Swansea University

Swansea University foundation stone

The University College, Swansea, (as it was known then), was established in 1920, opening its doors on 5 October. At the time, it was the youngest of the four colleges of the University of Wales. It was established on the recommendations of a Royal Commission set up in 1916.[8] The college was founded on what were perceived as the needs and the wants of the local area, and Swansea's main industries in particular.[9]

Singleton Abbey

The Park Campus houses the oldest parts of the university's estate, including Singleton Abbey, a large eighteenth-century mansion which was the ancestral home of the Vivian family, having been bought by the prominent industrialist, John Henry Vivian.

Swansea University's foundation stone was laid in 1920 by King George V in July 1920, welcoming 89 students, of whom eight were female.[10] Subjects taught from the beginning of the College were the Sciences, Mathematics, Metallurgy and Engineering. The professors were A.R. Richardson (Mathematics), E.J. Evans (Physics), J.E. Coates (Chemistry),[11] A.E. Trueman (Geology),[12] C.A. Edwards (Metallurgy)[13] and F. Bacon (Engineering).

The university was granted a coat of arms by the College of Heralds in 1921 with the motto Gweddw Crefft Heb Ei Dawn, translated as Technical Skill is Bereft Without Culture.[10]

Arts subjects were not taught immediately in 1920, but started in the following 'session', 1921–22. The first professors in those initial departments were D. Emrys Evans (Classics), W.D. Thomas (English Language and Literature), Henry Lewis (Welsh),[14] E. Ernest Hughes (History),[15] F.A. Cavenagh (Education) and Mary Williams (French).[16] Williams was the first woman to be appointed to a Chair in the United Kingdom.[16] This met with some reaction from senior men at the College, one of whom she would later marry.

Saunders Lewis, the well-known Welsh language writer and activist, became a member of staff in 1922 although he ran up against controversy in 1936/37 for trying to set fire to a Royal Air Force bombing school on the Llyn Peninsula. He was tried at the Old Bailey and sent to prison for nine months.[17]

When Singleton Abbey and its surrounding land was handed to the college in 1923, Arts subjects were moved there from the College's temporary site in Mount Pleasant. Student numbers remained relatively small until the Second World War.

Swansea acquired departments of Philosophy 1925, German in 1931, economics in 1937, Social Policy in 1947, Political Theory and Government in 1954 – the same year that a civil engineering and a Geography department were added. In 1961 Swansea became a centre for Russian and East European Studies, whilst Italian and Spanish joined the Department of French.

There were many notable staff members at the University in the period, including the long-serving female professor of Botany, Florence Mockeridge.[18] Another was Professor Glanmor Williams (History) who retired in 1982.[19] Other well-known staff members were the author of novels such as Lucky Jim and That Uncertain Feeling, Kingsley Amis, who lectured in English in the 1950s and early 1960s;[20] Rush Rhees, an expert on Wittgensteinian philosophy, who was a member of staff from 1940 to 1966;[21] and Kenneth O. Morgan (now Lord Morgan of Aberdyfi) who was a junior history lecturer from 1958 to 1966.

In 1947, John Fulton, Baron Fulton, the University Principal, had designs on creating the UK's first contained university campus. Located in the vast expanse of Singleton Park, the university only had 2 permanent buildings; Singleton Abbey and the library.

The 1960s saw the university embark on a large campus development programme, aiming to fulfill Fulton's plan of becoming a self-contained community within the city. Along with new halls of residence, a Maths and Science Tower was built, with College House – later renamed Fulton House.[10]

Swansea University's £20 million International Sports Village is five minutes' walk from the Singleton Park campus on the western side of Sketty Lane. It has an eight-lane track, six-lane indoor track and training centre, floodlit playing fields including rugby, football, lacrosse and cricket pitches, two artificial hockey pitches, a sports hall, tennis and squash courts, a climbing wall and spin room. The University also owns training pitches in the north of the city, in Fairwood, which it has developed alongside Swansea City A.F.C..[22]

