Aberystwyth University () is a

public In public relations and communication science, publics are groups of individual people, and the public (a.k.a. the general public) is the totality of such groupings. This is a different concept to the sociology, sociological concept of the ''Öf ...

research Research is creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge. It involves the collection, organization, and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness to ...

university A university () is an educational institution, institution of tertiary education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. ''University'' is derived from the Latin phrase , which roughly ...

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth (; ) is a University town, university and seaside town and a community (Wales), community in Ceredigion, Wales. It is the largest town in Ceredigion and from Aberaeron, the county's other administrative centre. In 2021, the popula ...

Wales Wales ( ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by the Irish Sea to the north and west, England to the England–Wales border, east, the Bristol Channel to the south, and the Celtic ...

. Aberystwyth was a founding member institution of the former federal

University of Wales The University of Wales () is a confederal university based in Cardiff, Wales. Founded by royal charter in 1893 as a federal university with three constituent colleges – Aberystwyth, Bangor and Cardiff – the university was the first universit ...

. The university has over 8,000 students studying across three academic faculties and 17 departments. Founded in 1872 as University College Wales, Aberystwyth, it became a founder member of the University of Wales in 1894, and changed its name to the University College of Wales, Aberystwyth. In the mid-1990s, the university again changed its name to become the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. On 1 September 2007, the University of Wales ceased to be a federal university and Aberystwyth University became independent again. The annual income of the institution for 2022–2023 was £130.8 million of which £22.2 million was from research grants and contracts, with an expenditure of £127.8 million.

History

In the middle of the 19th century, eminent Welsh people were advocating the establishment of a university in the

principality of Wales The Principality of Wales () was originally the territory of the native Welsh princes of the House of Aberffraw from 1216 to 1283, encompassing two-thirds of modern Wales during its height of 1267–1277. Following the conquest of Wales by Edwa ...

. One of these, Thomas Nicholas, whose book, ''Middle and High Class Schools, and University Education for Wales'' (1863), is said to have "exerted great influence on educated Welshmen". Funded through public and private subscriptions, and with five regional committees (London, Manchester, Liverpool, North and South Wales) guaranteeing funds for the first three years' running costs, the university opened in October 1872 with 26 students. Thomas Charles Edwards was the principal. In October 1875, chapels in Wales raised the next tranche of funds from over 70,000 contributors. Until 1893, when the college joined the

as a founder member, students applying to Aberystwyth sat the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

's entrance exams. Women were admitted in 1884. In 1885, a fire damaged what is now known as the Old College, Aberystwyth, and in 1897 the first 14 acres of what became the main Penglais campus were purchased. Incorporated by

royal charter A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, but ...

in 1893, the university installed

Albert Edward, Prince of Wales Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until Death and state funeral of Edward VII, his death in 1910. The second child ...

, as chancellor in 1896, the same year it awarded an honorary degree to the former British prime minister, William Gladstone. The university's

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the last two being outer garments), originating in Europe. The coat of arms on an escutcheon f ...

dates from the 1880s. The shield features two red dragons to symbolise

, and an open book to symbolise learning. The crest, an

eagle Eagle is the common name for the golden eagle, bald eagle, and other birds of prey in the family of the Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. True eagles comprise the genus ''Aquila ( ...

or phoenix above a flaming tower, may signify the college's rebirth after the 1885 fire. The motto is ('a world without knowledge is no world at all'). In the early 1900s, the university added courses that included law, applied mathematics, pure mathematics and botany. The Department for International Politics, which Aberystwyth says is the oldest such department in the world, was founded in 1919. By 1977, the university's staff included eight Fellows of the

Royal Society The Royal Society, formally The Royal Society of London for Improving Natural Knowledge, is a learned society and the United Kingdom's national academy of sciences. The society fulfils a number of roles: promoting science and its benefits, re ...

, such as Gwendolen Rees, the first Welsh woman to be elected an FRS. The Department of Sports and Exercise Science was established in 2000. Joint honours psychology degrees were introduced in September 2007, and single honours psychology in 2009. The

chancellor Chancellor () is a title of various official positions in the governments of many countries. The original chancellors were the of Roman courts of justice—ushers, who sat at the (lattice work screens) of a basilica (court hall), which separa ...

of the university is The Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, who took up the position in January 2018. The

visitor A visitor, in English and Welsh law and history, is an overseer of an autonomous ecclesiastical or eleemosynary institution, often a charitable institution set up for the perpetual distribution of the founder's alms and bounty, who can interve ...

of the university is an appointment made by the privy council, under the

of the university. Since July 2014, the holder of this office is Mr Justice Sir Roderick Evans KC. In 2011, the university appointed a new vice chancellor under whom the academic departments were restructured as larger subject-themed institutes. In 2022, the university celebrated its 150th anniversary, being established in 1872 (known at the time as The University College of Wales).

