Posted on 8 August 2013
The University of Wales is custodian of many important academic and cultural assets of the nation. In light of recent structural changes within the University of Wales, details of a unique pledge to secure a sustainable future for a number of key Welsh academic and cultural assets will be outlined as part of a public information session on the University of Wales Stand at the 2013 National Eisteddfod in Denbigh on Thursday, 8th August from 1:45 - 2:45pm.
Adduned Cymru – The Wales Pledge, will fund a number of separate charitable bodies to safeguard the traditional services associated with the University including The Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies, Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru (A Dictionary of the Welsh Language), The University of Wales Press and The Gregynog Trust.
The University of Wales has also decided to establish The Wales Universities Trust to distribute the Legacy of the Welsh Churches Act gifted to the federal University.
The Wales Heritage Academy will be established to promote the language, heritage and culture of Wales and in so doing further the work of the Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies and Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru (A Dictionary of the Welsh Language). The University will commit an initial sum of half a million pounds to the new Academy
The same amount of money will also be transferred to the new charitable body established to safeguard the University of Wales Press, which was originally founded in 1922. The investment will allow the Press to develop a new strategic plan to expand its educational remit and embrace opportunities associated with digital and electronic publishing.
Financial support will also be provided to establish a new charitable body to safeguard Gregynog Hall and a determination to protect the historic Gwasg Gregynog (The Gregynog Press), established by Gwendoline and Margaret Davies, and which has since gained a world-wide reputation for producing limited edition books of the highest order.
The proposed Wales Universities Trust will be the new guardian of numerous charitable gifts (restricted endowments) received by the University of Wales over the years, which total approximately £5.5 million. The Trust will ensure these gifts are used only for their original purpose. In addition the Trust will be responsible for former Welsh Commissioners held land distributed to the University of Wales following the Welsh Church Act 1914. The University Council has determined that the remaining land should be sold but pending disposal, the Council has agreed to place the land into the safekeeping of the new Wales Universities Trust.
Professor Medwin Hughes, The Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wales, said, “The University of Wales is a strong brand. It has a long and proud history dating back to 1893 and has made an outstanding contribution to the higher education sector. The time, however, is right for structural change.
“Adduned Cymru - The Wales Pledge will ensure the University is faithful to its core values. The new charitable bodies will support a range of academic and cultural initiatives which reflect the very best of the history and legacy of the University of Wales.
“Within a period of transformational change for higher education in Wales, The Wales Pledge reaffirms a clear commitment to safeguarding a range of cultural and academic assets for future generations and will make an important contribution to the culture, society and economy of Wales for decades to come.”
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