The principal of Aberdeen University is standing down in another change at the top of higher education in Scotland.

Professor Duncan Rice's decision means eight of the 14 main principals have gone or will go in coming months. He was one of the longest serving.

Married to Susan Rice, head of the Lloyds Banking Group in Scotland, Mr Rice will retire at the end of September next year. No salary has been set for his successor, but he currently has a remuneration and benefits package, including a house, worth £224,000 a year.

His tenure has been regarded as largely successful. In the last decade, the institution's turnover has more than doubled to over £200 million, and student numbers have increased from 9000 to 15,522, with over 4000 from outwith the UK.

Mr Rice was previously vice-chancellor at New York University, playing a key role in one of the most successful US higher education fund-raising campaigns, which raised over $1bn in 10 years.

Born in Aberdeen, he took a first in history at his local university and taught briefly at Aberdeen before spending much of his professional life at Yale and New York University. In a break from tradition, nominations for his successor are being sought from staff, students, or anyone who might know somebody suitable.

The university court has now established a committee to oversee the search for a replacement. Convener Sir Don Cruickshank, a lay member of the university court, has already written to members of his committee: "The appointment of the next principal is of crucial importance to the future success of the university and to the achievement of our ambition to become one of the top one hundred universities in the world.

"The input of the university community to the process of identifying who that individual might be is no less important. The Committee for the Appointment of the Principal would, therefore, wish to encourage you to nominate individuals you think should be considered."

A university spokeswoman confirmed that no parameters had been set as to who or how many constituted the university community.

"So it would be open to staff, students, and anyone with an interest in the university, to suggest names to the committee for the next principal."

It is a highly unusual display of open-mindedness by a university.

However, it does emphasise that candidates will require "a distinguished academic record of international significance, be committed to the values of a world-leading research-led university and have significant experience of working in a complex organisation at a senior level".

The university will not rely exclusively on the wider world for names. Recruitment consultants Saxton Bampfylde have been appointed and an advertisement has been placed in this week's Times Higher Educational Supplement.

Meanwhile, the university yesterday also launched a £15m recruitment campaign to attract more internationally-renowned professors and senior scholars as part of its ongoing drive to become one of the world's top 100 universities.

It has already spent more than £9m to attract more than 70 distinguished professors and many more talented academics at earlier stages of their career.

Mr Rice said: "The university has had some remarkable achievements in recent years but we have a long way to go to reach our goal of being one of the top handful of universities in the world.

"Universities can be countercyclical in times of economic downturn and there are opportunities to attract important scholars and the people we want from all over the world.

"Our splendid financial health means we can announce this spending programme, while other universities may be looking at making job cuts.

"We are interested in brain power, and are willing to talk to remarkable individuals who have achieved international distinction in their field, irrespective of disciplines.

"We regard this as an important next step towards becoming, in global terms, one of the handful of truly outstanding universities."