, former_names = University College of North Wales (1884–1996)
University of Wales, Bangor (1996–2007) , image = File:Arms_of_Bangor_University.svg , image_size = 250px , caption = Arms
Bangor University flag

Flag , motto = cy, Gorau Dawn Deall , mottoeng = "The Best Gift is Knowledge" , established = 1884 , type =

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 sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

, administrative_staff = , chancellor = George Meyrick , vice_chancellor = Edmund Burke , students = () , undergrad = () , postgrad = () , city = Bangor , state = , country = Wales , coordinates = , campus = Bangor , colours = , other_name = cy, Y Coleg ar y Bryn ("The College on the Hill") , affiliations = EUA

Universities UK Universities UK (UUK) is an advocacy organisation for universities in the United Kingdom. It began life in the early 20th century through informal meetings of vice-chancellors of a number of universities and principals of university colleges and ...

University of Wales The University of Wales (Welsh language, Welsh: ''Prifysgol Cymru'') 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 � ...

ACU

HEA HEA or Hea may refer to: * Hektoen enteric agar, used in microbiology to identify certain organisms *Higher Education Academy, in the United Kingdom *Higher Education Act of 1965, an Act of the Congress of the United States which was supposed to s ...

EIBFS , website
bangor.ac.uk
, logo = Bangor University.svg Bangor University ( cy, Prifysgol Bangor) 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 sociological concept of the ''Öffentlichkei ...

university A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, t ...

in Bangor,

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

. It received its

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, bu ...

in 1885 and was one of the founding institutions of the federal

. Officially known as University College of North Wales (UCNW; cy, Coleg Prifysgol Gogledd Cymru), and later University of Wales, Bangor (UWB; cy, Prifysgol Cymru, Bangor), in 2007 it became Bangor University, independent from the University of Wales.

History

Early years

The pre 1926 site of the University College of Wales Bangor - geograph

The university was founded as the University College of North Wales (UCNW) on 18 October 1884, with an inaugural address by the Earl of Powis, the college's first President, in Penrhyn Hall.David Roberts (2009) ''Bangor University 1884–2009'', University of Wales Press There was then a procession to the college including 3,000 quarrymen (quarrymen from

Penrhyn Quarry The Penrhyn quarry is a slate quarry located near Bethesda, North Wales. At the end of the nineteenth century it was the world's largest slate quarry; the main pit is nearly long and deep, and it was worked by nearly 3,000 quarrymen. It has ...

and other quarries had subscribed more than 1,200 pounds to the university). The foundation was the result of a campaign for better provision of higher education in

that had involved some rivalry among towns in North Wales over which was to be the location of the new college. The college was incorporated by

in 1885. Its students received degrees from the

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...

until 1893, when UCNW became a founding constituent institution of the federal

. During the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

paintings from national art galleries were stored in the Prichard-Jones Hall at UCNW to protect them from enemy bombing. They were later moved to slate mines at

Blaenau Ffestiniog Blaenau Ffestiniog is a town in Gwynedd, Wales. Once a slate mining centre in historic Merionethshire, it now relies much on tourists, drawn for instance to the Ffestiniog Railway and Llechwedd Slate Caverns. It reached a population of 12,00 ...

. Students from

University College, London , mottoeng = Let all come who by merit deserve the most reward , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £143 million (2020) , budget = � ...

, were evacuated to continue their studies in a safer environment at Bangor.

Post-war

During the 1960s, the university shared in the general expansion of higher education in the UK following the Robbins Report, with a number of new departments and new buildings. On 22 November 1965, during construction of an extension to the Department of Electronic Engineering in Dean Street, a crane collapsed on the building. The three-ton counterweight hit the second-floor lecture theatre in the original building about thirty minutes before it would have been occupied by about 80 first-year students. The counterweight went through to the ground floor. In 1967, the

Bangor Normal College The Normal College, Bangor ( cy, Y Coleg Normal) was an independent teacher training college, founded in 1858. It was created through the efforts of the British and Foreign School Society and the educator Sir Hugh Owen, and was funded by £11,0 ...

, now part of the university, was the venue for lectures on

Transcendental Meditation Transcendental Meditation (TM) is a form of silent mantra meditation advocated by the Transcendental Meditation movement. Maharishi Mahesh Yogi created the technique in India in the mid-1950s. Advocates of TM claim that the technique promotes ...

by the

Maharishi Mahesh Yogi Maharishi Mahesh Yogi (born Mahesh Prasad Varma, 12 January 1918

at which

The Beatles The Beatles were an English Rock music, rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the Cultural impact of the Beatles, most influential band of al ...

heard of the death of their manager,

Brian Epstein Brian Samuel Epstein (; 19 September 1934 – 27 August 1967) was a British music entrepreneur who managed the Beatles from 1962 until his death in 1967. Epstein was born into a family of successful retailers in Liverpool, who put him i ...

. Student protests at UCNW in the 1970s focused mainly on calls to expand the role of the

Welsh language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language family, Celtic language of the Brittonic languages, Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut P ...

. Radical students would disturb lectures held in English and paint slogans in Welsh on the walls of the Main Building, resulting in a number of suspensions of these activists. In the early 1980s, the Thatcher government even considered closing down the institution. Around this time consideration began of mergers with two colleges of education in Bangor: St Mary's College, a college for women studying to become schoolteachers, and the larger and older Normal College/Coleg Normal. The merger of St Mary's into UCNW was concluded in 1977, but the merger with Coleg Normal fell through in the 1970s and was not completed until 1996.

