University of Wales Trinity Saint David celebrates Founder’s Day 2022

A day of celebration is being held at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David's Lampeter campus today (Friday, 18 November), to mark its Founder’s Day.

As the oldest degree-awarding institution in England and Wales after the universities of Oxford and Cambridge, UWTSD will celebrate the birthday of its founder - Bishop Thomas Burgess.

This year, the University has been celebrating 200 years of higher education in Wales. The bicentenary celebration commemorates the establishment of St David’s College, Lampeter on 12 August 1822 when the foundation stone was laid by Bishop Thomas Burgess, making Lampeter the birthplace of higher education in Wales.

To mark the occasion, a special service conducted by the Reverend Dr Emma Whittick will be held at the University’s chapel.  During the service The Most Reverend Andrew John, Archbishop of Wales, will give the address.  Following the service, guests will attend a dinner on campus.

Professor Medwin Hughes, DL, Vice-Chancellor of UWTSD, said:

“It has been special year of celebration to mark a significant milestone in the University's history. We are very proud of that history and especially as it has given us the opportunity to also celebrate the contribution of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David and the higher education sector to the well-being of our country and its communities over the past two centuries. From the seeds sown in Lampeter over two centuries ago, the University has grown into a multi-campus, dual-sector University providing a vocationally relevant bilingual curriculum in partnership with employers.

The year has also been an opportunity for us to welcome our stakeholders to join us in events across our campuses and the region and we are very grateful to them for their support and their contribution to the success of the University.”

After the Foundation Stone of St. David’s College was laid in 1822 its first students were admitted on Saint David’s Day, 1827, but the College’s Royal Charter of Incorporation was not completed until 1828 when it was sealed by King George IV on 6th February of that year.  Indeed, the King was regarded as ‘The Royal Founder’.

The students were encouraged to think widely and think globally – a necessity for the new generation of clergy, many of whom would serve in the burgeoning industrial towns of south Wales or in areas where new agricultural techniques were increasingly being employed. The college library was not just for them, but also intended to benefit local entrepreneurs, and it attracted the notice of scholars from further afield - even Prince Lucien Bonaparte, nephew of the Emperor Napoleon I.

The University’s Lampeter campus has a significant international reputation in key areas of scholarship and, in particular, as a centre for the Humanities and international multi-faith and multi-cultural education. Today, it is an integral part of the University of Wales Trinity Saint David, a dual sector University providing progression routes from entry level to doctoral studies.  Major initiatives include the development of Canolfan Tir Glas which aims to stimulate economic growth and resilience in Lampeter and the region.

For further information about UWTSD Lampeter, please visit https://uwtsd.ac.uk/lampeter/

Further Information

For more information please contact Arwel Lloyd, Principal PR and Communications Officer, on 07384 467076 / arwel.lloyd@uwtsd.ac.uk