A HAMPSHIRE education boss is set to advise the government on how to improve access to higher education for students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Joy Carter, vice-chancellor of Winchester University, has been appointed to the Social Mobility Advisory Group, which will investigate what can be done to help under-represented groups from school age through to university and beyond.

A report published next summer will be presented to universities minister Jo Johnson, with the panel’s recommendations fed to David Cameron (pictured).

Describing the invitation as a “huge honour”, Prof Carter vowed to continue the university’s history of helping the disadvantaged.

She said: “Higher education should be a force for opportunity and social mobility, not for the entrenchment of privilege. It is implicit in our mission that we should seek to ensure that all who can benefit from a University of Winchester education will have the opportunity to do so, regardless of their background, and that we should do this with particular regard for marginalised groups.

“It is a huge honour to represent the University of Winchester and the region on this important new government advisory group.

“I am proud to lead an institution with a long history of upholding people’s rights, of seeking justice and challenging prejudice.”

Prof Carter is one of the 18 vice-chancellors and other figures from the sector who will look at students’ progression from pre-application to career progression after their graduation from university.