Name change

The 2007 change of name to Bangor University, or Prifysgol Bangor in Welsh, was instigated by the university following the decision of the

to change from a

federal Federal or foederal (archaic) may refer to: Politics General *Federal monarchy, a federation of monarchies *Federation, or ''Federal state'' (federal system), a type of government characterized by both a central (federal) government and states or ...

university to a

confederal A confederation (also known as a confederacy or league) is a union of sovereign groups or states united for purposes of common action. Usually created by a treaty, confederations of states tend to be established for dealing with critical issu ...

non-membership organisation, and the granting of degree-awarding powers to Bangor University itself. As a result, every student starting after 2009 gained a degree from Bangor University, while any student who started before 2009 had the option to have either Bangor University or University of Wales Bangor on their degree certificate. University from Bangor Mountain

Issues in the 2010s

Under John Hughes's leadership as Vice-Chancellor (2010–18), there were a number of new developments including the opening of St Mary's Student Village, and the first ever collaboration between Wales and China to establish a new college, which involved Bangor University and the

Central South University of Forestry and Technology Central South University of Forestry and Technology (CSUFT; ) is a university located in Changsha, Hunan, China. The university covers a total area of 2,230 mu, with more than 101.3 square meters of floor space. As of fall 2013, the universit ...

(CSUFT). In 2014, Hughes took out a £45m loan from the

European Investment Bank The European Investment Bank (EIB) is the European Union's investment bank and is owned by the EU Member States. It is one of the largest supranational lenders in the world. The EIB finances and invests both through equity and debt solutions ...

, to assist the university in developing its estates strategy. In 2016, the university opened Marine Centre Wales, a £5.5m building on the site of the university's Ocean Sciences campus in Menai Bridge, which was financed as part of the £25 million SEACAMS project, part funded through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). In May 2017, Bangor became the fourth Welsh university to review its cost base with a view to making savings of £8.5m. The university responded and introduced a number of cost saving measures including a reorganization of the structure of Colleges and Schools and the introduction of a voluntary severance scheme, and the numbers of compulsory redundancies was reduced from the initial estimate of 170. In addressing its financial challenges, Bangor University also reorganised some subject areas in 2017, which involved introducing new ways of co-ordinating and delivering adult education and part-time degree programmes, continuing to teach archaeology, but discontinuing the single honours course, and working with Grwp Llandrillo Menai to validate the BA Fine Art degree. Other issues which attracted adverse media comment included the cost overrun and delayed opening of the Pontio Arts and Innovation Centre in 2016, the appointment of Hughes's then wife to a newly created senior management position, the purchase and refurbishment of a house for the vice-chancellor by the university (costing the institution £750,000), the expenses of some senior staff, and the discrepancy between senior management salaries and remuneration for staff working on zero hour contracts. In 2016, Hughes received a 7.5% pay rise and the university confirmed that this was the first increase that the vice-chancellor had received from the university's remuneration committee (of which Hughes himself was a member) since his appointment in 2010, although he would still have received an annual pay rise. From Hughes's takeover in 2010, when Bangor University made a £4.2 million profit, to 2017, the university's nominal income had risen by 12 per cent, but their expenditures by 19 per cent with the university's interests and finance costs (despite very low interest rates) soaring by 747 per cent. In 2017/18, the university had to spend £10m in interest payments on its debts. From 2013/14 to 2017/18, Bangor University cut staff numbers from 1777.7 to 1608 FTE (minus 9.5 per cent). During the same period, student numbers grew from 10.646 to 11.156 (plus 4.8 per cent), increasing income from student fees. In early 2019, an accountant who studied the university's finances on behalf of trade union criticised that the figures suggested spending had been diverted from staff costs to financing building projects. When a new financial crisis as well as allegations of Hughes's racist and sexist harassment against his ex-wife were revealed in late 2018 and the announced closure of the chemistry department and new staff cuts to save £5m sparked student protest, Bangor University announced Hughes's resignation by December 2018, eight months ahead of his ordinary retirement. Between 2017 and 2019, the university underwent three rounds of staff cuts. Job insecurity as well as deteriorating working conditions and pension packages resulted in several strikes of university staff. In June 2019, the university launched a plan to concentrate its non-residential estate onto a single campus in Bangor (Deiniol Road and College Road sites) and dispose of some major sites (including Normal Site, Dean Street and Fron Heulog), altogether 25 per cent of the estate. In September 2020, the university announced a new round of cuts to fill a £13m gap in the budget, saying 200 more jobs (including 80 academic posts) were at risk. Another reorganization of the university's structure of Colleges and Schools was announced as well. Thereupon staff passed a motion of no confidence in the university management.

Campus and buildings

The university occupies a substantial proportion of Bangor and also has part of its School of Healthcare Sciences in

Wrexham Wrexham ( ; cy, Wrecsam; ) is a city and the administrative centre of Wrexham County Borough in Wales. It is located between the Welsh mountains and the lower Dee Valley, near the border with Cheshire in England. Historically in the count ...

Arts Building

The university was originally based in an old coaching inn, the Penrhyn Arms Hotel, which housed its 58 students and its 12 teaching staff. In 1911 it moved to a much larger new building, which is now the old part of the Main Arts Building. This building, designed by

Henry Hare Henry Thomas Hare (1860–1921) was an English architect who was born in Scarborough, North Yorkshire, Scarborough, Yorkshire and educated in Sheffield and Harrogate. Career At the age of 16 he was articled to the Scarborough architect C A Bur ...

, had its foundation stone laid by

King Edward VII Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910. The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria a ...

on 9 July 1907, and was formally opened by

King George V George V (George Frederick Ernest Albert; 3 June 1865 – 20 January 1936) was King of the United Kingdom and the British Dominions, and Emperor of India, from 6 May 1910 until his death in 1936. Born during the reign of his grandmother Que ...

in 1911. The iconic building, which occupies a highly visible position overlooking Bangor, gave the college its Welsh nickname ''Y Coleg ar y Bryn'' ("The College on the Hill"). It included the large Prichard-Jones Hall, named after Sir John Prichard-Jones a local man who became a partner in the London department store

Dickins & Jones Dickins & Jones was a high-quality department store in London, England, which traded between 1835 and 2007, although tracing its origins to 1790. From 1835, the main store was in London's Regent Street. In its final years the store had branches a ...

