Robert Gordon University principal Professor Steve Olivier says universities face a “major existential threat” due to “significant” underfunding.
The university chief, who leads RGU in Aberdeen, said funding pressures mean all institutions are “feeling the pinch”.
His comments come as a strike begins at Dundee University over the threat of compulsory redundancies to fill a £30 million deficit.
It’s feared as many as 500 jobs could be lost there.
Mr Olivier told an event at the Scottish Labour conference in Glasgow that while universities in Scotland contribute “something like £11 billion a year” to the economy “it is unfortunately a system under major existential threat”.
Two-thirds of RGU budget spent on jobs
He said the problems affects jobs – pointing out that almost two thirds (64%) of money at at the Aberdeen institution goes on staffing.
Prof Olivier told the meeting: “Over 80 universities in the UK are facing deficits of between £10 million and then north of £50 million.
“They have made job losses all over the place, Cardiff 400 to 500, Durham 200.
“All universities are feeling the pinch.”
In Scotland he said this was because of a lack of public funding, adding: “We have received a 22% real terms cut in our teaching funding in the last 10 years. That’s huge.
North East Scotland College challenges
“We are around £2,500 on average short of what English universities get per student, we are significantly underfunded.”
His comments came as Neil Cowie, the principal and chief executive North East Scotland College, spoke about how further education is facing similar pressures.
His college, which has main centres in Aberdeen and Fraserburgh, is dealing with “increasing demand”, as reported by the P&J this month.
He added: “We’ve been hit with a succession of flat cash settlements that have been fundamentally real terms cuts.
“Last year that impacted the college to the tune of around £2.7 million. For a £50 million organisation that is significant.”
Calling for changes to be made, he added: “We’re constantly being asked to do more with less, and that is simply not sustainable.”
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