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The universities of Kent and Greenwich have officially united to create what is being called the UK’s first “super-university,” a strategic response to widespread financial challenges in the higher education sector. This newly formed London and South East University Group (LASE) now ranks as the third largest university in the country, with a combined student body exceeding 50,000 across four campuses located throughout south-east London and Kent.
Although the two institutions legally merged last month, they will continue to function as separate academic entities within the group, maintaining their individual names. Students will still apply to either Kent or Greenwich, and their degrees will bear the name of the university they attend. However, the merger allows the group to expand the range of courses offered—subjects previously unavailable when the universities operated independently. Additionally, students gain enhanced access to resources such as libraries and wellbeing services across the campuses in Greenwich, Medway, and Canterbury.
University leaders emphasize that this merger has strengthened the financial footing of the combined institution amid growing economic pressures facing higher education nationwide. Professor Jane Harrington, the chief executive, noted that the group’s size and scope position it to more effectively address various regional challenges. In her words, “If I was to look through south-east London going out we’ve got areas of urban deprivation, then you go out into Medway and Kent you’ve got areas of rural deprivation and then we’ve got areas of coastal deprivation.”
This expanded reach offers what Harrington describes as a “real opportunity” to support the populations most affected by social and economic hardship—groups the government has expressed particular concern about. Despite this optimism from leadership, some voices such as the University and College Union have expressed caution, warning that the merger reflects a “broader problem for the sector” amid ongoing instability
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