, and was a substantial benefactor of the building. The building became a Grade I

listed building In the United Kingdom, a listed building or listed structure is one that has been placed on one of the four statutory lists maintained by Historic England in England, Historic Environment Scotland in Scotland, in Wales, and the Northern Irel ...

in 1949. A modern extension, completing a quadrangle on the College Road side of the building, was completed in 1969. This is now known as the Main Arts Building.

Pontio

The university's arts and innovation centre Pontio opened in 2016. The building includes teaching and social spaces and houses the offices of the students' union.

Organisation

The Academic Activities of Bangor University are grouped into three colleges: ; College of Arts, Humanities and Business * Bangor Business School * School of History, Law and Social Sciences * School of Arts, Culture and Language ; College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering * School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering * School of Natural Sciences * School of Ocean Sciences ; College of Human Sciences * School of Educational Sciences * School of Medical and Health Sciences * School of Human and Behavioural Sciences

Academic profile

Research

The university's research expertise in the areas of materials science and predictive modelling was enhanced during 2017 through a collaboration with

Imperial College London Imperial College London (legally Imperial College of Science, Technology and Medicine) is a public research university in London, United Kingdom. Its history began with Prince Albert, consort of Queen Victoria, who developed his vision for a cu ...

and the formation of the Nuclear Futures Institute at Bangor with the award of £6.5m in funding under the

Welsh Government The Welsh Government ( cy, Llywodraeth Cymru) is the Welsh devolution, devolved government of Wales. The government consists of ministers and Minister (government), deputy ministers, and also of a Counsel General for Wales, counsel general. Minist ...

's Ser Cymru programme. The university-owned £20m Science Park on Anglesey, M-Sparc was completed in March 2018, which will support the development of the region's low carbon energy sector.

Proposed North Wales Medical School

In 2021 the Welsh Government announced plans to expand medical teaching at the university in collaboration with Cardiff University, with the objective of establishing an independent medical school in north Wales.

Rankings

The 2014

Research Excellence Framework The Research Excellence Framework (REF) is a research impact evaluation of British higher education institutions. It is the successor to the Research Assessment Exercise and it was first used in 2014 to assess the period 2008–2013. REF is under ...

recognised that more than three quarters of Bangor's research is either world-leading or internationally excellent. Based on the university submission of 14 Units of Assessment, 77% of the research was rated in the top two tiers of research quality, ahead of the average for all UK universities. In 2017, Bangor University became the only university in Wales to be rated 'Gold' by the new Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) which means that the university is deemed to be of the highest quality found in the UK, providing "consistently outstanding teaching, learning and outcomes for its students." In recent years, Bangor has been rated highly by its students in two independent surveys of student opinion. In the National Student Survey, the university has been consistently ranked highly both within Wales and in the UK higher education sector. In 2017, Bangor University's students placed the university eighth among the UK's non-specialist universities and second among Welsh Universities. For the second year in a row Bangor was awarded Best University in the UK for Clubs and Societies at the 2018 WhatUni Student Choice Awards. It also regained the award for best Student Accommodation which they originally won in 2016. The university was also placed second overall for 'Courses and Lecturers' and retained third place in the category 'University of the Year'. WhatUni award nominations are based on the reviews and opinions of the university's own students. This is the fourth year in a row that Bangor University has won a national WhatUni Award.

Student life

Halls of residence

University Hall, built in red brick a Queen Anne style, was the first substantial block. It was opened in 1897.M L Clarke (1966) ''Architectural History and Guide'', University College of North Wale
Online at Bangor Civic Society
/ref> This building was to become the

Welsh-language Welsh ( or ) is a Celtic language of the Brittonic subgroup that is native to the Welsh people. Welsh is spoken natively in Wales, by some in England, and in Y Wladfa (the Welsh colony in Chubut Province, Argentina). Historically, it has al ...

hall Neuadd John Morris-Jones in 1974, taking its name in honour of Professor

John Morris Jones Sir John Morris-Jones (17 October 1864 – 16 April 1929) was a Welsh grammarian, academic and Welsh-language poet. Morris-Jones was born John Jones, at Trefor in the parish of Llandrygarn, Anglesey the son of Morris Jones first a schoolmaster ...

. It is now called Neuadd Rathbone. Neuadd Reichel, built on the Ffriddoedd Farm site, was designed in a neo-Georgian style by the architect

Percy Thomas Sir Percy Edward Thomas OBE (13 September 1883 – 19 August 1969) was an Anglo-Welsh architect who worked in Wales for the majority of his life. He was twice RIBA president (1935–37 and 1943–46). Biography Percy Edward Thomas was born on ...

and was opened in 1942 as a hostel for male students. Expansion in the 1960s led to the development of Plas Gwyn in 1963–64 and Neuadd Emrys Evans in 1965, both on the Ffriddoedd site, and Neuadd Rathbone at the top of Love Lane in 1965. Neuadd Rathbone, designed by Colwyn Foulkes and named after the second President of the college, was originally for women students only. The names of Neuadd Rathbone and Neuadd John Morris-Jones were later exchanged. The building originally opened as Neuadd Rathbone is now known as Neuadd Garth. Accommodation is guaranteed for all first-year undergraduate students. There are around 3,000 rooms available in

halls of residence A dormitory (originated from the Latin word ''dormitorium'', often abbreviated to dorm) is a building primarily providing sleeping and residential quarters for large numbers of people such as boarding school, high school, college or university s ...

, all within walking distance of the university. There are three residential sites in current use: Ffriddoedd Village, St Mary's Village and Neuadd Garth.

