City, University of London and St George's, University of London merge

Published Monday, 29^th July, 2024 in University news

City, University of London and St George's, University of London has now formally merged with on Thursday 1 August 2024. As a new institution, we are now City St George’s, University of London.

City St George’s President, Anthony Finkelstein has said for students:

I am proud to be the President of City St George’s, University of London. We are now one of the largest higher education destinations for London students and a powerful multi-faculty institution.

I want to reassure you that although you are now automatically a member of City St George’s, University of London, the programme of study you chose and the location where it is delivered will remain the same. You will continue to have access to all our high-quality facilities and services.

You can read more information about the merger on the City St George’s website.

City Students’ Union and St George’s Students’ Union have also merged, to form City St George’s Students’ Union, and have launched a new website.

A set of frequently asked questions (FAQs) have been made below. You can submit any additional questions which are currently covered using the dedicated Qualtrics form.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Updated: 24 April 2025

How will this impact learning and support?

For all returning and new students starting in the 2024/25 academic year, your programme, the academic support you receive and the campus on which you study will not change. You will continue to have access to all our high-quality facilities and services.

These will also improve significantly for students across our campuses. On our Clerkenwell campus, through the Student Support Hub, which has delivered a brand-new student space that brings our key services together in one place.

On our Tooting campus, work is underway to develop a similar space on the Ground Floor for students to meet and collaborate, and in September 2024, a programme of work began to introduce improvements to the Rob Lowe Sports Hall building.

Are there any events to mark the merger?

On 3 March 2025, the new institution launched externally and was be supported by a range of activities and events to mark the significant step forward. This included a series of 'Discover City St George's' events for students on each of our three campuses led by the Students' Union.

We will also continue to share wider opportunities where students can meet and attend events across our campuses. Look out for these in our student communications, such as Campus News (Clerkenwell/Moorgate) and The Beat (Tooting).

What should students in the School of Health & Medical Sciences (previously the School of Health & Psychological Sciences and St George's School of Health & Medical Sciences) expect?

As of Monday 3 March 2025, students and staff from the School of Health & Psychological Sciences and St George's School of Health & Medical Sciences joined to form the integrated School of Health & Medical Sciences.

For the foreseeable future, activities across health and medicine, including teaching and research, will continue at their current locations at our Clerkenwell and Tooting campuses. Your programme, the academic support your receive and the campus on which you study will not change.

What will change?

While we are now operating as a combined institution, a full integration will take time and is expected to be done over a number of years to achieve.

Emails

As of Monday 3 March, the sending (reply-to) email address for all students, staff and group accounts will automatically change to (name/username)@citystgeorges.ac.uk.

Branding

You will have already seen our refreshed visual identity, including our logo and name, which is being updated on campus and elsewhere as we move through the rebranding process.

Campus names

The new institution will be made up of three campuses:

• Clerkenwell – covering buildings and services located in and around Northampton Square
• Moorgate – covering buildings and services located at Bunhill Row and Finsbury Square for Bayes Business School
• Tooting – covering buildings and services located as part of the School of Health & Medical Sciences (Tooting)

Do students have shared access to any facilities/services across campuses?

The University is keen to ensure students of any campus can access the same universal student experience, including facilities, systems, resources and learning opportunities. However, while we are integrating systems we are unable to allow complete shared access. For at least the 2024/25 academic year, students should use the facilities and services set for their campus.

The following exceptions are as follows:

• University libraries - Clerkenwell/Moorgate students wishing to access Tooting's library can do use using this online form. Tooting students can do the same for Clerkenwell/Moorgate libraries using this other online form.
• CitySport - students of any campus are eligible to benefit from City St George's student membership offers.
• CitySight - students of any campus are eligible to benefit from services, including free eye tests from Optometry students.
• Unitemps - a recruitment service, offering temporary and part-time job opportunities primarily for students and recent graduates. It is a convenient service if you are looking to gain work experience, earn money, and build your career while still in education.

We will continue to communicate with students as we are able to share further details of any further developments.

Will the new name be on my degree certificate?

For students at Clerkenwell/Moorgate campuses

For returning and new students joining in the 2024/25 academic year, we are reviewing whether students can choose to graduate with a City St George's, University of London degree certificate, or with City, University of London degree certificate.

For students at Tooting campus

Tooting campus students who registered up to, and including, the 2024/25 academic year (and who will graduate in 2024/25, 2025/26 or 2026/27), will be able to choose whether to receive a certificate bearing the City St George's, University of London logo, or the St George's Hospital Medical School logo.

If you are a student at Tooting and are due to graduate during any of the above years, we will contact you at the point of graduating to ask which certificate you would like to receive. For students graduating after the above years, we will be reviewing certificates again in 2027/28, following this initial three-year period. Students will be communicated with to confirm the outcome of these discussions.

How does the merger benefit students?

As a combined university, we can broaden the opportunities and outcomes available for our students through the possibility of engagement between different disciplines.

There is now a bigger student community, and will be access to greater resources and interdisciplinary opportunities, increased support and, over time, more streamlined processes. The merger also brings significant advantages of scale, reach, capability and resilience, ensuring the future success of City St George’s.

How did the merger come about?

Exploration of a combined institution began in 2022 by City’s President, St George’s Vice-Chancellor and both universities' Councils, as an opportunity to increase the scale, impact and resilience of the two institutions. In February 2024, a Memorandum of Understanding was signed to formalise these plans following extensive work to ensure this would be a positive step for both institutions.

Who is the head of the new institution?

The combined institution is led by Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein. The appointment process for this role was undertaken jointly by the Councils of both City and St George’s and led by an independent Chair.

Professor Ian Jacobs is the inaugural Chair of Council of City St George’s, University of London. You can read about his appointment on the City St George's website.

Is the combined University still a member of the University of London?

Yes, City St George’s, University of London remains a member of the University of London and students can continue to make use of the benefits available.