Organisation and administration

Departments and Faculties

The university's academic departments, as well as the Arts Centre, International English Centre and Music Centre are organised in three faculties: ; Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences * School of Art * Arts Centre * School of Education * Department of English and Creative Writing * Department of History and Welsh History * International English Centre * Department of International Politics * Department of Law and Criminology * Department of Modern Languages * Music Centre * Department of Theatre, Film and Television Studies * Department of Welsh and Celtic Studies ; Faculty of Business and Physical Sciences * Aberystwyth Business School * Department of Computer Science * Department of Information Studies * Department of Mathematics * Department of Physics ; Faculty of Earth and Life Sciences * Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences * Department of Geography and Earth Sciences * Department of Psychology

Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences

The Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Sciences (IBERS) is a research and teaching centre which brings together staff from the Institutes of Rural Sciences and Biological Sciences and the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research (IGER). Around 360 research, teaching and support staff conduct basic, strategic and applied research in biology. The institute is located in two areas; one at the main teaching Penglais campus and another rural research hub at the Gogerddan campus.

Aberystwyth Business School

In 1998, the Department of Economics (founded in 1912), the Department of Accounting and Finance (founded in 1979) and the Centre for Business Studies merged to create the School of Management and Business. In 2013, the School joined the Department of Information Studies and the Department of Law and Criminology at a new campus at Llanbadarn Fawr. The school was shortlisted for "Business School of the Year" in the ''Times Higher Education'' Awards (2014). In 2016, the institute, minus the Department of Information Studies, was renamed the Institute of Business and Law, the remaining departments being renamed Aberystwyth Business School and Aberystwyth Law School. Aberystwyth University School of Economics - geograph

Aberystwyth University School of Economics - geograph

Department of Computer Science

Aberystwyth University Computer Science Department

The Department of Computer Science (founded in 1970), conducts research in

automated reasoning In computer science, in particular in knowledge representation and reasoning and metalogic, the area of automated reasoning is dedicated to understanding different aspects of reasoning. The study of automated reasoning helps produce computer progr ...

computational biology Computational biology refers to the use of techniques in computer science, data analysis, mathematical modeling and Computer simulation, computational simulations to understand biological systems and relationships. An intersection of computer sci ...

, vision graphics and visualisation and intelligent robotics. AberMUD, the first popular internet-based

MUD Mud (, or Middle Dutch) is loam, silt or clay mixed with water. Mud is usually formed after rainfall or near water sources. Ancient mud deposits hardened over geological time to form sedimentary rock such as shale or mudstone (generally cal ...

, was written in the department by then-student Alan Cox. Jan Pinkava, another graduate, won an

Oscar Oscar, OSCAR, or The Oscar may refer to: People and fictional and mythical characters * Oscar (given name), including lists of people and fictional characters named Oscar, Óscar or Oskar * Oscar (footballer, born 1954), Brazilian footballer ...

for his short animated film '' Geri's Game''.

Department of Geography and Earth Sciences

The Department of Geography and Earth Sciences (IGES) was formed, in 1989, from the former Departments of Geography (established in 1918) and Geology. It houses the E. G. Bowen map library, containing 80,000 maps and 500 atlases.

Department of Information Studies

The College of Librarianship Wales (CLW) was established at Llanbadarn Fawr in 1964, in response to a recommendation for the training of bilingual librarians that was made in the Bourdillon Report on ''Standards of public library service in England'' (HMSO, 1962). The college grew rapidly, developing close links to the Welsh speaking and professional communities, acquiring an international reputation and pioneering flexible and distance learning courses. It claimed to be Europe's largest institution for training librarians. The independent college merged with the university in August 1989 and the department moved to the Penglais campus a quarter of a century later. Following the merger, the new department took over responsibility for existing offerings in archives administration and modern records management.

Department of International Politics

The Department of International Politics is the oldest of its kind in the world. It was founded, shortly after the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in 1919, with the stated purpose of furthering political understanding of the world in the hope of avoiding such conflicts in the future. This goal led to the creation of the

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

Chair of International Politics, with Wilson having played a significant role in its creation. The department has over 700 students from 40 countries studying at undergraduate, masters and PhD levels. It achieved a 95% score for student satisfaction in the 2016 National Student Survey, placing it as the highest-ranking politics department in Wales and within the UK's top ten. The department has hosted notable academic staff in the field including E. H. Carr,

Leopold Kohr Leopold Kohr (5 October 1909 – 26 February 1994) was an economist, jurist and political scientist known both for his opposition to the "cult of bigness" in social organization and as one of those who inspired the ''Small Is Beautiful'' movement. ...

, Andrew Linklater, Ken Booth, Steve Smith, Michael Cox, Michael MccGwire, Jenny Edkins and Colin J. McInnes.

