Fiona Hill, Chancellor

2022 - present

Dr Fiona Hill was born in Bishop Auckland, County Durham. The daughter of a coal miner and a midwife, she attended Bishop Barrington Comprehensive School, in Bishop Auckland, and showed thirst for learning from an early age.

After school Fiona pursued degree studies at St Andrew’s University, Scotland, graduating with a Master’s in Russian and Modern History. She also holds a doctorate in History from Harvard University, USA, where she was a Frank Knox Fellow.

Global foreign affairs expert

Dr Hill has built a career as an acclaimed foreign affairs specialist and author, as well as a presidential advisor to three US Presidents: George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Donald Trump.

She served on the US National Intelligence Council from 2006 to 2009 and was a member of the US National Security Council from 2017 to 2019.

In July 2024 Dr Hill was appointed by UK Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, to co-lead a comprehensive review into the UK armed forces.

Fiona is a widely recognised authority on Russian and European Geopolitics. She has researched and published extensively on her specialist subjects. She is author of “There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century” and co-author of “Mr Putin: Operative in the Kremlin”.

Dr Hill is a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, a non-profit public policy organisation based in Washington DC. It conducts in-depth research that leads to new ideas for solving problems facing society at the local, national and global level. You can read more about Fiona’s work with the Brookings Institution on the Brookings Institution website.

"From the coalhouse to the White House"

Fiona is passionate about social mobility, having, in her words, moved “literally from the coalhouse to the White House”.

In June 2022 she visited her former secondary school to give a talk to pupils. She encouraged them to grasp “every educational opportunity” they are given and spoke of her desire to “give back” to the area where she grew up.

She became a US citizen in 2002 and is married with one daughter.

The role of the Chancellor

The Chancellor is the ceremonial head of Durham University. It is a high-profile role which includes official, pastoral, scholarly and ambassadorial duties.  

Some of the key responsibilities of the Chancellor include: 

• presiding over the University's degree congregations (degree ceremonies) 

• helping the University to promote its achievements and to enhance its profile regionally, nationally and internationally. 

• hosting or participating in a number of the University's activities with students, staff, alumni and other stakeholders. 

Dr Fiona Hill was officially installed as the 13th Chancellor of Durham University in June 2023. Find out more about the ceremony here.