THE University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) has celebrated its presence in the town of Cardigan through the merger of Coleg Ceredigion into the University of UWTSD Group.

In an event held at Cardigan’s Guildhall, the University’s vice-chancellor Professor Medwin Hughes; chairman of the University Council, the Venerable Randolph Thomas, and Dr Brinley Jones, president of UWTSD, officially welcomed Coleg Ceredigion to the UWTSD Group.

The vice-chancellor also presented the town with a citation naming Coleg Ceredigion as a constituent college of the university.

During the event, Jacqui Weatherburn, principal of Coleg Ceredigion and Allison Coleman, chairwoman of the college, highlighted the benefits of being a part of the UWTSD Group and discussed the exciting, new educational opportunities it will create.

Cardigan Town Council also took part, were also an important part of this historic event, with the Reverend Councillor Gwynfi Jenkins and the mayor of Cardigan, Councillor John Adams-Lewis, celebrating the town’s association with the university.

The UWTSD Group has an ambitious mission. It aims to transform education in Wales and by doing so transform the lives of the individuals and communities who are connected to it.

“UWTSD – along with its further education partners, Coleg Ceredigion and Coleg Sir Gâr – are creating a new system of education, providing progression routes from entry level to doctoral studies within the region,” saidys UWTSD’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Medwin Hughes.

“We are working with a range of partners to secure the sustainability of our communities by ensuring that the education we provide is connected to the needs of employers and the community and responds to the economic and social wellbeing of Wales within a global context.

"The Group also places a strong emphasis on providing bilingual and Welsh medium opportunities to enhance local and national employment opportunities for learners” adds Professor Hughes."

Said Jacqui Weatherburn said, Principal of Coleg Ceredigion: “We were delighted to join with Cardigan Town Council to celebrate the opportunities that our merger partnership with the University of Wales Trinity Saint David offers the learners in Ceredigion.

"The branding of Cardigan as a university town cements Cardigan's’ position as a growing centre of educational and cultural excellence in south-west Wales.”

As with the ancient town of Cardigan, the University too has a long and splendid history. The University’s 1828 Royal Charter is the oldest of any university in Wales and England after the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.

Today, the University of Wales Trinity Saint David is a dynamic and ambitious institution with campuses across three counties in West Wales as well as the Wales International Academy of Voice in Cardiff and campuses in London for international students.

The University looks forward to its continued collaboration with its partners in Cardigan and across the region.