During the 2012 Summer Olympics, the University hosted the training camps for the Mexican and New Zealand Paralympic teams and the Ireland Triathlon team.[23] In 2014, it hosted the IPC Athletics European Championships. Furthermore, in 2015 it hosted the training camps of the Canada national rugby union team and the Fiji national rugby union team in preparation for the 2015 Rugby World Cup.[24]

Sports Science at the university leapt from 40th to 8th in the 2015 Guardian University Guide.[25] The department has links with Swansea City A.F.C., Ospreys and Welsh Athletics. Former scholars include Wales rugby union player Alun Wyn Jones, Olympic swimmer Georgia Davies, Paralympian swimmer Liz Johnson and Paralympian Boccia player David Smith. Swansea is in the top quarter of the British University's sporting leagues.[26] It competes with Cardiff University in the Welsh Varsity tournament, the largest student sports event in Wales. This includes The Welsh Boat Race and the showcase rugby union varsity match which attracted 16,000 students to Swansea's Liberty Stadium in 2015.[27][28]

Ellie Simmonds, 2008 Olympic Parade

The Wales National Pool, next to the International Sports Village, is a 50-metre pool built to FINA standards. The facility, which also has a 25m × 9.5m training pool and 1,200 spectator seats, is HQ of Wales Amateur Swimming Association.

The pool, one of five of British Swimming's Intensive Training Centres (ITC), was used to train swimmers for the London 2012 Olympics was built with funding from Sport Wales, Swansea Council and Swansea University.

It is home to the new Welsh Swimming National Performance Centre, a hub for elite and performance swimming in Wales including disability swimming under renowned coach Billy Pye[29] who has trained several Paralympians in Swansea, including Ellie Simmonds and Liz Johnson. University sports science researchers provide back-up to the hub. The centre is also home to Swansea University Swimming and City of Swansea Aquatics.

360 Beach and Water Sports Centre overlooking Swansea Bay

The £1.4 million 360 Beach and Water Sports Centre is the only university-operated centre of its kind in the UK. It is on the prom a five-minute walk from the Singleton Park Campus.

The centre, opened in autumn 2012, is a not for profit company set up by Swansea University offering a range of activities and training such as kite surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking and beach volleyball. It houses a beachside bistro open to the public.[30]

On 5 September 2018, 360 Beach and Water Sports Centre shut down, with intentions of changing management.[31] As of November 2018, it remains closed.

Located in the Taliesin building, the Egypt Centre is open to the public. More than 4,000 items are in its collection.[32] Most were collected by the pharmacist and entrepreneur Sir Henry Wellcome. Others came from the British Museum, the Royal Edinburgh Museum, National Museums and Galleries of Wales Cardiff, the Royal Albert Museum and Art Gallery and private donors.

Staff lecture museum groups and other outside bodies on volunteering, social inclusion and how to widen community participation with university museums. School parties regularly visit for interactive events.[32]

Singleton Abbey, the administrative building of the University

Swansea received its royal charter in 1920 and like many universities is governed by its constitution that is set out in its statutes and a charter. The governing body of Swansea University is its Council, which is supported by the Senate and the Court.

• The Council consists of 29 members including the Chancellor, Pro-chancellors, Vice-chancellor, Treasurer, Pro-vice-chancellors, staff and student members, city council representation and a majority of lay members. The council is responsible for all of the University's activities and has a well-developed committee structure to help discharge its powers and duties.
• The Senate is the main academic body of the university and is responsible for teaching and research. Most of its 200 members are academics but it also includes representatives of the Students' Union and the Athletic Union. The Senate is chaired by the Vice-Chancellor, who is the head of the university both academically and administratively.
• The Court consists of more than 300 members representing stakeholders from local to national institutions. It meets annually to discuss the university's annual report, its financial statements and issues in higher education.

