A trade union has issued a stark warning in the Senedd’s Education Committee that one of Wales’s universities is at real risk of collapsing within the next year due to severe financial pressures. Dan Beard, chair of Unison Cymru’s higher education forum, cautioned that “without change, we will see universities collapsing or contracting significantly”
Responding, Welsh Conservative Shadow Cabinet Secretary for Education, Natasha Asghar MS, said:
“This is extremely concerning for pupils, prospective students, parents and staff across Welsh universities.
“The last 26 Years of Labour’s chronic underfunding in the higher education sector, coupled with the Labour Chancellor’s National Insurance hike, alongside the £100m deficit already burdening our universities, has created significant financial pressures for Welsh institutions.
“The prolonged uncertainty surrounding the future of Welsh universities has undoubtedly affected the reputation of Welsh institutions globally. For many prospective students, this ongoing turmoil may lead them to reconsider Wales as their first-choice destination for higher education.”
