Lord Tugendhat, 61, chairman of Abbey National and Blue Circle Industries, has been installed as chancellor of the University of Bath.
Tony Rich, 44, academic registrar at the University of East Anglia, has been appointed registrar of the University of Essex from March, succeeding Fraser Woodburn.
Peter Coles, reader in mathematics and astronomy at Queen Mary and Westfield College, is to join the University of Nottingham as a professor.
David Owens, senior lecturer and consultant diabetologist at the University of Wales College of Medicine, has been awarded a personal chair of the University of Wales.
Anne Stevens, professor of European studies at the University of Kent, has become professor of European studies and head of Aston University's school of languages and European studies. Also at Aston, John Gaffney, chair of French and European politics at Keele University, becomes professor of French government and head of French studies.
Barrie Jones, senior lecturer and chairman of the control and mechanics group at Birmingham University, becomes Aston's professor of control engineering. Bernard Gilmartin, reader in optometry in Aston's vision sciences department, and John Sullivan, reader in surface science are both promoted to professor.
David Hellawell, associate dean (staffing and resources) at the University of Central England, becomes emeritus professor of education management.
Peter Madden, head of the school of architecture at the University of Central England, has been made a professor.
Professorships at the university also go to: Rod Pilling, head of the department of media and communication at the Birmingham Institute of Art and Design; Abbas Syed, director of the audit course at UCE's business school; Robert Jerrard, director of the MA design management course at the institute; and Roger Newport, deputy head of three-dimensional design at the institute.
Rod Coombs, executive director of the ESRC's Centre for Research on Innovation and Competition at the University of Manchester, has been appointed honorary professor in the centre.