Principal

• 1920 to 1926: Franklin Sibly; first principal
• 1947 to 1959: John Fulton
• 1965 to 1974: Frank Llewellyn Jones[33]
• 1974 to 1982: Robert Walter Steel

Vice-Chancellor

• 1994 to 2003: Robin Williams
• 2003 to 2019: Richard B. Davies
• 2019 onward: Paul Boyle[34]

Swansea University's academic departments are organised into seven colleges:

James Callaghan building, home to the History and Politics departments

The college offers courses in American Studies, Ancient History, Applied Linguistics, Chinese, Classics, Cymraeg/Welsh, Egyptology, English, English Literature, French, German, History, Italian, Medieval Studies, Media Studies (with Film and PR options), Politics and International Relations, Spanish-Hispanic Studies, Translation, and War and Society.

In spring 2006, M Wynn Thomas and Dai Smith established the Library of Wales series as an offshoot of the college which has influenced Welsh Government policy to benefit the creative industries, cultural tourism and education.[35]

School of Management – Swansea University

The School of Management is a top 30 UK Business school and ranks top 10 in terms of Research Impact, with 90% of submissions earning a World-Leading 4* or Internationally Excellent 3* rating.[36]

In 2015, the School relocated to the University's Bay Campus which houses over 2,000 students, 150 members of staff and a range of industry partners, including The Bevan Commission, Fujitsu, Greenaway Scott, and AgorIP.[37][38][39][40][41]

The School of Management provides a range of Undergraduate and Postgraduate courses, including Accounting and Finance, Business Management, Economics, Tourism, and Marketing.[42] The School ranks in the UK top 30 for Business and Economics graduate prospects, and top 10 for Accounting and Finance.[43]

Alongside teaching, the School also houses various research centres including The Centre for Visitor Economy Research (CVER), The Centre for Lean Enterprise, Application and Research (CLEAR), The Centre for Responsible Organisation and Social Innovation (CROSI), Emerging Markets Research Centre (EMaRC), The Hawkes Centre for Empirical Finance, People and Organisation, Swansea iLab, Welsh Economy Labour Markets Evaluation Research Centre (WELMERC), The Bevan Commission, The Morgan Academy and The Centre for Health and Environmental Management Research and Innovation (CHEMRI).[44]

Hillary Clinton at Swansea University

The Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law is the largest Law School in Wales and ranks third in the UK for Criminology and twenty-second in the UK for Law (The Times Good University Guide 2019).[45] Swansea University opened its School of Law in 1994, in order to complement its departments in Engineering, the Sciences and Arts and Humanities. Known previously as the College of Law and Criminology, the School's name changed on 14 October 2017, as part of a ceremony including the conferment of an honorary doctorate on Hillary Rodham Clinton.[46]

The School is situated at the Singleton Campus but intends to move to purpose-built premises on the University's Bay Campus within the next few years. This new development will house commercial law firms, technology companies, national and international agencies, along with the academics and students of the School.

Teaching at the School of Law comprises Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Professional Courses.[47] Undergraduate programmes include qualifying law degrees, criminology degrees and joint honours programmes. Postgraduate programmes include LLMs in shipping and trade, Human Rights, an MA in Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology and research degrees. Professional courses on offer include the Graduate Diploma in Law and the Legal Practice Course. Students are taught in lectures, discussion groups and interactive seminars by academics with extensive industry experience.

In the Research Excellence Framework 2014, 96% of School research was recognised as demonstrating an international standard.[48] This research encompasses the School's numerous research centres including The Swansea University Legal Centre, Centre for Criminal Justice and Criminology, Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Law, Cyber Threats Intelligence Centre, The Institute of International Shipping and Trade Law and the Wales Observatory on Human Rights of Children and Young People.[49]

Swansea University College of Engineering

Engineering has been studied at Swansea University since its very beginning in 1920 and in 2001 all of the engineering departments merged to form the School of Engineering, which turned into the College of Engineering a few years later. The College of Engineering moved in 2015 to the University's Bay Campus which now has 5 engineering buildings, holding 30,000m² of laboratory and office space and over £10 million of research and teaching equipment. These buildings include Engineering Central, Engineering East, Institute Structural Materials (ISM), Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI)[50] and the Active Classroom (the UK's first energy positive classroom).[51]

