There have been several instances of universities changing their names across the world, with such name changes sometimes being necessitated for the university to keep up with the times.
In Bangladesh, a university changed its name as recently as in 2018. Comilla University (CU) changed its name to Cumilla University as the National Implementation Committee for Administrative Reorganization-Reform had changed the spelling of the district's name that year.
In the UK, further education institutions are allowed to change their names as long as the change follows their own instruments and articles and is approved by the Secretary of State for Education. Relevant stakeholders must be consulted before applying for permission for a change in name from the secretary of state.
Names that are confusing, misleading, offensive or suggest superiority over other institutions are not allowed. The new name also must not suggest that the institution serves a wider or different area than it actually does.
In Canada, Ryerson University changed its name to Toronto Metropolitan University after a racism controversy over Egerton Ryerson, who is considered to be one of the architects of Canada's residential school system.
In the US, several universities have changed their names either to be more inclusive or because the previous names were discriminatory. Institutions that changed their names include Alabama State University, Kent State University, James Madison University, and Johnson University.
