WALES: Calls to wind up University of Wales

The vice-chancellors of five Welsh universities have called for the University of Wales to be wound up following highly damaging revelations in a TV programme last Tuesday, writes Martin Shipton for Wales Online.

BBC Wales current affairs series "Week In Week Out" screened an investigation that showed a reporter posing as a student arranging to pay for bogus qualifications at London colleges validated by the University of Wales. She was seen paying £1,500 (US$2,300) in cash for a certificate. The programme followed an earlier probe into the university's links with dubious overseas colleges.

A statement issued by the St David's Day Group, which comprises the universities of Aberystwyth, Bangor, Cardiff, Glamorgan and Swansea, expressed outrage at the revelations and, referring to the planned merger of the University of Wales with Swansea Metropolitan and Trinity St David, said: "The changes announced this week by the University of Wales represent a fundamental change to the university's mission, and the institution now needs a new title which reflects this considerably changed role - we are no longer able to accept it as the University of Wales."
Full report on the Wales Online site