Department of Law and Criminology

The Department of Law and Criminology (founded in 1901) is housed in the Hugh Owen Building on the Penglais campus, and includes the ''Centre for Welsh Legal Affairs'', a specialist research centre. All academic staff are engaged in research, and the ''International Journal of Biosciences and the Law'' and the '' Cambrian Law Review'' are edited in the department. In 2013, the department joined the Department of Information Studies and the School of Management and Business at a new campus at Llanbadarn Fawr, as part of a newly created Institute of Management, Law and Information Studies. In September 2018, the department moved back to the Hugh Owen Building, based in the Penglais campus, and its name changed from Aberystwyth Law School to the Department of Law and Criminology. ''The Guardian'' University Guide 2018 ranked the Law Department at 69th in the UK, and "The Times" Higher Education Guide ranks it as 300th globally.

Department of Modern Languages

Aberystwyth has taught modern languages since 1874. French, German, Italian and Spanish courses are taught at both beginners' and advanced levels, in a research-active academic environment. One of its research projects is the ''Anglo-Norman Dictionary'', based in Aberystwyth since 2001 and available online since 2005.

Department of Physics

Physics was first taught at Aberystwyth as part of

Natural Philosophy Natural philosophy or philosophy of nature (from Latin ''philosophia naturalis'') is the philosophical study of physics, that is, nature and the physical universe, while ignoring any supernatural influence. It was dominant before the develop ...

, Astronomy and Mathematics under N. R. Grimley, soon after the foundation of the University College. It became a department in 1877, under the leadership of F. W. Rudler. The department was located in the south wing of what is now the Old College, but later moved to the Physics Building on the Penglais Campus. The first chair in Physics was offered to D. E. Jones in 1885. Before the First World War, much of the early research in the department was undertaken in

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

. Early research in the 1900s was concerned with

electrical conductivity Electrical resistivity (also called volume resistivity or specific electrical resistance) is a fundamental specific property of a material that measures its electrical resistance or how strongly it resists electric current. A low resistivity in ...

and quantum theory, later moving into

thermal conductivity The thermal conductivity of a material is a measure of its ability to heat conduction, conduct heat. It is commonly denoted by k, \lambda, or \kappa and is measured in W·m−1·K−1. Heat transfer occurs at a lower rate in materials of low ...

and

acoustics Acoustics is a branch of physics that deals with the study of mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound. A scientist who works in the field of acoustics is an acoustician ...

. In 1931, the department hosted the

Faraday Michael Faraday (; 22 September 1791 – 25 August 1867) was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the study of electrochemistry and electromagnetism. His main discoveries include the principles underlying electromagnetic inducti ...

Centenary Exhibition. E. J. Williams was appointed to the Chair of Physics in 1938 where he continued his research into sub-atomic particles using a cloud chamber. Following the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, research was concerned with mechanical and

nuclear physics Nuclear physics is the field of physics that studies atomic nuclei and their constituents and interactions, in addition to the study of other forms of nuclear matter. Nuclear physics should not be confused with atomic physics, which studies th ...

, later moving into the fields of

air density The density of air or atmospheric density, denoted '' ρ'', is the mass per unit volume of Earth's atmosphere at a given point and time. Air density, like air pressure, decreases with increasing altitude. It also changes with variations in atmosph ...

, experimental

rocket A rocket (from , and so named for its shape) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely ...

launching equipment and

radar Radar is a system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), direction ( azimuth and elevation angles), and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It is a radiodetermination method used to detect and track ...

Department of Psychology

In 2007, Aberystwyth established psychology as a "Centre for Applied Psychology" within the Department of International Politics. By 2011, psychology had moved into its current premises in Penbryn 5 on the Penglais Campus. The department has over 550 undergraduate students, with degrees accredited by the British Psychological Society and is home to an MSc in Behaviour Change.

Campuses

Penglais

The main campus of the university is situated on Penglais Hill, overlooking the town of Aberystwyth and

Cardigan Bay Cardigan Bay () is a large inlet of the Irish Sea, indenting the west coast of Wales between Bardsey Island, Gwynedd in the north, and Strumble Head, Pembrokeshire at its southern end. It is the largest bay in Wales. Geography Cardigan Bay ha ...

, and comprises most of the university buildings, Arts Centre, Students' Union, and many of the student residences. Just below Penglais Campus is the

National Library of Wales The National Library of Wales (, ) in Aberystwyth is the national legal deposit library of Wales and is one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies. It is the biggest library in Wales, holding over 6.5 million books and periodicals, and the l ...

, one of Britain's five

legal deposit Legal deposit is a legal requirement that a person or group submit copies of their publications to a repository, usually a library. The number of copies required varies from country to country. Typically, the national library is the primary reposit ...

libraries. The landscaping of the Penglais Campus is historically significant and is listed at Grade II* on the

Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales The Cadw/ICOMOS Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in Wales is a heritage register of significant historic parks and gardens in Wales. It is maintained by Cadw, the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and ...

. The

CADW (, a Welsh verbal noun meaning "keeping/preserving") is the historic environment service of the Welsh Government and part of the Tourism and Culture group. works to protect the historic buildings and structures, the landscapes and heritage ...

listing states,

Llanbadarn

The Llanbadarn Centre is located approximately one mile to the east of the Penglais Campus, near Llanbadarn Fawr, overlooking the

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

and

to the west, with the backdrop of the Cambrian Mountains to the east. Llanbadarn Centre hosted Aberystwyth Law School and Aberystwyth Business School, which together formed the Institute of Business and Law. The Department of Information Studies is also based there. Additionally, the Llanbadarn Campus is the site of the Aberystwyth branch of Coleg Ceredigion (a further education college, and not part of the university).