The college offers courses in Aerospace, Chemical, Civil, Computational, Electronic and Electrical, Materials Science, Mechanical and Medical Engineering and Nanotechnology at under and postgraduate level. Both the Chemical and Materials Science and Engineering courses are ranked 6th in the UK (The Times Good University Guide/The Guardian University Guide) and its Aerospace, Civil and Mechanical Engineering departments are ranked within the World 200 (QS World Rankings).[52][53][54]

The College is ranked 10th in the UK for the combined score in research quality across the Engineering disciplines according to REF 2014 and 94 per cent of Swansea's engineering research is classed as World-Leading (4*) or Internationally Excellent (3*).[55] The research carried out at the College can be divided in three themes, Aerospace and Manufacturing, Energy and Environment and Health and Sport. Within these themes there are four strategic technology centres:

• Zienkiewicz Centre for Computational Engineering (ZCCE)
• Materials Research Centre (MRC)
• Systems and Process Engineering Centre (SPEC)
• Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine Research Centre (A-STEM)

The college also has a formula student team: Swansea University Race Engineering (SURE).[56] SURE competes at Formula Student UK annually as well as some international Formula Student competitions. The team is open to any student at the university, not just engineers; however, mechanical engineering students can choose to study modules in Race Engineering.

School of Sport and Exercise Sciences

The School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, within the College of Engineering, was officially launched in 2017. The launch marked the 10 year anniversary of the Sport Science BSc, which started at Swansea University in 1997.

Research within the school is housed in the Applied Sports, Technology, Exercise and Medicine Research Centre (A-STEM) which focuses on Elite and Professional Sport, as well as Exercise, Medicine and Health.

Swansea University's College of Human and Health Sciences is the largest provider of health care education in Wales and draws together the disciplines of health, nursing, midwifery, social care, health economics, ageing, children and young people, social policy and psychology.[57] In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 ageing studies, social work and social care work researchers, were ranked as the best in Wales for the originality, significance and rigour of their research. Psychology was ranked in the UK top-30 in its field and first in the UK for the impact of its research.[58] In 2017, The College of Human and Health Sciences were awarded the Athena SWAN Silver award in recognition of its commitment to tackling gender inequality in higher education.[59] The College opened the Health and Wellbeing Academy in 2017 a collaborative project with ARCH (A Regional Collaboration for Health). The academy supports people in south West Wales with a range of services complementing those provided by the NHS.[60]

Swansea University Medical School – Data Science building

Swansea University Medical School is ranked as the third best medical school in the UK according to the Complete University Guide 2017. It also ranked joint first in the UK for Research Environment, according to the Research Excellence Framework 2014.[61]

Established in 2004, the Medical School works closely with government, industry and the NHS, in particular Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, over teaching, research and innovation. It also has two Institute of Life Science research centres, equipped with clinical trials, medical imaging, research and business development facilities and a Centre for NanoHealth.

In 2017, plans were announced to build a new Institute of Life Science Healthcare Technology Centre at the Singleton Campus, an Institute of Life Science 3 at Morriston Hospital and a Wellness & Life Science Village in Llanelli.[62]

At the BioWales 2017 conference, Swansea University Medical School unveiled a new partnership with Pfizer which would involve the pharmaceutical company locating itself at the Bay Campus.[63] This follows from the British Heart Foundation moving their Wales office from Cardiff to the Medical School's Institute of Life Science.[64]

The College of Science comprises six departments – Geography, Biosciences, Physics, Chemistry, Maths and Computer Science.[65] Maths and Computer Science are based at the Computational Foundry (opened September 2018) at the Bay Campus, while the remaining subjects are based at the Singleton Park Campus. The College offers courses at both undergraduate and postgraduate level, including degrees such as marine biology, zoology and geo-informatics. Recent global research success has included monitoring the calving of the Larsen C ice shelf[66] and the Physics department's contribution to the understanding of antihydrogen.[67] In the 2017 National Student Survey, the Physics department came top in the UK for teaching, organisation and management whilst Zoology, Biology and Computer Science were all in the top 10 in the UK.[68] In The Guardian University Guide 2018, Computer Science is ranked top for career prospects and 5th overall.[69]

