Action has been ongoing at Edinburgh University since June, but has been paused after it agreed to halt redundancies for this academic year.
The university announced the programme of cuts in February last year, citing severe financial difficulties.
The UCU union has suggested about 1,800 jobs could be lost due to the university’s cost-saving measures.
This week, strike ballots opened at Aberdeen, Heriot-Watt, Stirling and Strathclyde over threats of job losses and compulsory redundancies
Strike action has also been ongoing over job cuts at Dundee University, which currently faces a £35m deficit.
The Scottish government has already stepped in and bailed out the university with £40m of emergency funding.
Mathieson said the situation at Dundee highlighted the “fragility” of Scotland’s university sector and its reliance of foreign students as an income stream.
He added: “The current system is not sustainable and it’s heading for trouble as illustrated by Dundee.
“I’m sad about what’s happened at Dundee. I think it’s a tragedy for a great university in one of Scotland’s great cities.”