Its high street, bordering the university campus, is sparsely populated with market stalls, vape shops and discount retailers, and feels unusually quiet. Just before Christmas, Essex University announced that it would close its Southend campus this summer due to a big fall in international students, who pay much higher fees. “Not just for students – for the city as a whole.”Q&A What is the Against the tide series? This was followed later by the forum – a library and art gallery shared by the university and local people. “How can you have a city without a university?” he asks.

Source: The Guardian February 05, 2026 00:00 UTC