking at applying a 6% tax on income from international students.

A DfE spokesperson said: "This collaboration shows how strong partnerships in higher education can help enable delivery of world-class teaching and research whilst maintaining the best interests of students."

Any change on this scale has to be overseen by the OfS, which regulates universities in England, and makes sure students' studies are not disrupted.

"In any merger, effective communication with students will be crucial," a spokesperson said.

"Current students will continue to study for the courses they signed up for, and should continue to expect excellent teaching and support."