University of Wales Trinity Saint David

ABOUT UNIVERSITY

The University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD), known in Welsh as Prifysgol Cymru Y Drindod Dewi Sant, is a public university with campuses in Carmarthen, Swansea, Cardiff, Birmingham, and London. Established in 2010 through the merger of the University of Wales, Lampeter, and Trinity University College, it is rooted in Lampeter’s 1828 royal charter, making it the oldest higher education institution in Wales. The institution’s name reflects Lampeter’s original identity as Saint David’s College and Trinity’s heritage. In 2011, the University of Wales announced its merger into UWTSD, and Swansea Metropolitan University formally joined in 2013. Over time, the university expanded by integrating further education colleges, including Coleg Sir Gâr in 2012 and Coleg Ceredigion in 2016, creating a combined higher and further education network. UWTSD also launched a London campus in 2012, opened the Wales International Academy of Voice in Cardiff in 2011, and expanded further with the Wales Centre for Performance in Cardiff in 2015 and a Birmingham learning centre in 2018. Internationally, it collaborated with the University of Malaya in 2013 to establish UM-Wales in Malaysia. The institution has faced challenges, such as a 2008 QAA report highlighting governance concerns at Lampeter, which ultimately accelerated the mergers. Its leadership includes Randolph Thomas as Chair of Council and Elwen Evans as Vice-Chancellor since 2023, with King Charles III serving as patron since 2011. In 2020, UWTSD entered a strategic alliance with the University of South Wales to strengthen innovation and community regeneration while maintaining distinct identities. Despite its growth and diversification, the university announced in 2025 that teaching at the historic Lampeter campus would end after the 2024–25 academic year, with humanities courses relocating to Carmarthen. Today, UWTSD represents both historic traditions and modern educational expansion in Wales and beyond.