A side profile of the Institute of Life Sciences 2

• Centre for Nanohealth
• Research Institute for Arts and Humanities – which includes the Global Drug Policy Observatory
• Institute of Life Sciences
• Research Institute for Applied Social Sciences
• Welsh Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience
• SPECIFIC
• CSAR
• Energy Safety Research Institute (ESRI)

The university is listed as one of the top 400 universities in the World University Rankings.[85] Swansea is placed 45th in the 2016 Complete University Guide.

Swansea University's best departments are Medicine and Engineering, ranked 2nd and 15th respectively 2014 Research Excellence Framework. The Law Department also ranks highly, coming in at 22nd in the Times Good University Guide 2019 in the UK, as well as in the 151–200 category in QS World Rankings.[86] Overall, Swansea University is ranked 26th in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework.[87]

National Student Survey results (for 2015) show Swansea's score for "overall satisfaction" is 87%, up from 82% last year, and higher than the Wales and UK average.[88] Swansea improved in each of the 22 questions in the survey. Swansea is now in the top third of institutions for levels of student satisfaction, and are 42nd out of 136, a jump of 38 places compared to last year and the biggest improvement in Wales.

In May 2014, Swansea was voted University of the Year based on student reviews carried out by Whatuni.[89]

In recent years, Swansea University has established many partnerships with leading universities in Europe, North America, Africa and Asia.

Swansea University has a strategic partnership with Wuhan Union Hospital in Wuhan, China.[90] The hospital was founded by Swansea missionary Reverend Doctor Griffith John. As a result of this partnership, in 2015, the College of Medicine hosted the 2nd UK-China Medical Forum at Singleton Hospital. Swansea University has also established a joint medical centre at the Wuhan Union Hospital to engage in clinical collaboration.

in 2013, Swansea University established a partnership with Rice University and Texas A&M University.[91] The universities will have their European office in Swansea while Swansea University has established an office in Houston, Texas. The universities will collaborate on research as well as exchange visits by academics and students.

Additionally in 2013, Swansea University established a partnership with the Joseph Fourier University in Grenoble, France with the aim of beginning joint degree programmes, collaborative bids for European funding and student and staff exchanges particularly in the subject areas of Medicine, Computer Science and Engineering.[92][93]

In 2007, the university set up a programme along with the local NHS trust, Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University Health Board, to establish a partnership with the School of Medicine at the University of the Gambia in The Gambia. The purpose of this partnership is to improve health care outcomes as well as collaborate on clinical care, health service delivery, teaching and research. This programme also provides opportunity for local doctors and medical students to pursue a placement in either the Gambia or Swansea Bay.[94] In December 2014, this programme was awarded a United Nations Gold Star for its contribution to the improvement of Gambian health outcomes.[95]

Swansea University collaborates with Navitas with International College Wales Swansea to provide foundation, 1st year degree and Pre-Masters programmes on campus.[96][97]

The Athletics Union caters for sports from rugby and hockey to Ultimate Frisbee.

Swansea and Cardiff University compete in an annual varsity competition, known as the Welsh version of the Oxbridge event, which includes the Welsh Varsity rugby match and The Welsh Boat Race.

The majority of Swansea University's individual and team training takes place at the dedicated Sports Village,[98] off campus on Sketty Lane. In the same complex as the Wales National Pool, the Sports Village is home to outdoor football and rugby pitches, a running track, an indoor athletics centre, hockey pitches, racquet courts and a gym, which is open to both students and the general public. On the Singleton Park university campus itself sits 'The Shed', where various university sports teams train and public classes take place.

Xtreme Radio is the radio station of the University, run by students. It was founded in November 1968 as Action Radio, making it the third oldest student radio station in the UK and oldest in Wales.[99] It broadcasts to various areas around campus and is available worldwide on the internet. The station plays a wide variety of music, as well as having a number of specialist programmes including talk and sports shows.

