Salmond  repeatedly insisted no colleges or universities would be forced to merge and said that  discussions between the University of Aberdeen and Robert Gordon University would enable two distinct, independent institutes to run their universities in "an even more efficient manner," reports the BBC News Scotland.

Liz Smith, education spokeswoman for the Scottish Conservatives, had asked about Abertay and Dundee universities future. She raised the issue referring to the "merger by fax" whereby the two institutes were given six weeks to respond to a proposal from the Scottish Funding Council that they merge.

Whether such mergers would then result in the cancellation of funding awards as in the recent RGU and St Andrews parallel computing work is not known, but Salmond referred to the Aberdeen meeting and said there were ways that universities could work more closely together.

The principal of Robert Gordon University later confirmed that they would be discussing sharing services with neighbouring University of Aberdeen.

A University spokesman added: "This is not about merging the organisations, but about working in partnership wherever possible to help us direct maximum investment into the quality of the experience we provide for our students."