Ym mis Mawrth eleni, gofynnais i’r Cyngor Cyllido Addysg Uwch yng Nghymru (CCAUC) roi cyngor imi ar strwythur y sector addysg uwch yng Nghymru.  Mae’r Cyngor bellach wedi cyflwyno ei adroddiad, sy’n pennu argymhellion clir iawn ar gyfer dyfodol y sector.  I grynhoi, mae’r Cyngor yn argymell fel a ganlyn:dylai Prifysgol Caerdydd barhau’n ymrwymedig i sicrhau ei safle fel prifysgol ymchwil o safon ryngwladol gan gydweithio, yn enwedig gydag Abertawe, mewn meysydd y byddent yn fwy effeithiol o wneud hynny, a chydweithio hefyd â’u cymdogion i sicrhau cydlyniaeth ranbarthol;dylai Prifysgol Abertawe barhau â’i nod o ddatblygu i fod yn brifysgol ymchwil, a chryfhau partneriaethau ymchwil ac addysgu allweddol gyda Chaerdydd.  Mae CCAUC hefyd yn awgrymu y dylai Abertawe gryfhau’r cysylltiadau rhanbarthol o fewn strwythur arfaethedig newydd Y Drindod Dewi Sant/ Prifysgol Fetropolitan Abertawe;dylai Prifysgolion Aberystwyth a Bangor ehangu a dwysáu eu partneriaeth strategol (gan gynnwys datblygu tuag at brosesau llywodraethu integredig), a datblygu cynllun hirdymor i uno;dylai Prifysgol Glyndŵr ddatblygu perthynas strwythurol gref gyda nifer o golegau Addysg Bellach o fewn strwythur grŵp o dan arweiniad Prifysgolion Aberystwyth a Bangor, er mwyn ehangu ar y ddarpariaeth Addysg Uwch sydd ar gael yng Ngogledd-ddwyrain Cymru, a chael mwy o gydlyniaeth ranbarthol;dylai Prifysgol Morgannwg, Athrofa Prifysgol Cymru, Caerdydd a Phrifysgol Cymru, Casnewydd uno i greu prifysgol gwir ‘fetropolitan’ yn Ne-ddwyrain Cymru, fel sy’n bodoli mewn ardaloedd dinesig o faint tebyg ledled Prydain;dylai Prifysgol Cymru y Drindod Dewi Sant a Phrifysgol Fetropolitan Abertawe uno fel sydd wedi’i gynllunio eisoes; o bosib, ond nid o angenrheidrwydd gyda Phrifysgol Cymru hefyd; a dylent gael mwy o gydlyniaeth ranbarthol gyda Phrifysgol Abertawe.
In March this year, I asked the Higher Education Funding Council for Wales (HEFCW) to provide me with advice on the structure of the higher education sector in Wales.  The Council has now submitted its report, which sets out very clear recommendations for the future of the sector.  In summary, the Council recommends that:Cardiff University should remain committed to securing a position as a world class research intensive university, while collaborating particularly with Swansea in areas where together they would be more effective, and working with its neighbours to deliver regional coherence;Swansea University should maintain its aim of developing as a research intensive university, and strengthen key research and teaching partnerships with Cardiff. HEFCW also suggests that Swansea should deepen regional coordination with the proposed new Trinity Saint David/Swansea Metropolitan University structure;Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities should substantially widen and deepen their strategic partnership (including development towards integrated governance processes), and should develop a longer-term plan for merger;Glyndŵr University should develop strong structural relationships with a range of FE colleges within a group structure led by Aberystwyth and Bangor Universities in order to expand the range of HE provision available in NE Wales, and to secure greater regional coherence;the University of Glamorgan, University of Wales Institute, Cardiff and University of Wales, Newport should merge to create a true ‘metropolitan’ university in SE Wales, comparable to those in similarly sized city-regions around the UK;University of Wales Trinity Saint David and Swansea Metropolitan University should merge as already planned, potentially but not necessarily also with the University of Wales; and should deepen regional coordination with Swansea University.