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Gareth Roberts, vice chancellor of Sheffield University, is to be the next chairman of the Committee of Vice Chancellors and Principals.

Professor Roberts, 54, defeated John Stoddart of Sheffield Hallam, Peter Toyne of Liverpool John Moores and Sir Frederick Crawford of Aston in the election, which was completed this week. He will take over from Kenneth Edwards of Leicester, on August 1. Vice chancellor of Sheffield since 1991, he will bring national planning experience to dealings with the funding councils, having been a member of the Universities Funding Council and chairman of its Welsh committee.

A physicist, he is a leading expert on semiconductors and has been a member of the Prime Minister's Advisory Council on Science and Technology.