Sam Rowlands, Member of the Welsh Parliament for North Wales, has praised Wrexham University for reaching a major research milestone.
Mr Rowlands, who constantly praises the achievements of Wrexham University, was commenting after it was announced that they have been awarded Research Degree Awarding Powers, RDAP, which allows them to grant their own doctoral degrees for the first time since gaining university status in 2008.
He said:
I am absolutely delighted to see more success for this extremely popular and award winning university which continues to go from strength to strength.
Earlier this year it was named best university in Wales for its lecturers and teaching, the student support it provides as well as for career prospects at the Whatuni Student Choice Awards, WUSCAs and it is great to see that recognition keeps on coming.
Every time I visit there and meet up with Vice-Chancellor, Joe Yates, I am always impressed with their future plans for development and congratulations must go to everyone at the university for all their hard work and for continuing to put the place firmly on the higher education map.
The awarding of RDAP reinforces the University’s vision for delivering impactful, applied research that benefits communities and industry partners both regionally and globally.
Speaking about this recognition and what it means for the University, Professor Joe Yates, Vice-Chancellor, said:
Being granted Research Degree Awarding Powers marks a major milestone in the University’s evolution – and our ambition of being a world-leading, modern civic university that delivers skills and impactful research which will drive economic growth and innovation for the wellbeing of current and future generations.
Professor Richard Day, Pro-Vice Chancellor for Research at Wrexham University, added:
This is an incredibly proud moment for our university and research community. It affirms that our processes for supervising and examining doctoral research meets the highest standards, as well as empowering us to design doctoral programmes that align with our strategic priorities and the needs of society.
I would also like to take this opportunity to thank colleagues at the University of Chester for their fantastic support over the past decade, through providing research degree accreditation for our students, while we have been working towards gaining our own Research Degree Awarding Powers.
Wrexham County Borough Council Leader, Cllr. Mark Pritchard said:
This is fantastic news for Wrexham University, and I would like to offer my congratulations on this especially important milestone. This achievement really highlights the university’s role in supporting skills, innovation, and opportunities for our growing city.
Wrexham University’s first cohort of research students to receive degrees awarded under its own powers will start in 2026, symbolising a new era in the institution’s academic independence and contribution to the UK’s knowledge economy.
Sam Rowlands AS yn falch o weld llwyddiant parhaus mewn prifysgol yn y Gogledd
Mae Sam Rowlands, Aelod o’r Senedd dros Ogledd Cymru, wedi canmol Prifysgol Wrecsam am gyrraedd carreg filltir ymchwil bwysig.
Gwnaeth Mr Rowlands, sy'n canmol cyflawniadau Prifysgol Wrecsam yn gyson, y sylwadau ar ôl y cyhoeddiad bod y brifysgol wedi derbyn Pwerau Dyfarnu Graddau Ymchwil, RDAP, sy'n caniatáu iddyn nhw ddyfarnu eu graddau doethuriaeth eu hunain am y tro cyntaf ers ennill statws prifysgol yn 2008.
Meddai:
Rwy'n falch iawn o weld mwy o lwyddiant i'r brifysgol hynod boblogaidd ac arobryn hon sy'n parhau i fynd o nerth i nerth.
Yn gynharach eleni cafodd ei henwi'r brifysgol orau yng Nghymru am ei darlithwyr a'i haddysgu, y cymorth y mae'n ei ddarparu i fyfyrwyr yn ogystal ag ar gyfer rhagolygon gyrfa yng Ngwobrau Dewis Myfyrwyr Whatuni, WUSCAs ac mae'n wych ei gweld yn cael ei chydnabod o hyd.
Bob tro rydw i'n ymweld â’r brifysgol ac yn cwrdd â'r Is-Ganghellor, Joe Yates, mae eu cynlluniau ar gyfer datblygu yn y dyfodol bob amser wedi creu argraff arnaf ac mae'n rhaid llongyfarch pawb yn y brifysgol am eu holl waith caled ac am barhau i roi'r lle yn gadarn ar y map addysg uwch.
Mae dyfarnu graddau RDAP yn atgyfnerthu gweledigaeth y Brifysgol ar gyfer darparu ymchwil effeithiol, gymhwysol sydd o fudd i gymunedau a phartneriaid diwydiant yn rhanbarthol ac yn fyd-eang.
Wrth siarad am y gydnabyddiaeth hon a'r hyn y mae'n ei olygu i'r Brifysgol, dywedodd yr Athro Joe Yates, Is-Ganghellor:
Mae cael Pwerau Dyfarnu Graddau Ymchwil yn garreg filltir bwysig yn esblygiad y Brifysgol - a'n huchelgais o fod yn brifysgol ddinesig fodern gyda’r gorau yn y byd sy'n darparu sgiliau ac ymchwil effeithiol a fydd yn sbarduno twf economaidd ac arloesi er lles cenedlaethau'r presennol a'r dyfodol.
Ychwanegodd yr Athro Richard Day, Dirprwy Is-Ganghellor Ymchwil ym Mhrifysgol Wrecsam:
Mae hon yn foment hynod falch i'n prifysgol a'n cymuned ymchwil. Mae'n cadarnhau bod ein prosesau ar gyfer goruchwylio ac archwilio ymchwil ddoethurol yn bodloni'r safonau uchaf, yn ogystal â'n grymuso i ddylunio rhaglenni doethurol sy'n cyd-fynd â'n blaenoriaethau strategol ac anghenion cymdeithas.
Hoffwn hefyd fanteisio ar y cyfle hwn i ddiolch i gydweithwyr ym Mhrifysgol Caer am eu cefnogaeth wych dros y degawd diwethaf, trwy ddarparu achrediad gradd ymchwil i'n myfyrwyr, tra ein bod wedi bod yn gweithio tuag at ennill ein Pwerau Dyfarnu Graddau Ymchwil ein hunain.
Meddai Arweinydd Cyngor Bwrdeistref Sirol Wrecsam, y Cynghorydd Mark Pritchard:
Mae hyn yn newyddion gwych i Brifysgol Wrecsam, a hoffwn ei llongyfarch ar y garreg filltir arbennig hon. Mae'r cyflawniad hwn yn tynnu sylw at rôl y brifysgol wrth gefnogi sgiliau, arloesedd a chyfleoedd i'n dinas sy'n tyfu.
Bydd carfan gyntaf Prifysgol Wrecsam i dderbyn graddau a ddyfarnwyd o dan ei phwerau ei hun yn dechrau yn 2026, gan symboleiddio cyfnod newydd yn annibyniaeth academaidd y sefydliad a chyfraniad i economi wybodaeth y DU.
