Overview

• The universities announced a plan to combine governance and senior leadership under the proposed London and South East University Group, with detailed design work due by year-end and a start targeted for autumn 2026 pending approvals.
• Professor Jane Harrington of Greenwich is set to become the single vice-chancellor, and both institutions will retain their names and brands while sharing services and a unified governing body.
• Students will keep applying to Kent or Greenwich separately, degrees will continue to be awarded in each university’s name, and current students are assured they can complete their courses.
• Leaders say there are no immediate plans for job losses, with savings expected from reducing senior roles as part of a financial resilience strategy.
• The Department for Education and the Office for Students welcomed the move, which comes as many English universities face deficits; the group will operate across campuses in Greenwich, Avery Hill, Medway and Canterbury, with reports citing about 28,000 first-degree undergraduates combined.