LONDON: Former US secretary of state and presidential candidate Hillary Clinton was appointed as the new chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast on Thursday.

She is the university’s 11th chancellor and first woman to take up the post.

In a statement, Mrs Clinton said it was a “great privilege” to become the chancellor of Queen’s University Belfast (QUB).

She takes up her role immediately and will serve for a period of five years.

Hillary Clinton also shared this on her Twitter and said, “It’s my great privilege to become QUBelfast‘s 11th—and first female—chancellor. It’s a place I have great fondness for and have grown a strong relationship with over the years, and I’m proud to be an ambassador for its excellence.”

It’s my great privilege to become @QUBelfast's 11th—and first female—chancellor. It's a place I have great fondness for and have grown a strong relationship with over the years, and I’m proud to be an ambassador for its excellence. https://t.co/ysrSeA0JOu

— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) January 2, 2020

“The university is making waves internationally for its research and impact and I am proud to be an ambassador and help grow its reputation for excellence,” she said.

Mrs Clinton has a long history with Northern Ireland, first visiting in November 1995 with her husband, President Bill Clinton.

In 2018 she received an honorary degree from Queen’s and a new scholarship was set up in her name for post-graduate study in politics, human rights and peace building.

Mr Stephen Prenter, Pro-Chancellor and Chair of Senate, the university’s governing body, said, I am delighted that Queen’s has chosen Hillary Clinton to be its new Chancellor.