Speaking at Universities UK¡¯s annual conference, Toni Pearce said university heads should be ¡°on the breakfast television sofa¡± and taking part in public debates.

?¡°You should be on Question Time instead of Russell Brand and David Starkey ¨C I mean seriously.¡±

Ms Pearce joked that she had 18 years of experience in education, while vice-chancellors collectively had ¡°about 5,000¡±.

They should be ¡°some of the most important intellectual leaders in society¡±, she said, noting that many university leaders had expertise in key areas such as public health, technology and poverty. ¡°I urge you exploit your positions,¡± she added.

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Ms Pearce appealed for vice-chancellors to speak out against the government¡¯s lobbying bill, which would subject many organisations ¨C including charities and unions ¨C to a ?390,000 cap on their campaign spending in the run-up to an election.

More generally, she urged them to take a ¡°wider role in social and political debate. Great universities should not be ivory towers, but institutions of the people¡­I hope that you as university leaders will bring that mission to life.¡±

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The conference, held at the University of Leicester, also heard from the new UUK president, Sir Christopher Snowden.

He warned that the spending review after the 2015 election will open ¡°complicated discussions with government ¨C and especially on the sustainability of the loan system¡±.

And he continued that universities must ¡°argue for alternative funding models that might include different ways of structuring the student loan scheme and current funding systems, or making the case for increased investment, or indeed both¡±.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Sir Christopher said the ?9,000 fees system came about ¡°with very little real engagement from the sector¡±, and was ¡°imposed¡± by the government.

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¡°We have to lead, not follow. Above all we must be clear about what we want,¡± he said in his speech.

Sir Christopher told reporters that changing loan repayment thresholds for graduates, or the 30-year write off period, or interest rates were options. ¡°There are a whole number of issues that could be addressed here that have a significant impact on the viability of the scheme,¡± he added.

He sounded sceptical when asked about Labour¡¯s policy to lower fees to ?6,000 if the party was in power now, noting it would require ¡°a significant level of direct funding to universities¡±. He added: ¡°That would present a challenge for any government, realistically.¡±

Sir Christopher also warned that the ?9,000 fee cap is being eroded by inflation (saying in his speech that it would be worth the equivalent of ?8,250 by mid-2015), meaning that supporting the student experience would become ¡°increasingly challenging¡±.

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john.morgan@tsleducation.com