Ffriddoedd Village

The largest accommodation site is the Ffriddoedd Village in Upper Bangor, about ten minutes' walk from Top College, the Science Site and the city centre. This site has eleven en-suite halls completed in 2009, six other en-suite halls built in the 1990s and Neuadd Reichel built in the 1940s, and renovated in 2011. Two of the en-suite halls, Bryn Dinas and Tegfan, now incorporate the new Neuadd John Morris-Jones, which started its life in 1974 on College Road and has, along with its equivalent Neuadd Pantycelyn in

Aberystwyth Aberystwyth () is a university and seaside town as well as a community in Ceredigion, Wales. Located in the historic county of Cardiganshire, means "the mouth of the Ystwyth". Aberystwyth University has been a major educational location in ...

, became a focal point of

activities at the university. It is an integral part of UMCB, the Welsh Students' Union, which in turn is part of the main Students' Union. The halls on "Ffridd" (''ffridd'' riːðis the Welsh word for mountain pasture or sheep path; ''ffriddoedd'' �frɪðɔiðis its plural form) include Cefn y Coed, Glyder, Y Borth, Elidir, J.M.J. Bryn Dinas and J.M.J. Tegfan, all of which were built in the early 1990s; Adda, Alaw, Braint, Crafnant, Enlli, Peris, Glaslyn, Llanddwyn, Ffraw, Idwal and Gwynant, which were all built in the late 2000s; and Neuadd Reichel which was built in the 1940s and renovated in 2011. From 2021, Neuadd Reichel will no longer be used for student accommodation.

St Mary's Village

Bryn Eithin overlooks the centre of Bangor and is close to the Science Departments and the Schools of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering. Demolition of the former St Mary's Site halls, with the exception of the 1902 buildings and the Quadrangle, began in 2014 to make way for new halls which were completed in 2015. The halls on this site are Cybi, Penmon, and Cemlyn, which are all self-catered flats; Tudno, which is a townhouse complex; and the original St. Mary's building, with studios and flats. In

Welsh Welsh may refer to: Related to Wales * Welsh, referring or related to Wales * Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales * Welsh people People * Welsh (surname) * Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...

, ''bryn'' means "hill" and ''eithin'' means "gorse".

Private halls

A private hall of residence called Tŷ Willis House (formerly known as Neuadd Willis) is operated by iQ Student Accommodation; which incorporates the old listed British Hotel with a new extension to the rear, and a further hall on the site of the old Plaza Cinema. Other privately owned halls of residence in Bangor include Neuadd Kyffin, Neuadd y Castell, Neuadd Llys y Deon and Neuadd Tŷ Ni.

Undeb Bangor, Bangor University Students' union

Undeb Bangor, Bangor University

students' union A students' union, also known by many other names, is a student organization present in many colleges, universities, and high schools. In higher education, the students' union is often accorded its own building on the campus, dedicated to social, ...

, provides services, support, activities and opportunities for students. All students automatically become members unless they opt out. Annual elections are held for several

sabbatical officer In the United Kingdom a sabbatical officer is a full-time officer elected by the members of a students' union (or similar body such as students' association, students' representative council or guild of students), commonly at a higher education e ...

s are elected; President, UMCB President, VP for Education, VP for Societies and Volunteering and VP for Sports. These sabbatical officers are accountable for the actions and decisions of the union, and often work closely with members of the Student Council and other boards. In January 2016 the students' union moved to the new Pontio Arts and Innovation Centre. Uwb students union

Volunteering

SVB (Student Volunteering Bangor) is the volunteering branch the students' union, which has supported community projects in and around the Bangor area since 1952. SVB volunteers provide a total of around 600 hours work per week on 58 community based projects, including projects on mental health, children, the environment, the elderly and community & sport projects. SVB works closely with charities, organisations and schools around Bangor and North Wales, as well as further afield. In 1952, SVB organised a tea party for local elderly residents. The tea party project continues to this day and is SVB's oldest project. Bangor

Rag Rag, rags, RAG or The Rag may refer to: Common uses * Rag, a piece of old cloth * Rags, tattered clothes * Rag (newspaper), a publication engaging in tabloid journalism * Rag paper, or cotton paper Arts and entertainment Film * ''Rags'' (1915 ...

is an SVB project that collects money for two local and two national charities, which change every academic year and are chosen by the students. Rag members regularly attend "raids" across the country and assist charities with one-off events throughout the year. Their mascot is a tiger named Rhodri Rag.

Sports Clubs

There are more than 90 societies and over 50 sports clubs, ranging from academic societies to a wide range of sports clubs. Notable sports clubs include Bangor University F.C. (football) and Bangor University Rowing Club. Every year the university competes against

Aberystwyth University , mottoeng = A world without knowledge is no world at all , established = 1872 (as ''The University College of Wales'') , former_names = University of Wales, Aberystwyth , type = Public , endowment = ...

in Varsity; a sporting tournament which sees hundreds of students compete in over 40 sporting events for the Varsity Trophy.

Societies

There are around 100 student societies which bring like-minded people together. These include are course-related societies; societies that celebrate nationalities and cultures and societies for students with specific interests like drama, music, film and photography. Membership of the societies is free.

Student newspaper

Y Seren is the university's official English language student newspaper. It covers important student events such as sabbatical officer elections and the annual sports competition. The newspaper is published monthly and has a website where every issue is archived. The newspaper's offices are located in the Pontio Arts Centre building.

Student radio

Storm FM is the official

student radio Campus radio (also known as college radio, university radio or student radio) is a type of radio station that is run by the students of a college, university or other educational institution. Programming may be exclusively created or produced ...

station for Bangor University and is one of only three student radio stations in the UK with a long-term FM licence, which authorises broadcasting to a very small area of Bangor, namely the Ffriddoed Road Halls of Residence. Storm FM went on air in March 2003, and began streaming online in 2009.

