Welsh universities urged to merge

Higher education centres in Cardiff, Glamorgan and Newport are being urged to merge in to a "super" university in south-east Wales.

Welsh education minister Leighton Andrews has reaffirmed his stance on the importance of a merged service and says that it would be "better able to respond to the challenges" presented by the education sector in the coming years.

The move would involve Cardiff Metropolitan, Glamorgan and the University of Wales but when the plans were initially revealed in November the Welsh capital university, formerly Uwic, opposed the proposal.

In 2007, colleges in Manchester announced a merger that combined Manchester College of Arts and Technology and City College in a bid to make a "super college" in Salford.

Mr Andrews said: "A single institution would draw on these strengths, while offering an opportunity to achieve critical mass in quality teaching provision and in competing for research funding. I believe that this would be a positive benefit for learners."