Goggerddan

At Gogerddan, on the outskirts of town is located the university's major centre for research in land based sciences and the main centre for the Institute of Biological, Environmental and Rural Science.

School of Art, Edward Davies Building

The School of Art is located between the Penglais Campus and the centre of Aberystwyth, in what was originally the Edward Davies Memorial Chemistry Laboratories. A listed building, the Edward Davies Building is one of the finest examples of architecture in Aberystwyth.

Old College

The site of the original university is the Old College, currently the subject of the "New Life for Old College" project which aims to transform it into an integrated centre of heritage, culture, learning and knowledge exchange.

Aberystwyth Mauritius

The university opened an international campus in

Mauritius Mauritius, officially the Republic of Mauritius, is an island country in the Indian Ocean, about off the southeastern coast of East Africa, east of Madagascar. It includes the main island (also called Mauritius), as well as Rodrigues, Ag ...

in 2015 operating as ''Aberystwyth University (Mauritian Branch Campus)'' and registered with the Tertiary Education Commission of Mauritius, but closed it to new enrolments two years later due to low enrolment numbers. Less than 200 students enrolled with the Mauritius campus, which had the capacity for 2,000 students, before its 2018 closure and the university lost more than a million pounds as a result of the venture.

Student residences

Most of the student residences are on campus, with the rest in walking distance of the campus and Aberystwyth town centre. Accommodation ranges from "traditional" catered residences to en-suite self-catered accommodation, and from budget rooms to more luxurious studio apartments. All have wired access to the university's computer network and a support network of residential tutors.

Penglais Campus

*Cwrt Mawr (self-catered flats, single rooms, capacity 503) * (Welsh speaking traditional catered hall, refurbished in 2020, capacity 200) *Penbryn (Welsh-speaking traditional catered hall, capacity 350) *Rosser (self-catered en-suite flats, capacity 336), *Rosser G (postgraduate flats following 2011 expansion to Rosser, capacity 60) *Trefloyne (self-catered flats, capacity 147)

Pentre Jane Morgan (Student Village)

*Almost 200 individual houses arranged in closes and cul-de-sacs. Each house typically accommodates five or six students. The total capacity is 1,003.

Fferm Penglais Student Residence

* Purpose-built student accommodation with studio apartments and en-suite bedrooms (total capacity 1,000). An area of accommodation within the Fferm Penglais Student Residence is set aside for students who are Welsh learners or fluent Welsh speakers and who wish to live in a Welsh speaking environment.

Town accommodation

*Seafront Residences (self-catered flats located on the seafront and Queen's Road, overall capacity 361). The original Seafront residences, Plyn' and Caerleon, were destroyed by fire in 1998. *Seafront residences include Aberglasney, Balmoral, Blaenwern, Caerleon, Carpenter, Pumlumon, Ty Glyndwr, and Ty Gwerin Halls. The university also owns several houses, such as Penglais Farmhouse (adjacent to Pentre Jane Morgan) and flats in Waun Fawr, which are let on an assured shorthold tenure to students with families. Disabled access rooms are available within the existing student village.

Reputation and academic profile

Aberystwyth University is placed in the UK's top 40 universities in the main national rankings. It is ranked 38th for 132 UK university rankings in ''The Times/Sunday Times Good University Guide'' for 2023, and the first university to be given the prestigious award "University of the year for teaching quality" for two consecutive years, in 2018 and 2019. The ''Times Higher Education World University Rankings'' placed it in the 301—350 group for 800 university rankings, compared with 351—400 the previous year, and the ''QS World University Rankings'' placed it at the 432nd position for 2019, compared with 481—490 of the previous year. In 2015, UK employers from "predominantly business, IT and engineering sectors" listed Aberystwyth equal 49th in their 62-place employability rankings for UK graduates, according to a ''Times Higher Education'' report. Aberystwyth University was rated in the top ten of UK higher education institutions for overall student satisfaction in the 2016 National Student Survey (NSS). Aberystwyth University was shortlisted in four categories in the ''Times Higher Education'' Leadership and Management Awards (THELMAs) (2015). Aberystwyth University has been awarded the Silver Award under the Corporate Health Standard (CHS), the quality mark for workplace health promotion run by Welsh Government. The university has been awarded an

Athena SWAN Athena SWAN (Scientific Women's Academic Network) is an equality charter mark framework and accreditation scheme established and managed by the UK Equality Challenge Unit (now part of Advance HE) in 2005 that recognises and celebrates good pra ...

Charter Award, recognising commitment to advancing women's careers in science, technology, engineering, maths and medicine (STEMM) in higher education and research. In 2007, the university came under criticism for its record on

sustainability Sustainability is a social goal for people to co-exist on Earth over a long period of time. Definitions of this term are disputed and have varied with literature, context, and time. Sustainability usually has three dimensions (or pillars): env ...

