Following Dr Thirunamachandran onto the conference stage was another familiar higher education starlet, top-up fees rebel Ian Gibson. Dr Gibson, who has been accused of courting publicity, announced that he would sit on controversial views as he knew members of the press were scribbling in the audience. He went on to point out that the research assessment exercise was a total waste of time, that much of the higher education bill was a disaster, and that Universities UK was pretty ineffectual because vice-chancellors were a bunch of old donkeys. Could Dr Gibson send us the uncensored version?