The University of Kent and the University of Greenwich are now part of a single higher education group, but students will continue applying to, studying at and graduating from the university they originally chose.
The London and South East University Group, known as LASE, became a legal entity on August 1, 2026. Bringing together more than 50,000 students across four principal campuses, it is expected to rank as approximately the UK’s third-largest higher education institution.
Its founders call it the country’s first “super-university,” although the arrangement is different from a traditional merger in one important way: Kent and Greenwich are keeping their names, academic identities and degree-awarding roles.
A single group with two university identities
LASE will oversee the two universities through one board of governors, one executive team and one vice-chancellor. Behind-the-scenes areas such as employment, governance and administration will be brought under the combined organisation.
Academically, Kent and Greenwich will remain distinct divisions. Applicants will not be required to choose LASE as a separate university, and degrees will continue to carry either the University of Kent or University of Greenwich name.
The legal merger has already taken effect, while the public launch is scheduled for September 7, 2026—one year after the institutions first announced their partnership plans.
Courses and teaching remain in place
Existing students can continue the courses for which they enrolled. There are no merger-related plans to move current students or those joining in 2026–27 to a different campus.
No automatic changes to curricula, assessments or teaching teams have been announced. Each university can still review its course portfolio through normal academic procedures, but joining LASE does not by itself cancel or combine programmes.
The group’s four principal locations are Greenwich and Avery Hill in south-east London, Canterbury in Kent, and Medway in Chatham. Kent and Greenwich already have more than 20 years of experience working together at Medway.
Fees, visas and student funding
The merger does not introduce a new tuition-fee structure. Existing scholarships and bursaries are expected to continue, with contracts transferred to the group where required.
National student-finance decisions remain separate from LASE. That includes policies such as the 6% UK student loan interest cap for 2026, which is determined by the government rather than individual universities.
International students have been assured that the organisational change should not immediately affect their visa status. They should still monitor university and UK Visas and Immigration updates because national visa rules can change independently.
Master’s and doctoral candidates will remain registered with their selected university and receive their qualifications from that institution.
Campus services and graduation ceremonies
Wellbeing, careers and academic support will initially remain with each student’s existing university. Students already receive some shared library access, and the group could expand access to facilities and resources across its campuses over time.
Graduation arrangements will also continue under the two university identities. Kent and Greenwich students will attend their respective ceremonies and graduate from their chosen institution.
The students’ unions remain independent organisations. They will determine how they operate within the new model, while no immediate changes have been confirmed for student societies.
Leadership and staff structure
Professor Jane Harrington, previously vice-chancellor of Greenwich, is the founding vice-chancellor and chief executive of LASE. Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura, formerly Kent’s acting vice-chancellor, is deputy vice-chancellor and deputy chief executive.
Employees from both universities are now employed through the combined group while continuing to work within the Kent and Greenwich divisions.
No immediate merger-related programme of widespread job losses has been announced. However, operational integration will continue over several years, and not every future administrative change has been decided.
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Financial resilience is central to the deal
The merger arrives as British universities face rising costs, uncertain international recruitment and pressure on tuition-fee income. Kent had reported a substantial deficit and introduced cost-saving measures before the group was formed.
The Office for Students previously warned that 24 providers could face insolvency and closure during the 12 months from November 2025. Its modelling suggested that 45% of assessed higher education providers could record a deficit in 2025–26 without mitigating action.
Kent and Greenwich describe their agreement as a strategic partnership rather than a rescue or takeover. They expect shared administration, greater scale and combined resources to strengthen finances while expanding research and regional partnerships.
The official merger announcement identifies food security and sustainability, health and wellbeing, and the creative industries as areas where the universities plan to deepen collaboration.
A model other universities may study
University mergers are not new in Britain. LASE’s claimed innovation is allowing two large institutions to preserve their public identities while operating within one legal and governing structure.
A similar debate surrounds the proposed King’s College London and Cranfield University merger, which is targeted for August 2027, subject to consultation and regulatory approval.
For Kent and Greenwich students, the immediate message is continuity. The longer-term measure of success will be whether the new scale delivers better financial security and wider opportunities without weakening courses, student support or the identities of the two universities.
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