, ranking 97th out of 106 UK higher education institutions in that year's Green League table. In 2012 the university was listed in the table's "Failed, no award" section, ranking equal 132nd out of 145. In 2013 it ranked equal 135th out of 143, and was listed again as "Failed, no award". Following the university's initiatives to address sustainability, it received an EcoCampus Silver Phase award in October 2014. In October 2015, the university's Penglais Campus became the first university campus in Wales to achieve the Green Flag Award. The Green Flag Award is a UK-wide partnership, delivered in Wales by Keep Wales Tidy with support from Natural Resources Wales, and is the mark of a high quality park or green space. In 2013, the University and College Union alleged bullying behaviour by Aberystwyth University managers, and said staff were fearful for their jobs. The university president, Sir Emyr Jones Parry, said in a BBC radio interview, "I don't believe the views set out are representative and I don't recognise the picture." He also said, "Due process is rigorously applied in Aberystwyth." The economist John Cable resigned his ''emeritus'' professorship, describing the university's management as "disproportionate, aggressive and confrontational". The singer Peter Karrie resigned his honorary fellowship in protest, he said, at the apparent determination to "ruin one of the finest arts centres in the country", and because he was "unable to support any regime that can treat their staff in such a cruel and appalling manner". In Autumn 2024, students protested the reduction of opening hours at Hugh Owen Library, a cost-cutting measure. Students argued that the university had continued to promote their 24/7 Library until recent open days, and that they were going back on promises which had attracted many students to the University. The University initially met with students to discuss options to restore the library's original opening hours, but later rejected further requests for meetings, and refused to negotiate any further.

Officers and academics

Presidents and chancellors *1872–95 Henry Austin Bruce, 1st Lord Aberdare *1895–1913 Stuart, Lord Rendel *1913–26 Sir John Williams, 1st Bt *1926–44 Edmund Davies, Lord Edmund-Davies *1944–54 Thomas Jones (T. J.) *1955–64 Sir David Hughes Parry *1964–76 Sir Ben Bowen Thomas *1977–85 Cledwyn Hughes, Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos *1985–97 Melvyn Rosser *1997–2007 Elystan Morgan, Lord Elystan-Morgan *2007–17 Sir Emyr Jones Parry *2018–2025 John, Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd *2025–Present Nicola Davies (judge) Principals and vice-chancellors *1872–91 Thomas Charles Edwards *1891–1919 Thomas Francis Roberts *1919–26 John Humphreys Davies *1927–34 Sir Henry Stuart-Jones *1934–52 Ifor Leslie Evans *1953–57 Goronwy Rees *1958–69 Sir Thomas Parry *1969–79 Sir Goronwy Daniel *1979–89 Gareth Owen *1989–94 Kenneth, Lord Morgan *1994–2004 Derec Llwyd Morgan *2004–11 Noel Lloyd *2011–16 April McMahon *2016–17 John Grattan (acting) *2017–2023 Elizabeth Treasure *2024– Jon Timmis Academics * Henry Bird, Lecturer in Art History (1936–41) * Ken Booth, Professor of International Politics * Mary Brebner, Lecturer in Modern Languages and Latin (1898–1919) * Edward Carr, Historian,

Professor of International Politics * Sir Henry Walford Davies, Master of the King's Music * John Davies, Welsh historian * Hannah Dee, Lecturer in Computer Science * R. Geraint Gruffydd, Chair of Welsh Language and Literature (1970–79) * Joanne Hamilton, Professor of Zoology and Parasitology * David Russell Hulme, Director of Music (1992–), conductor, musicologist * Robert Maynard Jones, Chair of Welsh Language (1980) * D. Gwenallt Jones, poet, Welsh Lecturer *

, Economist, Political Scientist * Dennis Lindley, Professor of Statistics (1960–67) * David John de Lloyd, Gregynog Professor of Music, composer * Alec Muffett, Systems Programmer (1988–92) * Charles Musselwhite, Professor of Psychology (2021-) * Lily Newton, Professor of Botany * Ian Parrott, Gregynog Professor of Music (1950–83), composer, musicologist * Joseph Parry, Professor of Music, composer, conductor * Sir Thomas Herbert Parry-Williams, poet, Professor of Welsh (1920–52) * F. Gwendolen Rees FRS Professor of Zoology * Huw Rees FRS (1923–2009), Geneticist * William Rubinstein, Professor of History * Marie Breen Smyth, Reader in Political Violence, International Politics * Howard 'Sid' Thomas, Professor of Botany * Richard Marggraf Turley, Professor of Engagement with the Public Imagination * Dame Marjorie Williamson, Principal, Royal Holloway,

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

(1962–73) * Richard Henry Yapp, botanist

Alumni

Royalty *

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. Charles was born at Buckingham Palace during the reign of his maternal grandfather, King George VI, and ...

