Founded by Royal Charter in 1893, the University of Wales is the degree-awarding body for the majority of higher education students in Wales, as well as for many at other higher education institutions in the United Kingdom and overseas. To date the University has awarded over 600,000 degrees.

The University’s position enables it to focus not only on its primary functions as a degree-awarding body and provider of services to the Welsh higher education sector but also, as a national institution, on playing an enhanced role in protecting and promoting the economy, culture and language of Wales.

Recently, the University has signed a memorandum of understanding with six of the university institutions in Wales, with whom it will be working closely on collaborative ventures, research groupings and other new initiatives, creating the University of Wales Alliance. These institutions are:

Glyndŵr University

Swansea Metropolitan University

University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC)

University of Wales, Newport

University of Wales, Lampeter

Trinity University College

The latter two institutions will merge in Autumn 2010 to become University of Wales, Trinity St David.

The University also maintains links with Aberystwyth University, Bangor University, Cardiff University and Swansea University.

The University of Wales is the degree-awarding authority for more than 120 other higher education institutions both within the United Kingdom and overseas, with which it also enjoys close links. Annually, the University awards around 15,000 initial degrees and more than 4,000 higher degrees, making it the second largest degree-awarding body in the United Kingdom. The number of students, from all over the world, pursuing University of Wales degrees is around 70,000, and their studies cover a wide range of subjects.

The University is a major national institution in Wales. While it is, of course, committed to helping to fulfil the educational and economic needs of Wales and to supporting its linguistic, cultural, and national heritage, the University is also committed to its international role and to enhancing its standing across the UK and overseas. As well as its validation role and the international projects undertaken by its Global Academy, the University sponsors a number of cultural initiatives, such as the prestigious University of Wales Dylan Thomas Prize, for young writers, which attracts entries from all over the world.