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Professor Thomas will take over from the incumbent, Steve Smith, vice-chancellor of the University of Exeter, on 1 August next year and will remain in post until 2013.

The former consultant gynaecologist, who is currently vice-president of UUK, said it would be a ¡°great honour¡± to represent the umbrella group during a time of massive upheaval in the academy.

¡°The sector faces challenge and opportunity in equal measure and UUK will ensure that higher education¡¯s voice is heard and its strategic value recognised,¡± he said.

Professor Thomas, who graduated in medicine from Newcastle University in 1976, has been vice-chancellor of Bristol since September 2001. Before that he was a dean at the University of Southampton.

He is also chair of the board of the Council for Advancement and Support of Education Europe and chaired a government task force that considered how to increase voluntary donations to universities, which reported in 2004. In 2009, Professor Thomas announced that he had donated ?100,000 to Bristol in a bid to lead by example.

Nicola Dandridge, chief executive of UUK, said: ¡°Eric will bring tremendous commitment, knowledge and experience to the role of president, and we are all looking forward to working with him in the future.¡±

simon.baker@tsleducation.com