Student Council

The Student Council is a forum that meets monthly in the academic year to discuss, debate, and pass ideas, as well as working alongside the sabbatical officers on projects to improve the student experience.

Course representatives

The course representatives (course reps) scheme is run by Undeb Bangor. There are 300 course reps across the 14 different academic schools. In 2022 Undeb Bangor announced the introduction LGBTQ+ reps into the course rep system, to champion the LGBTQ+ community and represent LGBTQ+ students.

Notable people associated with Bangor

File:Paul Bérenger.png,

Paul Bérenger Paul Raymond Bérenger GCSK, MP (born 26 March 1945) is a Mauritian politician who was Prime Minister of Mauritius from 2003 to 2005. He has been Leader of the Opposition on several occasions – from 1983 to 1987, 1997 to 2000, 2005 to 20 ...

File:Danny Boyle May 2019.jpg,

Danny Boyle Daniel Francis Boyle (born 20 October 1956) is an English director and producer. He is known for his work on films including ''Shallow Grave'', '' Trainspotting'' and its sequel ''T2 Trainspotting'', '' The Beach'', '' 28 Days Later'', '' Su ...

File:Tom -gt.jones.jpg,

Tom Parry Jones Thomas Parry Jones OBE (27 March 1935 – 11 January 2013) was a Welsh scientist, inventor and entrepreneur, who was responsible for developing and marketing the first handheld electronic breathalyser, winning the Queen's Award for Technologic ...

File:Sianjames anoriant.jpg, Siân James File:Prof. Stefan Rahmstorf.jpg,

Stefan Rahmstorf Stefan Rahmstorf (born 22 February 1960) is a German oceanographer and climatologist. Since 2000, he has been a Professor of Physics of the Oceans at Potsdam University. He studied physical oceanography at Bangor University and received his Ph. ...

Presidents/Chancellor

Edward Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis Edward James Herbert, 3rd Earl of Powis (5 November 1818 – 7 May 1891), styled Viscount Clive between 1839 and 1848, was a British peer and politician. Background Powis was born at The Angel Hotel, Pershore, Worcestershire, the eldest son o ...

, 1884–1891 * William Rathbone 1891–1900 *

Lloyd Tyrell-Kenyon, 4th Baron Kenyon Lloyd Tyrell-Kenyon, 4th Baron Kenyon, KCVO, TD (5 July 1864 – 30 November 1927), was a British peer and Conservative politician. Family background and education Born in Wilmore Crescent, west London, Kenyon was the son of the Hon. Lloyd Ken ...

1900–1927 *

Herbert Gladstone, 1st Viscount Gladstone Herbert John Gladstone, 1st Viscount Gladstone, (7 January 1854 – 6 March 1930) was a British Liberal politician. The youngest son of William Ewart Gladstone, he was Home Secretary from 1905 to 1910 and Governor-General of the Union of South ...

1927–1935 *

Lord Howard de Walden Baron Howard de Walden is a title in the Peerage of England. It was created by Hereditary peer#Writs of summons, writ of summons in 1597 by Queen Elizabeth I for Thomas Howard, 1st Earl of Suffolk, Admiral Lord Thomas Howard, a younger son of ...

1935–1940 *

William Ormsby-Gore, 4th Baron Harlech William George Arthur Ormsby-Gore, 4th Baron Harlech, (11 April 1885 – 14 February 1964), was a British Conservative politician and banker. Background Harlech, the son of George Ormsby-Gore, 3rd Baron Harlech, and Lady Margaret Gordon, daugh ...

1940–1945 *

Charles Paget, 6th Marquess of Anglesey Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Henry Alexander Paget, 6th Marquess of Anglesey, (14 April 1885 – 21 February 1947) was a British peer, farmer and soldier. Biography Paget was born in 1885 to Lord Alexander Paget, third son of Henry Paget, 2nd Ma ...

1945–1947 * Lloyd Tyrell-Kenyon, 5th Baron Kenyon 1947–1982 *

William Mars-Jones Sir William Lloyd Mars-Jones, MBE (4 September 1915 – 10 January 1999) was a Welsh barrister and High Court judge. He presided over several high-profile criminal trials. Biography Early life and war service Mars-Jones was born in Llansan ...

1982–1995 *

Cledwyn Hughes Cledwyn Hughes, Baron Cledwyn of Penrhos, (14 September 1916 – 22 February 2001) was a Welsh Labour Party politician, usually associated with the moderate wing of the party. He was also regarded, particularly in later years, as a non-politic ...

1995–2000 *

Dafydd Elis-Thomas Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Baron Elis-Thomas (born 18 October 1946) is a Welsh politician who served as the Leader of Plaid Cymru from 1984 to 1991 and represented the Dwyfor Meirionnydd constituency in the Senedd from 1999 to 2021. Born in Carmar ...

2000–2017 * George Meyrick 2017–present

Vice Chancellors

The university has had nine Principals/

Vice-Chancellor A chancellor is a leader of a college or university, usually either the executive or ceremonial head of the university or of a university campus within a university system. In most Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth and former Commonwealth n ...

s: * Henry Reichel, Principal 1884–1927 *

David Emrys Evans Sir David Emrys Evans (29 March 1891 – 20 February 1966) was a Welsh classicist and university principal. Life Evans, from Clydach, Glamorgan, was educated at Ystalyfera County School, before going on to University College, Bangor, and ...

, Principal 1927–1958 * Charles Evans, Principal 1958–1984 *

Eric Sunderland Eric Sunderland, (18 March 1930 – 24 March 2010) was a Welsh anthropologist and academic. He served as Principal and then Vice-Chancellor of the University College of North Wales from 1984 to 1995, and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Wal ...

, Principal, Vice-Chancellor 1984–1995 *

Roy Evans Roy Quentin Echlin Evans (born 4 October 1948) is an English former footballer who played as a defender for Liverpool. He eventually rose through the coaching ranks to become the team manager. While predominantly plyi ...