, King of the United Kingdom * Tunku Muhriz Ibni Almarhum Tunku Munawir, 11th Yang Di Pertuan Besar (Grand Ruler) of

Negeri Sembilan Negeri Sembilan (, Negeri Sembilan Malay: ''Nogoghi Sombilan'', ''Nismilan''), historically spelled as Negri Sembilan, is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state in Malaysia which lies on the Peninsular Malaysia#Other features, wes ...

Malaysia Malaysia is a country in Southeast Asia. Featuring the Tanjung Piai, southernmost point of continental Eurasia, it is a federation, federal constitutional monarchy consisting of States and federal territories of Malaysia, 13 states and thre ...

(2008–present) * Tunku Naquiyuddin, Tunku Laksamana of

(Regent: 1994–99) * Ahmad Tejan Kabbah, 3rd President of

Sierra Leone Sierra Leone, officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country on the southwest coast of West Africa. It is bordered to the southeast by Liberia and by Guinea to the north. Sierra Leone's land area is . It has a tropical climate and envi ...

(1996–7) Academia * E. G. Bowen, geographer *Sir Edward Collingwood, mathematician, scientist * Alan Cox, programmer (major contributor to the

Linux kernel The Linux kernel is a Free and open-source software, free and open source Unix-like kernel (operating system), kernel that is used in many computer systems worldwide. The kernel was created by Linus Torvalds in 1991 and was soon adopted as the k ...

, 1980s) * D. J. Davies, economist, socialist,

Plaid Cymru Plaid Cymru ( ; , ; officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, and often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left, Welsh nationalist list of political parties in Wales, political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from th ...

activist * Natasha Devon, writer, mental health activist * Zarin Hainsworth, women’s rights activist * Andrew Gordon naval historian * Harry Evans Hallam, chemist *Sir Deian Hopkin, historian * David Russell Hulme, director of music (from 1992), conductor * Rhiannon Ifans, Welsh and Celtic medieval specialist, author * David Gwilym James vice-chancellor,

University of Southampton The University of Southampton (abbreviated as ''Soton'' in post-nominal letters) is a public university, public research university in Southampton, England. Southampton is a founding member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universit ...

1952–65 * Emrys Jones, professor of geography,

London School of Economics The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), established in 1895, is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the University of London. The school specialises in the social sciences. Founded ...

* T. Harri Jones, poet * Roy Kift, dramatist, writer * Mary King, political scientist * Michael MccGwire, international relations specialist, naval commander * Twm Morys, poet * Tavi Murray, glaciologist, Polar Medallist * Ernest Charles Nelson, botanist * David Hughes Parry,

vice-chancellor A vice-chancellor (commonly called a VC) serves as the chief executive of a university in the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, Nepal, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, South Africa, Kenya, other Commonwealth of Nati ...

(1945–48) * T. H. Parry-Williams, poet, author, academic * Frederick Soddy, Nobel Prize Winner in Chemistry (1921) * Vaughan Southgate OBE DL PPFLS FRSM FRSB FZS (born 1944), parasitologist * Sir John Meurig Thomas FRS, chemist, professor, author * Paul Thomas, founding vice-chancellor,

University of the Sunshine Coast The University of the Sunshine Coast (UniSC; formerly abbreviated as USC until 2022) is a public university based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia. After opening with 524 students in 1996 as the Sunshine Coast University College, it ...

*Sir Nigel Thrift, geographer, vice chancellor,

University of Warwick The University of Warwick ( ; abbreviated as ''Warw.'' in post-nominal letters) is a public research university on the outskirts of Coventry between the West Midlands and Warwickshire, England. The university was founded in 1965 as part of ...

* David John Williams, writer *Sir Glanmor Williams, historian * John Tudno Williams, theologian * Waldo Williams, poet * William Richard Williams, theologian * Christine James, first female Archdruid of Wales Law * Salleh Abas, Lord President of the Federal Court,

(1984–88) * Belinda Ang, judge, Supreme Court of Singapore (2003–) * Sir Alun Talfan Davies, judge, publisher * Sir Ellis Ellis-Griffith, 1st Bt, barrister, Liberal politician * Iris de Freitas Brazao, first female prosecuting lawyer in the Caribbean * Sir Samuel Thomas Evans, barrister, judge, Liberal politician * Elwyn, Lord Elwyn-Jones,

lord chancellor The Lord Chancellor, formally titled Lord High Chancellor of Great Britain, is a senior minister of the Crown within the Government of the United Kingdom. The lord chancellor is the minister of justice for England and Wales and the highest-ra ...

(1974–79) * John, Lord Morris of Aberavon,

attorney general In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general (: attorneys general) or attorney-general (AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have executive responsibility for law enf ...

