Sir Michael Warwick Thompson (born 1 June 1931),[1] is a British academic, who served as vice-chancellor of the Universities of East Anglia and Birmingham.
His academic work included early research on atomic collisions in solids.
[2] He was appointed Professor of Experimental Physics at the University of Sussex in 1965, and remained at Sussex for a further 15 years, during which time he served as pro-vice-chancellor and acting vice-chancellor of the university.
In 1980 he was appointed vice-chancellor of the University of East Anglia,[3] and remained in the post until 1987 when he was appointed Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham, retiring in 1996.
His son Paul Thompson is currently Chair of the British Council.