, Vice-Chancellor 1995–2004 *

Merfyn Jones R. Merfyn Jones CBE (born January 1948) is a Welsh historian and broadcaster, was vice-chancellor of Bangor University (2004 to 2010) and a governor of the BBC (2003 to 2006). He grew up and still lives in Gwynedd, Wales. Academic career ...

, Vice-Chancellor, 2004–2010 * John G Hughes, Vice-Chancellor 2010–2018 *

Graham Upton Graham Upton DL (born 30 April 1944) was Chair of the Board of Experience Oxfordshire from 2013 to 2017 having previously been Chair of the Board of Oxford Playhouse for 8 years. Born in Birmingham, he moved to, and was educated in, Australia, w ...

, Vice-Chancellor 2018–2019 * Iwan Davies, Vice-Chancellor 2019–2022 * Edmund Burke, Vice-Chancellor 2022 -

Notable academics

Samuel L. Braunstein Samuel Leon Braunstein (born 1961) is a professor at the University of York, UK. He is a member of a research group in non-standard computation, and has a particular interest in quantum information, quantum computation and black hole thermody ...

quantum physicist Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, qua ...

, 1997–2004 * Ronald Brown, English mathematician known for his work in

algebraic topology Algebraic topology is a branch of mathematics that uses tools from abstract algebra to study topological spaces. The basic goal is to find algebraic invariants that classify topological spaces up to homeomorphism, though usually most classify ...

Tony Conran Tony Conran (7 April 1931 – 14 January 2013) was an Anglo-Wales, Welsh poet and Translation, translator of Welsh language, Welsh poetry. His own poetry was mostly written in English and Modernist in style but was very much influenced by Wel ...

, poet and translator, Reader in English and Tutor until 1983 *

David Crystal David Crystal, (born 6 July 1941) is a British linguist, academic, and prolific author best known for his works on linguistics and the English language. Family Crystal was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland, on 6 July 1941 after his mother had ...

linguist Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

and

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

, honorary professor of

Linguistics Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. It is called a scientific study because it entails a comprehensive, systematic, objective, and precise analysis of all aspects of language, particularly its nature and structure. Linguis ...

A. H. Dodd Professor Arthur Herbert Dodd (1891 – 21 May 1975) was an academic historian who taught and published widely, specialising in the politics of the Tudor and Stuart periods, Welsh history, and the history of the Industrial Revolution. Dodd was ...

, historian, 1919–1958 *

Israel Dostrovsky Israel Dostrovsky ( he, ישראל דוסטרובסקי) (November 29, 1918 – September 28, 2010) was an Israeli physical chemist, fifth president of the Weizmann Institute of Science, laureate of the 1995 Israel Prize in the exact sciences. ...

(1918-2010), Russian (Ukraine)-born Israeli physical chemist, fifth president of the

Weizmann Institute of Science The Weizmann Institute of Science ( he, מכון ויצמן למדע ''Machon Vaitzman LeMada'') is a public research university in Rehovot, Israel, established in 1934, 14 years before the State of Israel. It differs from other Israeli unive ...

* John L. Harper, biologist, ecologist, British scholar and scientist, 1925-2009 *

Raimund Karl Raimund Karl (born September 15, 1969 in Vienna) is an Austrian archaeologist, Celtic studies, Celticist and historian. He is currently a professor of Archaeology and Heritage Management Institute and at the School of History, Welsh History and Arc ...

, archaeologist, 2003–2020 * , historian, eighth director of the Swiss Social Archives, 2007–2014 *

Bedwyr Lewis Jones Bedwyr Lewis Jones (1 September 1933 – 28 August 1992) was a Welsh scholar, literary critic and linguist. Jones was born in Wrexham, Denbighshire but brought up in Llaneilian on Ynys Môn, north Wales. He was educated at Jesus College, Oxford ...

, scholar *

William Mathias William James Mathias CBE (1 November 1934 – 29 July 1992) was a Welsh composer noted for choral works. Biography Mathias was born in Whitland, Carmarthenshire. A child prodigy, he started playing the piano at the age of three and began co ...

, composer, former professor of music *

John Morris-Jones Sir John Morris-Jones (17 October 1864 – 16 April 1929) was a Welsh grammarian, academic and Welsh-language poet. Morris-Jones was born John Jones, at Trefor in the parish of Llandrygarn, Anglesey the son of Morris Jones first a schoolmaster ...

, pioneering Welsh grammarian, editor, poet and literary critic * Guto Puw, Welsh composer *

Duncan Tanner Duncan Tanner (19 February 1958 – 11 February 2010) was a political historian and academic. His best-known work covered the British Labour Party and voting in the early 20th century. He held the post of director of the Welsh Institute for Social ...

, historian of the Labour Party, 1989-2010 * John Meurig Thomas, Department of Chemistry * Gwyn Thomas, Welsh scholar and poet *

Margaret Thrall Margaret Eleanor Thrall (1928–2010) was a Welsh theologian, academic, and Anglican priest. Thrall studied at Girton College, Cambridge, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1950 and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in 1960. Her ...

, Welsh theologian and Anglican priest *

Innes McCartney Innes McCartney (born 1964) is a British nautical archaeologist and historian. He is a Visiting Fellow at Bournemouth University in the UK. Career McCartney is a nautical archaeologist specializing in the interaction of shipwreck archaeology ...

, British scientist

Notable alumni

, film director and producer, graduate in English and drama *

, former Prime Minister of Mauritius *

Martin J. Ball Martin J. Ball is Honorary Professor in Linguistics at Bangor University in Wales. Until August 2017 he was Professor of Speech-Language Pathology (Clinical Linguistics and Phonetics) at Linköping University in Sweden. He holds dual UK-US citiz ...

