Dr Fiona Hill appointed Durham University chancellor

Dr Fiona Hill has been appointed the 13th chancellor of Durham University

Former White House national security adviser Dr Fiona Hill has been appointed chancellor of Durham University.

Dr Hill, 57, who was born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham, made headlines when she gave evidence in 2019 in the impeachment inquiry of the then-President, Donald Trump.

She was appointed in a ceremony at Durham Cathedral.

Dr Hill said she hoped to inspire young people "from all walks of life".

As well as President Trump, Dr Hill - an authority on Russian and European politics - also advised presidents George W Bush and Barack Obama.

She said she was "very proud to be from the north-east of England" and "deeply honoured" to take on the ceremonial and ambassadorial role of chancellor.

'Inspire and empower young people'

"My life has literally taken me from coal house to the White House," she said.

"For me, education is the beating heart of opportunity and with it, anything is possible

"I hope that as chancellor I can inspire and empower young people from all walks of life to fulfil their potential."

The new chancellor was appointed in a ceremony at Durham Cathedral

Prof Karen O'Brien, the university's vice-chancellor and warden, said Dr Hill had "built an outstanding career in foreign policy whilst retaining a pride in her family upbringing and the values instilled in her as she grew up in County Durham".

Dr Hill takes over the role from opera singer Sir Thomas Allen.

She has studied at St Andrews University in Scotland, and achieved a PhD after moving to the United States in 1989 to attend Harvard University. She became a US citizen in 2002.

In her testimony during the impeachment inquiry, Dr Hill said President Trump disregarded senior advisers and pushed a false theory that Ukraine had meddled in the 2016 election.

Previous chancellors of the university include author Bill Bryson, actor, film-maker and writer Sir Peter Ustinov and ballerina Dame Margot Fonteyn.