(1997–99) * Nor Hashimah Taib, Attorney General of Brunei (since 2024) Civil servants * Timothy Brain, Chief Constable for Gloucestershire (2001–10) *Sir Goronwy Daniel, civil servant, academic Politics * Shaun Bailey, Conservative MP * Joe Borg,

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational union, supranational political union, political and economic union of Member state of the European Union, member states that are Geography of the European Union, located primarily in Europe. The u ...

oceans and fisheries commissioner (2004–10) * Roderic Bowen, Liberal MP, Commons deputy speaker * Nicholas, Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth, Welsh Conservative leader (1999–2011) * Rehman Chishti,

Conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

MP (2010–),

special envoy Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, table seating ...

(2019–20) * David Davies, 1st Baron Davies, Liberal politician, philanthropist * Glyn Davies,

MP * Gwilym Prys Davies, Lord Prys-Davies, Labour peer (1982–2015) * Gwynfor Evans, first

MP *

Vaughan Gething Humphrey Vaughan ap David Gething (born 15 March 1974) is a Welsh Labour Co-op politician who served as First Minister of Wales from March to August 2024, and served as leader of Welsh Labour from March to July 2024, making him the first blac ...

First Minister of Wales The first minister of Wales () is the leader of the Welsh Government and keeper of the Welsh Seal. The first minister chairs the Welsh Cabinet and is primarily responsible for the formulation, development and presentation of Welsh Government po ...

(2024) *

Steve Gilbert Stephen David John Gilbert (born 6 November 1976) is a British Liberal Democrats (UK), Liberal Democrat politician. He was elected at the 2010 United Kingdom general election, 2010 general election the Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Mem ...

, Liberal Democrat MP (2010–15) * Siân Gwenllian,

AM * Neil Hamilton,

MP and AM, barrister * Sylvia Hermon, Ulster Unionist politician * Emlyn Hooson, Baron Hooson, Liberal politician * Cledwyn Hughes, Baron Cledwyn of Penrhos, Labour politician * Hishammuddin Hussein,

defence minister A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divid ...

, (2021–) * Dan Jarvis, Labour MP * Bethan Jenkins,

AM for South Wales West * Carwyn Jones,

(2009–18), AM for

Bridgend Bridgend (; or just , meaning "the end of the bridge on the Ogmore") is a town in the Bridgend County Borough of Wales, west of Cardiff and east of Swansea. The town is named after the Old Bridge, Bridgend, medieval bridge over the River Og ...

* Gerry MacLochlainn

Sinn Féin Sinn Féin ( ; ; ) is an Irish republican and democratic socialist political party active in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. The History of Sinn Féin, original Sinn Féin organisation was founded in 1905 by Arthur Griffit ...

politician * John Morris, Baron Morris of Aberavon, Labour politician * Elystan Morgan, Baron Elystan-Morgan, Labour MP * Roland Moyle, Labour MP, parliamentary private secretary to

Clement Attlee Clement Richard Attlee, 1st Earl Attlee (3 January 18838 October 1967) was a British statesman who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1945 to 1951 and Leader of the Labour Party (UK), Leader of the Labour Party from 1935 to 1955. At ...

* Will Quince,

MP * Dan Rogerson, Liberal Democrat MP *

Liz Saville Roberts Elizabeth Saville Roberts (; born 16 December 1964) is a Welsh Plaid Cymru politician who has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for Dwyfor Meirionnydd since 2015. She has served as the group leader of Plaid Cymru in the House of Commons si ...

MP, and Westminster Leader (2017–) *

Molly Scott Cato Sarah Margaret "Molly" Scott Cato (born 21 May 1963) is a British Green Party of England and Wales, Green politician, economist and activist. She served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South West England (European Parliament c ...

, Green Party MEP * Ahmed Shaheed, minister for foreign affairs,

Maldives The Maldives, officially the Republic of Maldives, and historically known as the Maldive Islands, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in South Asia located in the Indian Ocean. The Maldives is southwest of Sri Lanka and India, abou ...

* Virginijus Sinkevičius,

environment commissioner (2019–) * Bob Stewart,

MP * Gareth Thomas, Labour MP * Gareth Thomas, Labour MP *

Liz Twist Mary Elizabeth Twist (born 10 July 1956) is a British Labour Party politician. She served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Blaydon from the 2017 general election until the seat's abolition in 2024. She then stood for reelection during the ...

(born 1956), Labour MP Blaydon * Mark Williams, Liberal Democrat MP, Welsh LD Leader (2016–17) * Mike Wood,

MP *

Steven Woolfe Steven Marcus Woolfe (born 6 October 1967) is a British barrister, writer, commentator and former politician. He is currently the Director of the Centre for Migration & Economic Prosperity, a research think tank studying population and immigra ...

UK Independence Party The UK Independence Party (UKIP, ) is a Eurosceptic, right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. The party reached its greatest level of success in the mid-2010s, when it gained two members of parliament (both through defect ...

MEP Business * Lance Batchelor, CEO, Domino's Pizza and

Saga Sagas are prose stories and histories, composed in Iceland and to a lesser extent elsewhere in Scandinavia. The most famous saga-genre is the (sagas concerning Icelanders), which feature Viking voyages, migration to Iceland, and feuds between ...