, emeritus professor of linguistcis at Bangor University, Cymru/Wales. *

Frances Barber Frances Barber (née Brookes, born 13 May 1958) is an English actress. She received Olivier Award nominations for her work in the plays '' Camille'' (1985), and ''Uncle Vanya'' (1997). Her film appearances include three collaborations with Gar ...

, actress *

Richard Brunstrom Richard Brunstrom QPM (born September 1954, Nottingham) is a retired British senior police officer. He was the Chief Constable of North Wales Police from January 2001 to July 2009. As such he carried through vigorous changes of strategy, includi ...

, Chief Constable of

North Wales Police North Wales Police ( cy, Heddlu Gogledd Cymru) is the territorial police force responsible for policing North Wales. Its headquarters are in Colwyn Bay. , the force has 1,510 police officers, 170 special constables, 182 police community suppor ...

Gordon Conway Sir Gordon Richard Conway (born 6 July 1938) is an agricultural ecologist and former President of the Rockefeller Foundation and the Royal Geographical Society. He is currently Professor of International Development at Imperial College, Lon ...

, president of the

Royal Geographical Society The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...

, Vice Chancellor of the

University of Sussex , mottoeng = Be Still and Know , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £14.4 million (2020) , budget = £319.6 million (2019–20) , chancellor = Sanjeev Bhaskar , vice_chancellor = Sasha Roseneil , ...

Paul Alan Cox Paul Alan Cox is an American ethnobotanist whose scientific research focuses on discovering new medicines by studying patterns of wellness and illness among indigenous peoples. Cox was born in Salt Lake City in 1953. Education After receiving h ...

, ethnobotanist * Colin Eaborn, chemist *

Aled Eames Aled Eames (29 July 1921 – 7 March 1996) was a Welsh historian and author. He wrote primarily on Welsh maritime history.''Independent'' obituary, 15 March 1996/ref> Life and career Eames, born in Llandudno, attended a local grammar school. He ...

, maritime historian and warden of Neuadd Reichel in the 1950s and 1960s *

Robert G. Edwards Sir Robert Geoffrey Edwards (27 September 1925 – 10 April 2013) was a British physiologist and pioneer in reproductive medicine, and in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) in particular. Along with obstetrician and gynaecologist Patrick Steptoe ...

, physiologist and pioneer in

reproductive medicine Reproductive medicine is a branch of medicine concerning the male and female reproductive systems. It encompasses a variety of reproductive conditions, their prevention and assessment, as well as their subsequent treatment and prognosis. Reprodu ...

, won the 2010

Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine is awarded yearly by the Nobel Assembly at the Karolinska Institute for outstanding discoveries in physiology or medicine. The Nobel Prize is not a single prize, but five separate prizes that, accord ...

. * John Evans, film director *

Bill Fay Bill Fay (born William Fay; 1943) is an English singer-songwriter. His early recordings were released by Deram, but following the release of his second album in 1971, Fay was dropped by the label. His work enjoyed a growing cult status in the ...

, singer/musician and recording artist *

Raymond Garlick Raymond Garlick (21 September 1926 – 19 March 2011) was an Anglo-Welsh poet. He was also the first editor of ''The Anglo-Welsh Review'', a lecturer, critic, and campaigner for the use of the Welsh language. Early life and studies Raymond Gar ...

, poet and editor * Tony Gillam, musician and writer * Mary Dilys Glynne, plant pathologist *

Gwynn ap Gwilym Gwynn ap Gwilym (1950 – 31 July 2016) was a Welsh poet, novelist, editor and translator. He was born in Bangor but raised in Machynlleth, in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. He was educated at University of Wales, University College, Galway and Wy ...

, poet * Lowri Gwilym, television and radio producer *

Tim Haines Tim Haines is a screenwriter, producer and director who is best known for his work on the BBC popular science shows ''Walking with Dinosaurs'', ''Walking with Beasts'', and ''Walking with Monsters''. He is co-creator and executive producer o ...

, BBC producer * Julian Hibberd, plant scientist, named by Nature as one of "Five crop researchers who could change the world" *

Howel Harris Hughes Howel Harris Hughes (7 September 1873 – 23 November 1956) was a Welsh theologian and Presbyterian minister. He was Principal of the United Theological College in Aberystwyth in from 1927 to 1939. Biography Hughes was born in Brynteg, Llanfa ...

, theologian,

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister and Principal of the

United Theological College, Aberystwyth The United Theological College located in Aberystwyth, in the county of Ceredigion in mid Wales, is a Grade II listed building which was the ministerial training college of the Presbyterian Church of Wales from 1906 to 2003 and an associate colle ...

. * Siân James, traditional/folk singer and musician * Ann Clwyd, Labour MP 1984 - 2019 * Einir Jones, poet * Kathy Jones, Anglican priest and

Dean of Bangor Bangor Cathedral ( cy, Eglwys Gadeiriol Bangor) is a cathedral in Bangor, Gwynedd, Wales. It is dedicated to its founder, Saint Deiniol. The site of the present building of Bangor Cathedral has been in use as a place of Christian worship since t ...

* Martha Elizabeth Newton, bryologist and cytologist *

John Ogwen John Ogwen (born 25 April 1944) is a Welsh actor. Early life Ogwen was born and raised in Sling near Bethesda in the Ogwen Valley, from which his surname derives. He attended Ysgol Dyffryn Ogwen, then studied English and Welsh at the Universit ...

, actor *

R. Williams Parry Robert Williams Parry (6 March 1884 – 4 January 1956) was one of Wales's most notable 20th-century poets writing in Welsh. Life R. Williams Parry was born in Tal-y-sarn, in Dyffryn Nantlle, a first cousin to the writers T. H. Parry-Williams ...

