UWC Atlantic (formally the United World College of the Atlantic, and often referred to by its original name, Atlantic College) is an independent boarding school in the Vale of Glamorgan in south Wales. Founded in 1962, it was the first of the United World Colleges and was among the first educational institutions in the world to follow an international curriculum; it helped create the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in the 1960s.
In addition to the IBDP, UWC Atlantic places student participation in community service at its core. It is known for its liberal and progressive education, its global ethos, and its strong focus on local and global sustainability. It is attended by approximately 350 students from more than 90 countries, the majority of whom are selected through their National Committees, which help fund their education through partial or full scholarships; over 65% of students who apply through national committees receive some form of scholarship or financial aid. The diverse student body includes refugees, war victims, and members of persecuted communities, who live and study alongside members of royal families and other students from around the world.
History
Atlantic College was founded by Kurt Hahn, a German educationalist who had previously set up the Schule Schloss Salem and the Stiftung Louisenlund in Germany, Gordonstoun School in Scotland, and the Outward Bound movement. Hahn founded the college as a practical response to the search for new and peaceful solutions in a post-war world riven by political, racial and economic divisions. Hahn had been invited by British Air Marshal Sir Lawrence Darvall to address the NATO Defence College in 1955, where he saw former enemies from several nations working together towards a common goal, and realised how much more could be done to overcome the hostility of the Cold War if young people from different nations could be brought together in a similar way. He envisaged a college for students who were already grounded in their own cultures but impressionable enough to learn from others. Drawn from all nations, the students would be selected purely on merit and potential, regardless of race, religion, nationality and background. From its founding, the school was intended to be the first of a series, initially to be named "The Atlantic Colleges."
On 19 September 1962, Atlantic College opened with nine teaching staff and 56 male students aged between 16 and 19 years from 12 counties; in 1967, the school became co-educational, with a cohort hailing from 35 nations. The school was hailed by The Times of London as "the most exciting experiment in education since the Second World War." The college was the result of Kurt Hahn's vision and the work of individuals such as the founding Headmaster Rear Admiral Desmond Hoare, Director of Studies Robert Backburn, Air Marshal Sir Lawrance Darvall, and Antonin Besse, who donated St Donat's Castle for the college's premises.
In 1967, Lord Mountbatten of Burma became President of the organisation and the term United World Colleges came into existence, with an international office in London, and the school became known as the United World College of the Atlantic. Mountbatten was an enthusiastic UWC supporter and encouraged heads of state, politicians and personalities throughout the world to share his interest. He was personally involved in founding what became the third UWC – the United World College of South East Asia – in Singapore in 1975, following the founding of the second College, the Lester B Pearson United World College of the Pacific in Canada in 1974, named after Nobel Peace Prize winner and former Canadian Prime Minister Lester B. Pearson.
In 1978, Mountbatten passed the Presidency to his great-nephew, the then Prince of Wales, Charles. Former presidents of the United World Colleges also include Nelson Mandela of South Africa (from 1995 until his death in 2013), a position he shared with the current holder of the position, Queen Noor of Jordan. Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom was a Patron of the college, from its early days until her death in 2022.
College
The college's stated mission is to "make education a force to unite people, nations, and cultures for peace and a sustainable future". Students from over 90 countries participate in UWC Atlantic's two-year programme, in which they combine academic studies with activities and service. Admission into United World Colleges, and scholarship awards, are decided by national UWC committees around the world and the Global Selection Programme.