As financial difficulties take their toll, more mergers like that between UCL and the Institute of Education look inevitable – or will private equity firms step in? hen academics at the Institute of Education were told that they would be merging with University College London, they were assured it would boost their profile. The IoE was already ranked as world-leading in education. But in a climate of squeezed research funding and highly competitive student recruitment, the merger was seen as a sensible move by many in the sector, who felt that smaller institutions might be at risk. The alliance crowned UCL as the biggest university in London, with more than 35,000 students, and the largest postgraduate institution in Britain. But two years on, angry educationists say they are underpaid and undervalued in their new institution. Last month John Yandell, president of the IoE branch of the University and College Union, delivered a petition signed by 1,000 staff and students to UCL’s provost, Michael Arthur, calling for a rise in London weighting to match their UCL counterparts – IoE academics claim they are paid £600 less. He believes members struggle to cope with the high rent, mortgage and travel costs of living in the capital. But he isn’t optimistic about their chances of being heard. With some modern universities suffering declines of up to 25% in student numbers, experts say an increase in university mergers is inevitable. “The main driver will be that some institutions will become financially unsustainable – if they aren’t already,” says Prof Roger Brown, former vice-chancellor of Southampton Solent University. Glynne Stanfield, head of the international higher education practice at law firm Eversheds, who has advised on several university mergers, says lower-ranking institutions that are not meeting student-number targets may well look for a partner. But he argues another likely scenario is that struggling universities may be taken over by private sector players waiting in the wings. “Would the private s