UCL and Imperial College to discuss possible merger

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/UCL-Info/Docs/uclimperial.htm

Will the merged one pass Cambridge to be No.1 in UK?

 

What do the words "into a new university" mean? Both UCL and Imperial College are constituent colleges of the University of London. Are they contemplating withdrawing and setting themselves up as a separate institution?

It's hard to imagine that happening.

 

Re: Re: UCL and Imperial College to discuss possible merger

Even though they are part of UL, they are ranked separately in the UK ranking like all other UL institutions. I guess that UL is just a loose federation.

 

It will ne a new institution....

If the merger between UCL and Imperial goes ahead, the idea is to create a new university. However, since University College London (UCL) was the 'original' University of London a merged institution may want to continue with awarding University of London degrees. If the merger is approved, an Act of Parliament will be required to create a new university. At the present time Imperial is already looking at coming out of the University of London system because it is in the process of getting its own degree-awarding powers. A final decision will not happen until December. If a merger occurs the new university will be established in 2003 with a completion in 2004 and the required Act of Parliament is likely to happen in 2005. The merged institution will create a university of around 27,000 students - Oxford and Cambridge each have around 17,000, Harvard approximately 20,000 and if the merger goes ahead between University of Manchester and University of Manchetesr Institute of Science and Technology (UMIST) that will create an institution with around 30,000 students and would be the largest university outside London.

 

Re: It will ne a new institution....

Imperial has always been in a slightly odd relationship with the University of London. It was formed as a federation of several older colleges (Royal College of Science, Royal School of Mines, City and Guilds Institute if memory serves me correctly) each of which awarded (and still awards) it own diplomas. For example a Maths or Science graduate would get ARCS (Associate of the Royal College of Science), on the basis of which they are automatically qualified for the London BSc. Doctoral students get DIC (Diploma of Imperial College), a later invention, which qualifies them for London PhD, etc. So getting its own degree awarding powers is not actually going to make much difference.

Malcolm S Jenner