Sir Howard Newby is to become the next vice-chancellor of Liverpool University as successor to Drummond Bone, who is due to retire in September 2008.
The exact date for Sir Howard's departure from his current post as vice chancellor of the University of the West of England has not yet been agreed.
Sir Howard started work at UWE in February 2006. Ray Burton, UWE's chair of governors, said: "He has made a major impact on reassessing our academic direction and priorities."