Steve West, who has been head of UWE since 2008, will take up the three-year position in August next year, succeeding Janet Beer, vice-chancellor of Oxford Brookes University, who has been chair since 2009.

He will take over at a crucial time for the group, which contains many large metropolitan post-1992 universities that are facing a squeeze on student numbers due to the government¡¯s AAB and ¡°core-and-margin¡± reforms.

¡°It is a great honour to be taking up this position next summer, to be representing such an important group of universities at a time of huge change,¡± he said.

¡°It is important that in the face of change we continue to focus on the long-term, setting out our vision for a strong, diverse and internationally acclaimed higher education sector.¡±

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Professor West added that Professor Beer had built a ¡°constructive and positive approach¡± to working with the government and others across sector.

¡°I look forward to continuing in these close-working relationships with government and business to champion our world-leading higher education sector,¡± he said.

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The announcement comes as Kingston University ¨C which was part of the Million+ group of new universities ¨C became the 24th member of the Alliance.

Million+ - which is supported by 25 institutions ¨C and the Alliance are the biggest two mission groups in the sector.

simon.baker@tsleducation.com