He said the discussions between the University of Aberdeen and RobertGordonUniversity would enable two distinct, independent institutes to run their universities in "an even more efficient manner".
Lots of people had been urging him to stand, he told reporters after being handed the honorary award of Doctor of Business Administration at RobertGordonUniversity (RGU) in Aberdeen.
Out of 110 companies surveyed by a team at RobertGordonUniversity in Aberdeen, nine out of 10 anticipated a boost in their international activity, with 67% expecting growth as a result of decommissioning work from the North Sea and 63% expecting a growth in renewable energy contracts.