Former United States senator George Mitchell, who chaired the multi-party talks leading to the Good Friday Agreement in Northern Ireland, is tipped to become the new chancellor of Queen's University, Belfast, succeeding Sir David Orr.
A successor is sought for Lord Smith of Clifton, 61, vice-chancellor of the University of Ulster since 1991, who announced this week that he would retire on September 30.
Lord Peston, 67, former professor of economics at Queen Mary College, University of London, now an emeritus professor, is to chair a new committee set up by the House of Lords to examine the operation of the Bank of England's Monetary Policy Committee and make recommendations.
John Sizer, 60, chief executive of the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council, has also become chief executive of the new Scottish Further Education Funding Council.
Martin Curry, manager of the Island of Rum National Nature Reserve in the Inner Hebrides, has become the first chief executive of the Geographical Association.
David Green, lecturer in mathematics at the University of Bristol, has been nominated as Association of University Teachers president elect from September 1 1999.
Ian Liddell, a founding partner of Buro Happold Consulting Engineers and consulting engineer to the Millennium Dome, has become Royal Academy of Engineering visiting professor in engineering design at the University of Cambridge.
Sally Tomlinson, former dean of education and pro-warden of Goldsmiths College, has become a part-time research associate in the department of education, University of Oxford.
Chris Gibson, UK director of the Golden Vale plc, chairman of Leckpatrick Dairies, the Irish School of Economics and the CBI in Northern Ireland, and Brenda McLaughlin, chairman of the South and East Belfast Trust and Opportunity 2000, have been elected pro-chancellors of Queen's University of Belfast. Clare Macmahon retired from the post last month.
Roger Laughton, executive director Broadcasting and Entertainment at United News & Media, has been appointed head of the school of media arts and communication at Bournemouth University. He will take up the position next autumn.