Bay Campus Accommodation

Swansea University provides approximately 3400 places in University halls and aims to offer accommodation to over 98% of new undergraduate students who request it. Accommodation is also available for all international postgraduate students.

Swansea University maintains on-campus and off-campus halls of residence and the purpose built Hendrefoelan Student Village. Several new halls of residence were completed in 2004, 2008 and 2015.

There are also a number of university managed properties in the Uplands and Brynmill areas of the city.[100]

The Bay Campus halls have 1462 rooms and will be replacing the student accommodation based in the Hendrefoelan Student village.[101] The Hendrefoelan estate is 2.5 miles from the Singleton Park campus, just off the main Swansea to Gower road, set amongst mature woodland with open grassy areas. The student village is now undergoing a phased redevelopment through the construction of 3 and 4-bedroom family homes.[102]

Penmaen and Horton buildings seen from Singleton Park

There are nine halls that make up the campus residences providing accommodation to around 1226 students. The halls offer a combination of part and self-catered rooms and a choice of standard or ensuite study rooms. Three of these halls (Caswell, Langland and Oxwich) were completed in 2004 and the original halls (Kilvey, Preseli, Rhossili and Cefn Bryn, formerly known as Sibly, Lewis Jones, Mary Williams Annexe and Mary Williams respectively) have undergone some refurbishment in recent years. Penmaen and Horton are the newest addition to the campus residences providing 351 self-catered, ensuite study rooms. Many rooms have views over the bay or across the park.[103]

Tŷ Beck consists of six large Victorian town houses situated in the Uplands area of Swansea, approximately a mile from the Singleton campus. It predominantly provides rooms for postgraduates and students with families, as well as overseas exchange students.[104]

Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher

• Sir Kingsley William Amis, CBE English lecturer
• Amy Brown, Professor of Child Health
• Tom Cheesman, reader in German
• Dame June Clark, Professor of Nursing
• Siwan Davies, Professor of Climate Science
• Ralph A. Griffiths, Emeritus Professor of Medieval History
• C. E. M. Hansel, Emeritus Professor of Experimental Psychology
• Julian Hopkin CBE, founder of Medical School; awarded CBE in 2011 for service to medicine
• Christine James, Professor of Welsh
• Gareth Jenkins, Director of Research of the Medical School; a "Research Leader" for Health and Care Research Wales
• Hilary Lappin-Scott, Chair in Microbiology and Pro-Vice Chancellor for Strategic Development and External Relations
• Jon Latimer, historian
• Keith Lloyd, Dean and Head of Medical School; Chair of Welsh Psychiatric Society
• Ronan Lyons, Clinical Professor of Public Health; Director of the National Centre for Population Health and Wellbeing Research; Director of the Farr Institute Centre for the Improvement of Population Health
• Robin Milner, computer scientist
• 

  Professor Mary Williams pioneer in medieval literature
  Florence Annie Mockeridge, botanist, Dean of Science 1933–35
• Tavi Murray, glacioloigist
• David Olive, physicist
• Gyan Pande, Emeritus Professor
• Dewi Zephaniah Phillips, prominent Wittgenstinian philosopher of religion
• Valerie Randle, Professor in Metallurgy
• Rush Rhees, philosopher
• Martin Sheldon, Professor of Reproductive Immunobiology; Editor of American Journal of Reproductive Immunology; Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons
• John Williams CBE, led establishment of Postgraduate Medical School; founding president of Welsh Association for Gastroenterology and Endoscopy
• Mary Williams, Chair of Modern Languages
• Ludwig Wittgenstein, philosopher; spent six months in 1941 writing and teaching at Swansea University
• Olgierd Zienkiewicz, pioneer of computational methods for engineering
• Andrew R Barron, Ser Cymru Chair of Low Carbon Energy and Environment; Director & Founder of ESRI [105]

