The establishing shot of the "Balkan Peninsula" is actually the inside of the then derelict Battersea Power station, a very well known iconic landmark in London, England. It has since been extensively renovated.
The building used for "London University" is the Founder's Building at Royal Holloway College, University of London at Egham, Surrey in England.
Oliver Ford Davies, who plays Sophie Ward's grandfather, is 25 years older than her. He's two years older than Simon Ward, her real-life father.
Near the beginning, MacGyver and the professor escape from a shed using a rocket propelled Land Rover. The large derelict building in the background is clearly Battersea Power Station in London.
Hugh Quarshie, Brian Blessed, and Oliver Ford Davies all appeared in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace (1999)