Charles Sturt University (CSU) Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann has been elected to the board of Universities Australia.

Professor Vann said he was delighted to be joining Universities Australia at this time.

"I'm looking forward to working with my colleagues on the board as we navigate the challenging terrain ahead and reinforce the case that a strong university sector is critical to the future of Australia," he said.

"This is a chance to contribute to an even larger discussion about higher education policy and promote the important role Australia's universities will play in helping to transition to a new, innovative economy.

"In particular, I am pleased to see that regional universities are well represented on the board of Universities Australia as the needs of our students and our communities are unique and have sometimes been overlooked at a political level."

Universities Australia is the peak body representing the university sector and strives to advance and promote the benefits of Australian universities, both domestically and internationally. It supports universities in the performance of their roles and develops policy positions on higher education matters through discussion of issues including teaching, research and training.

Universities Australia Chair Professor Barney Glover welcomed the new board members and said that he looked forward to working with them.

"I offer a warm welcome to the new members of the board. Their expertise and experience will be of great benefit to the work of Universities Australia," he said.

As well as Professor Vann, other new appointments to the board of Universities Australia are Professor John Dewar (La Trobe University) and Professor Jan Thomas (University of Southern Queensland).

For a full list of the Universities Australia board of directors visit the website.