• Peter Cottrell, novelist and historian
• Paul Dolan, behavioural scientist
• Paul Moorcraft, Professor in Journalism, Media and Cultural Studies at Cardiff University
• D.Z. Phillips, philosopher
• Geoffrey Thomas, President of Kellogg College, Oxford
• Dame Jean Thomas, first female Master at St Catharine's College, Cambridge
• Colin H. Williams, sociolinguist
• Sir Glanmor Williams, religious historian
• Nigel Addinall, Academic author, French (Hon)Consul

Jason Mohammad, presenter

• Annabelle Apsion, television and film actress
• Richey Edwards, member of rock group Manic Street Preachers
• Stuart Forster, travel journalist and photographer
• Jonathan Hill, presenter of Wales Tonight on ITV Wales
• Jason Mohammad, television/radio presenter for BBC Wales
• Mavis Nicholson, writer and television broadcaster
• Jonny Owen, Welsh actor, Shameless and Svengali Internet series
• Charlie Williams, author of The Mangel Trilogy
• Urien Wiliam, Welsh language novelist and playwright
• Nicky Wire, member of rock group Manic Street Preachers

• Ron Jones, Director of Tinopolis
• Paul Pindar, Chief Executive of Capita
• Ratan Tata, Indian industrialist, investor, philanthropist, and a former chairman of Tata Sons who serves as its chairman emeritus.

• Peter Black, MS for South Wales West
• Andrew Davies, former MS for Swansea West; former Minister for Finance and Public Service Delivery, Welsh Government
• Mike Hedges, MS for Swansea East
• Val Lloyd, former MS for Swansea East

Sylvia Heal, former MP

• Lord Anderson of Swansea, former MP
• Mims Davies, MP for Eastleigh and Wales Office Minister
• Caroline Dinenage, MP for Gosport and Minister for Care
• Nigel Evans, MP for Ribble Valley
• Hywel Francis, former MP for Aberavon
• Sylvia Heal, former MP and former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons
• Sian James, former MP for Swansea East
• Anne Main, MP for St Albans
• Rod Richards, former MP for North West Clwyd; former AM for North Wales
• John Sewel, Baron Sewel, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Lords
• Mark Tami, MP for Alyn and Deeside

• Shekhar Dutt, Former governor of the Indian state of Chhattisgarh
• Stanislaus A. James, Governor-General of Saint Lucia, 1988–1996
• Isatou Njie-Saidy, Vice President of The Gambia
• Wictor Sajeni, Deputy Minister of Primary Education in the Malawian government

Lyn Evans, Welsh physicist

• Sir Jonathan Asbridge, former President of the Nursing and Midwifery Council
• Anne Borsay[106] Chair in Medical Humanities
• Edward George Bowen CBE FRS, radiophysicist
• Alan Cox (shared with University of Wales, Aberystwyth), Linux pioneer
• Jonathan Elphick, ornithologist and zoologist
• Lyn Evans, CBE, Project Leader, Large Hadron Collider, CERN
• Andy Hopper CBE FRS, co-founder of Acorn Computers Ltd
• Lionel Kelleway, natural history broadcaster
• Sir Terry Matthews KBE, technological entrepreneur
• Colin Pillinger CBE, planetary scientist
• Graham Ryder, geologist, lunar scientist, posthumous winner of the Barringer Medal in 2003
• Sir John Meurig Thomas, chemist
• Evan James Williams, physicist

Alun Wyn Jones, Welsh rugby union international

• Guillem Bauzà, football player for Swansea City
• Daniel Caines, athlete
• Jazmin Carlin, British Olympic swimmer
• Mike Hooper, former Liverpool goalkeeper
• Rob Howley, Wales and British Lions rugby union international
• Liz Johnson, gold medal winner at Beijing Paralympics in swimming
• Alun Wyn Jones, Welsh rugby union international
• Simon Jones, Glamorgan and England cricketer
• John McFall, Paralympic sprinter
• Dwayne Peel, Welsh rugby union international
• Rhys Priestland, Welsh rugby union international
• James Roberts, Paralympic rower and sitting volleyball
• David Smith, boccia
• Chris White, English international rugby referee
• Marcus Wyatt, World Cup skeleton racer