, poet *

, scientist, developer of the first handheld electronic

breathalyser A breathalyzer or breathalyser (a portmanteau of ''breath'' and ''analyzer/analyser'') is a device for estimating blood alcohol content (BAC), or to detect viruses or diseases from a breath sample. The name is a genericized trademark of the Br ...

Mmusi Maimane Mmusi Aloysias Maimane (born 6 June 1980) is a South African politician, businessman, and Leader of Build One South Africa, a political party. Maimane is also the former Leader of South Africa, South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance (So ...

, South African politician * Bethany C. Morrow, author *

, professor of Physics of the Oceans at Potsdam University *

Derek Ratcliffe Derek Almey Ratcliffe (9 July 1929 – 23 May 2005) was one of the most significant British nature conservationists of the 20th century. He was Chief Scientist for the Nature Conservancy Council at the Monks Wood Experimental Station, Abbots Ript ...

, botanist, zoologist and nature conservationist * Howard Riley, jazz pianist and composer * Gareth Roberts, physicist and university administrator * Kate Roberts, writer *

Andy Rowley Andy Rowley (born 28 December 1959; Preston, Lancashire) is a British television producer known for his children's dramas, including ''Jeopardy'', which won a BAFTA Award for best children's drama in 2002, and '' Microsoap'', Prix Jeunesse winner ...

, TV Producer *

John Sessions John Marshall (11 January 1953 – 2 November 2020), better known by the stage name John Sessions, was a British actor and comedian. He was known for comedy improvisation in television shows such as ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'', as a panellist o ...

, actor *

Lyndon Smith (academic) Lyndon Neal Smith (born 26 December 1964) is a British academic who is Professor in Computer Simulation and Machine Vision at the Department of Engineering Design and Mathematics at the University of the West of England in Bristol. Early life ...

, Professor in Computer Simulation and Machine Vision, University of the West of England * Gwyn Thomas, poet and academic,

National Poet of Wales The post of National Poet of Wales ( cy, Bardd Cenedlaethol Cymru) was established in May 2005 by Academi – the Welsh National Literature Promotion Agency and Society for Writers. The current holder of the position is Hanan Issa, who was appoin ...

R. S. Thomas Ronald Stuart Thomas (29 March 1913 – 25 September 2000), published as R. S. Thomas, was a Welsh poet and Anglican priest ( Church of Wales) noted for nationalism, spirituality and dislike of the anglicisation of Wales. John Betjeman, introduc ...

, poet and Anglican priest *

Derick Thomson Derick Smith Thomson (Scottish Gaelic: ''Ruaraidh MacThòmais''; 5 August 1921, Stornoway – 21 March 2012, Glasgow) was a Scottish poet, publisher, lexicographer, academic and writer. He was originally from Lewis, but spent much of his life ...

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic ( gd, Gàidhlig ), also known as Scots Gaelic and Gaelic, is a Goidelic language (in the Celtic branch of the Indo-European language family) native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a Goidelic language, Scottish Gaelic, as well as ...

poet, publisher, academic and writer *

Tim Wheeler Timothy James Arthur Wheeler (born 4 January 1977) is a Northern Irish singer, songwriter, and musician for the alternative rock band Ash. He has written nearly all of Ash's notable works, such as " Oh Yeah", "Shining Light", " Girl from Mars" ...

, Vice-Chancellor of the

University of Chester , mottoeng = "He that teacheth, on teaching" , former_names = , established = (gained university status in 2005) , type = Public , endowment = £395,000 (2018) , budget = £118.3 million , chancellor = Gyles Brandreth , vice_chancell ...

Roger Whittaker Roger Henry Brough Whittaker (born 22 March 1936) is a British singer-songwriter and musician, who was born in Nairobi to English parents. His music is an eclectic mix of folk music and popular songs in addition to radio airplay hits. He is bes ...

, musician *

Bill Wiggin Sir William David Wiggin (born 4 June 1966) is a British Conservative Party politician, and a former Shadow Minister for Agriculture & Fisheries. He has been the Member of Parliament (MP) for North Herefordshire, previously Leominster, since t ...

, Conservative MP for

Leominster Leominster ( ) is a market town in Herefordshire, England, at the confluence of the River Lugg and its tributary the River Kenwater. The town is north of Hereford and south of Ludlow in Shropshire. With a population of 11,700, Leominster is t ...

* Gareth Williams,

Secret Intelligence Service 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 ...

employee *

Ifor Williams Sir Ifor Williams, (16 April 1881 – 4 November 1965) was a Welsh scholar who laid the foundations for the academic study of Old Welsh, particularly early Welsh poetry. Early life and education Ifor Williams was born at Pendinas, Tregarth near ...

, historian and editor of Welsh literature * Herbert Wilson, physicist who worked on the structure of DNA *

Hamza Yassin Hamza Ahmed Yassin (born 22 February 1990) is a Sudanese-British wildlife cameraman and presenter, known for his role as Ranger Hamza on the children's television channel CBeebies and his work on shows such as ''Countryfile'' and '' Animal Par ...

, TV presenter and wildlife cameraman. Zoology with conservation graduate * Fahad Abdulrahman Badar, Qatari Mountaineer and banker * Denis Kwok, singer and actor; member of Hong Kong Cantopop group 'Error (Hong Kong group), ERROR'

Fictional alumni

* The title character of Helen Fielding's 1996 novel ''Bridget Jones's Diary (novel), Bridget Jones's Diary'' attended Bangor University.

References

External links

Bangor University
– Official website
Bangor University Students Union (UNDEB)The legacy of Bangor University vice-chancellor John G. Hughes (2010–18)
{{authority control Bangor University, Universities in Wales, Bangor Universities and colleges in North Wales Educational institutions established in 1884 Bangor, Gwynedd 1884 establishments in Wales Buildings by Henry Hare Universities established in the 19th century Law schools in Wales Universities UK