UUK said Sir Christopher - currently a vice-president representing England and Northern Ireland - will succeed the current head, University of Bristol vice-chancellor Eric Thomas, on 1 August 2013 and will hold the post for two years.

Sir Christopher - an engineer with wide experience of the international microwave and semiconductor industry - has been vice-chancellor of Surrey since August 2005.

He is vice-president of the Royal Academy of Engineering and chairs its engineering policy group. He was also president of the Institute of Engineering and Technology in 2009-10.

Nicola Dandridge, UUK chief executive, said: "Chris has tremendous knowledge of higher education, industry and government which will be a great asset to him in this role. "He has already made an enormous contribution to Universities UK's work, both as a member of the board and leading on higher education and industry links.

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"He is widely respected, both as a leading academic and vice-chancellor, and we look forward to working with him as president from next summer."

Sir Christopher said he was "extremely privileged and delighted" to become the next president. "This is a very challenging period for UK higher education and I look forward to representing the sector and promoting it, both nationally and internationally," he said.

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"I will seek to present the sector's views to government, and other major stakeholders, and to ensure that UUK is positioned as a key influence in steering higher education policy and able to help institutions capture new opportunities as they arise.

"This is a time to ensure that the UK higher education sector continues to be seen as world class and a great national asset."

Sir Christopher has not been afraid to criticise government policy. He told 51³Ô¹Ï in an interview in September of his concerns about excessive regulation of the sector.

"I don't think there are many sectors - you've got to bear in mind I came from industry - that are as heavily regulated...as universities," Sir Christopher said in the interview.

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simon.baker@tsleducation.com