* Geoff Drabble, CEO,

Ashtead Ashtead is a village in the Mole Valley district of Surrey, England, approximately south of central London. Ashtead is on the single-carriageway A24 road (Great Britain), A24 between Epsom and Leatherhead. The village is on the northern sl ...

* Belinda Earl, CEO,

Debenhams Debenhams plc was a British department store chain that operated in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Denmark, as well as franchised locations across Europe and the Asia Pacific. The company was founded in 1778 as a single store in London and gr ...

and Jaeger * Tom Singh, owner and CEO, New Look Sports * Cath Bishop, professional rower, civil servant * John Dawes, Rugby player, captain of Wales and British Lions * Carwyn James, Wales and British and Irish Lions Rugby coach (1949?–51) * Wyn Jones, Wales and British and Irish Lions Rugby player * Leigh Richmond Roose, international footballer *

Berwyn Price Berwyn Price (born 15 August 1951) is a Welsh former international athlete who competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics and 1976 Summer Olympics. Biography Price was born in Tredegar, Monmouthshire, and studied at Lewis School, Pengam and the ...

, gold medal

Commonwealth Games The Commonwealth Games is a quadrennial international multi-sport event among athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations, which consists mostly, but not exclusively, of territories of the former British Empire. The event was first held in 1930 ...

(1978) * Angela Tooby, silver medal, World Cross-Country Championships (1988) Arts and entertainment * Dorothy Bonarjee, Indian poet, artist * Neil Brand, writer, composer, silent film accompanist * Harry Brewis, British video essayist, YouTube personality * Seth Clabough, American novelist, academic * Shân Cothi, operatic singer, actress * Jane Green, author * Sarah Hall, writer, poet * David Russell Hulme, conductor, musicologist * Aneirin Hughes, actor * Emrys James, actor * Eveline Annie Jenkins (1893–1976), botanical artist *

Alex Jones Alexander Emerick Jones (born February 11, 1974) is an American Far-right politics, far-right radio host, radio show host and prominent conspiracy theorist. He hosts ''The Alex Jones Show'' from Austin, Texas. ''The Alex Jones Show'' is the lo ...

, presenter, BBC One TV programme, ''

The One Show ''The One Show'' is a British television magazine and chat show programme. Broadcast live on BBC One weekdays at 7:00 pm, it features topical stories and studio guests. It is currently co-hosted by Alex Jones, Roman Kemp, Ronan Keating ...

'' (2010–) * Melih Kibar, Turkish composer * Alun Lewis, Second World War writer, poet * Caryl Lewis, novelist * Rick Lloyd, musician (Y Blew, Flying Pickets) * Hayley Long, fiction writer * Sharon Maguire, film director, ''Bridget Jones's Diary'' * Matt McCooey, actor * Alan Mehdizadeh, actor, ''

Billy Elliot the Musical ''Billy Elliot: The Musical'' is a Coming-of-age story, coming-of-age stage musical based on the Billy Elliot, 2000 film of the same name. The music is by Elton John, and the book and lyrics are by Lee Hall (playwright), Lee Hall, who wrote th ...

'' * Robert Minhinnick, poet, essayist, novelist, translator * Amy Parry-Williams (1910–1988), singer, writer * Esther Pilkington, performance artist * Jan Pinkava, Oscar-winning animated film director * Rachel Roberts, actress *

Lisa Surihani Lisa Surihani Mohamed (; ), born 23 March 1986) is a Malaysian actress, model, television host and commercial model. Starting her entertainment career in 1997, at the age of 11, she has appeared in feature films and television shows as well as ...

, Malaysian actress * Richard Roberts, theologian, pacifist Journalism * Gareth Jones, journalist, publicised the

Holodomor The Holodomor, also known as the Ukrainian Famine, was a mass famine in Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic, Soviet Ukraine from 1932 to 1933 that killed millions of Ukrainians. The Holodomor was part of the wider Soviet famine of 1930–193 ...

committed by the

USSR The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

against the Ukrainian people. * Sir David Nicholas, journalist and

ITN Independent Television News (ITN) is a UK-based media production and broadcast journalism company. ITN is based in London, with bureaux and offices in Beijing, Brussels, Jerusalem, Johannesburg, New York City, New York, Paris, Sydney and Washin ...

chief executive and chairman * Jonathan Moyle, journalist, RAF pilot and alleged

MI6 The Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), commonly known as MI6 ( Military Intelligence, Section 6), is the foreign intelligence service of the United Kingdom, tasked mainly with the covert overseas collection and analysis of human intelligenc ...

agent. * Ed Zitron, technology writer and public relations specialist.

Gallery

References

External links

Aberystwyth University
– University official website
Aberystwyth Students' Union
– Students' Union website
Aberystwyth Old Students' Association
– Alumni Association website {{Coord, 52.41806, N, 4.06576, W, source:placeopedia, display=title Percy Thomas buildings Aberystwyth 1872 establishments in Wales Buildings and structures in Aberystwyth Universities UK Registered historic parks and gardens in Ceredigion Universities and colleges established in 1872