University to get official launch

Former graduates include the artist Tracey Emin

A university whose graduates include artist Tracey Emin and designers Karen Millen and Zandra Rhodes will have its official opening next week.

The University for the Creative Arts, which has campuses in Kent and Surrey, was founded when three colleges merged.

It was awarded university status in May and now offers more than 80 courses and has 6,500 students.

Vice-chancellor Professor Elaine Thomas will cut ribbons at campuses in Farnham and Rochester on Tuesday.

Professor Thomas said: "Although we are technically the newest university in Britain at the current time, we have a heritage spanning almost 150 years through our founder institutions."

The Surrey Institute of Art and Design, University College, and the Kent Institute for Art and Design merged in 2005.