‘If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university? https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/feb/04/essex-university-southend-campus-closure-seaside-deprivation #England #UkNews #Students #UniversityFunding #Education #HigherEducation #SocialExclusion #Society #YoungPeople #CommitmentToWideningParticipation #Cities #SocialMobility

‘If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university?
When Essex University’s Southend campus opened, it was a message of hope for a ‘left behind’ UK seaside town. Its closure will be felt far beyond its 800 students, some of whom will not get their degrees