Funding council captain ahoy

Rumour has it that the only two contenders seriously considering taking the helm of the Higher Education Funding Council for England - a ship that some senior figures are expecting to sink without trace - are Ivor Crewe, erstwhile head of Universities UK and Essex University's vice-chancellor, and David Eastwood, vice-chancellor of the University of East Anglia and a member of the Hefce board. The academic community would be more than happy with either, but is it the wisest move for them? One vice-chancellor observed that it might be considered career suicide, adding: "I wouldn't do it for a million pounds."