'A lot of people are watching this. It's a real challenge for Scotland'

The UK's biggest physics group will be led by Ian Halliday, who expects peer pressure to raise standards

Ian Halliday, who stood down in March as chief executive of the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council, was this week confirmed as the inaugural head of the Scottish University Physics Alliance, the biggest physics group in the UK.

And from January, Professor Halliday, 65, will also become president of the European Science Foundation, a pan-European association that promotes science.

Professor Halliday was this week awarded an honorary degree by Edinburgh University, his alma mater and one of his responsibilities in his new role as chief executive of Supa. The alliance comprises physicists from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Heriot-Watt, Paisley, St Andrews and Strathclyde universities. It hopes to become a major global player.

Professor Halliday, who is also a member of the European Research Advisory Board, said: "It's clear wandering around Europe that a lot of people are watching this. I see it as a real challenge and a huge opportunity for Scotland to try something very different." The Scottish Higher Education Funding Council had put "serious money on the table" to support Supa, and it expected visible results, he said.

Professor Halliday said Supa would raise standards through peer pressure, as had happened at Imperial College London, where he worked for 25 years.

"It's a crucial part of the dynamics having to explain to colleagues where you are. It's easy in smaller departments to somehow avoid that kind of peer pressure to move the agenda forward," he said.