Cheeky wizard from Oz

Dons at Oxford University were raising their eyebrows this week after hearing that an Australian vice-chancellor was supposedly coming to the university's "rescue".

Academics learnt from a report in The Australian newspaper that James McWha, the vice-chancellor of Adelaide University and an old friend of John Hood, Oxford's vice-chancellor, would be talking to Dr Hood about his "problems". Professor McWha was quoted as saying: "I was amazed at how the university was running and its lack of structure. I think it is called serendipity. That's how they have done it for 700 or 800 years, and it is causing them some problems."

The report surprised Dr Hood, who said he hadn't seen his old chum for ages and had certainly not hired him as a consultant. Professor McWha was also taken aback. An Adelaide spokesman said: "The reporter must have overhead the vice-chancellor speaking with tongue firmly in cheek. This has given the people of Adelaide a bit of a laugh."

Peep is told the response from Oxford was less jocular.