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Cardiff Metropolitan University

Hugh Jones' Higher Education Postcard comes to us from South Wales this week.
This article is more than 2 years old

Hugh Jones is a freelance HE consultant. You’ll find a daily #HigherEducationPostcard if you follow him on Twitter.

This card shows the Cyncoed campus at Cardiff Metropolitan University / Prifysgol Metropolitan Caerdydd.

Cardiff Met is a product of many precursors:

  • Cardiff College of Food Technology and Commerce (1971 – 1976)
  • Cardiff College of Education (1970 – 1976)
  • Llandaff College of Technology (1970 – 1976)
  • College of Commerce (1968 – 1971)
  • Reardon Smith Nautical College (1956 – 1970)
  • Cardiff College of Food Technology (1957 – 1971)
  • Llandaff Technical College (1954 – 1970) (this is the College which moved to the new Cyncoed campus in 1962, as shown on the card)
  • Cardiff College of Art (1949 – 1976)
  • Cardiff Teacher Training College (1945 – 1970)
  • School of Nautical Cookery (1911 – 1973)
  • Cardiff College of Technology and Commerce (1949 – 1961)
  • Cardiff Technical College (1916 – 1949)
  • Cardiff Technical School (1889 – 1916)
  • Cardiff School of Science & Art (1865 – 1916)

The Cardiff College of Food Technology and Commerce, Cardiff College of Education, Llandaff College of Technology and the Cardiff College of Art merged in 1976, and in 1990 the resulting institute renamed as the Cardiff Institute of Higher Education.

It was granted taught degree awarding powers in 1993 but did not use these, instead joining the University of Wales in 1996 as the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff, and becoming a full member of the University in 2003.

Welsh HE has thrived on merging and demerging institutions, and Cardiff Met has played a full role. It has been a potential merger partner for the University of Wales Institute Newport and the University of Glamorgan (which two did merge to form the University of South Wales) and also with Swansea Metropolitan University and University of Wales Trinity St David.

It nevertheless remains autonomous, in 2011 withdrawing from the University of Wales and becoming Cardiff Metropolitan University.

That’s a lot to take in.

Away from governance and politics, Cardiff Met is known amongst other things for sport. Some of the great names of Welsh sport have studied at Cardiff Met – Lynn Davies the sprinter, Gareth Edwards and JJ Williams the Rugby players, Huw Morris the cricketer, and the multitalented Non Evans (international honours in judo, rugby, weightlifting and wrestling).

Cardiff Metropolitan FC plays in the Welsh Premiership and has four times competed in UEFA competitions.

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