The vice-chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University will be the next president of sector representative group Universities UK.

Malcolm Press has been elected by members to succeed the University of St Andrews principal Sally Mapstone from August this year and will serve until 2027.

An ecologist who has held positions at the universities of Birmingham, Sheffield, and Manchester, as well as UCL, Press has led Manchester Met since 2015, working for most of this period with the key Labour figure Peter Mandelson, who was chancellor until he moved to become the UK’s ambassador to the US in January.  

The current vice-president of UUK, Press will take over the presidency in the immediate aftermath of June’s comprehensive spending review, that will dictate Westminster government policy decisions for the rest of the parliament.

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Universities are hoping for a commitment to index tuition fees to inflation in England as well as increases in quality-related funding and the establishment of a “transformation fund” that will help institutions adapt to constrained resources.

In her time in office, Mapstone oversaw the publication of Universities UK’s blueprint that outlined the case for change in a sector undergoing a financial crisis.

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������efficiencies task force has also been established to help universities collaborate and find new ways of reducing costs.

Press said he was “incredibly honoured” to be elected president “and to have the opportunity to represent our world-leading higher education sector at such a crucial time”.

“Universities play a fundamental role in shaping the future – driving economic prosperity, educating millions of students and producing research that tackles the grand challenges of our time,” he added.

He said he had “seen first-hand the challenges and opportunities facing our universities and I am committed to ensuring that we continue to thrive”.

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Vivienne Stern, the chief executive of UUK, said “exceptional” leadership of the sector “has never been more important”, given the challenges universities face.

“We need a great relationship with governments in all four nations, but we also need sector-led change. Malcolm will be essential to us achieving that,” she added.

tom.williams@timeshighereducation.com