| 1913 |
The South Wales and Monmouthshire School of Mines at Treforest opened on 8 October 1913 with 17 mining diploma students, including 3 from China. It was owned and funded by the major Welsh coal owners and the first Principal and Director of Mining Studies was Professor George Knox, supported by five members of staff. |
| 1914 |
Sister school opened for part-time students at Crumlin Hall, near Newport which later became the Crumlin Mining and Technical College. |
| 1920 |
Great Western Colliery Company presented the School with the 1844 Beam Winding Engine which today stands outside Ty Crawshay on the Treforest campus. |
| 1926 |
The School was used as a model for the establishment of the Indian School of Mines at Dhanbad, the “coal capital of India”. |
| 1927 |
HM Inspectors commended the work of the School and noted that research of national importance was being undertaken into the application of science to industry and, crucially, having in mind the causes of so many mining disasters, an investigation of explosions due to coal dust. |
| 1928 |
As a result of the General Strike of 1926 and the ensuing financial pressures on the coal owners, the School at Treforest was transferred as a deed of gift to Glamorgan Education Authority. |
| 1934 |
Recognised by the University of London as a centre for the preparation for the BSc (External) in Mining and Mechanical Engineering, followed by Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. It was also possible for research students to register for Higher Degrees of the University of London. |
| 1940 |
The School was renamed as the School of Mines and Technology and during the war period, it was active in training the “Bevan Boys” and local army cadets. |
| 1943 |
A junior technical school was established at Rhydyfelin which came under the College’s jurisdiction until 1960 when Pontypridd College of Further Education opened. |
| 1949 |
Post-war South Wales was subject to significant industrial diversification which required the School to introduce a wider range of courses to meet the training needs of the local population. To reflect its expanded portfolio, the School was renamed as the Glamorgan Technical College. |
| 1953 |
Student numbers were 149 full-time, 1,282 part-time day and 871 evenings only. |
| 1958 |
The regional status of the College was recognised by the Ministry of Education whereby the College was renamed as the Glamorgan College of Technology. The College had expanded by this time to include full-time, sandwich and part-time courses in science, technology and commerce. |
| 1967 |
The Government proposed the College as one of the 30 new Polytechnics to be established in England and Wales. The management sub-committee of the College gave its approval for the development of the College as a Polytechnic and embarked on an extensive building and staff development programme. |
| 1970 |
The College was officially designated as the Glamorgan Polytechnic with over 2,000 students, ten academic departments and degree programmes validated by the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA). |
| 1975 |
Glamorgan Polytechnic merged with the Glamorgan College of Education in Barry and was re-designated as the Polytechnic of Wales. This merger provided the opportunity to broaden the base of the Polytechnic by the development of non-scientific and non-technological academic fields. |
| 1976 |
The university’s 30 acre outdoor sports facility at Tyn-y-Wern, Treforest Industrial Estate opened. This facility has been developed over the past 30 years and now provides state-of-the-art facilities for our students, community groups and national sporting bodies. |
| 1988 |
75th Anniversary of the institution – three academic faculties and student numbers were 4,200 full-time and sandwich, and 1,300 part-time. |
| 1990 |
Development of a franchise network at further education colleges throughout Wales to enable students to study higher education qualifications at their local college. The University currently has over 3,000 students studying off-campus across Wales and the UK. |
| 1992 |
The Polytechnic of Wales became a separate and independent institution in April 1992 and was awarded university status as the University of Glamorgan with effect from 1st September 1992. |
| 1994 |
Installation of the first Chancellor of the University, the Rt Hon Lord Merlyn Rees of Cilfynydd. Lord Merlyn Rees, a distinguished politician, former Secretary of State for Northern Ireland and Home Secretary, was a true advocate of the University’s vision and mission during its formative years. |
| 1994 |
Establishment of a campus at Glyntaff for the Law School and, thereafter, the School of Care Sciences. |
| 2002 |
The University celebrated its 10th Anniversary and the Rt Hon Lord Morris of Aberavon KG QC was installed as the second Chancellor of the University. |
| 2006 |
Merger with Merthyr Tydfil College to create the Faculty of Further Education. |
| 2007 |
Merger with the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and establishment of a new campus in central Cardiff – ATRiuM – for the University’s Cardiff School of Creative & Cultural Industries. |
| 2008 |
The University opened the UK’s first Hydrogen Demonstration Centre at Baglan Energy Park, near Swansea. |
| 2009 |
Establishment of the Universities Heads of the Valleys Institute in collaboration with University of Wales Newport to target the Heads of the Valleys communities with new higher education provision in order to raise levels of skills, opportunity and well being. |
| 2010 |
The University of Glamorgan currently has six academic faculties and over 25,000 students studying at campuses across South Wales, at partner further education colleges and centres across the globe, e.g. Bahrain, Hong Kong and Singapore. The current Vice-Chancellor is Julie Lydon and she is supported by over 2,000 academic and support staff. |
