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Ms Blair, a leading QC and wife of former British prime minister Tony Blair, will take up a post at St Mary¡¯s University, Twickenham, London, next month.

As part of her role at St Mary¡¯s Centre for Law and Culture, Ms Blair will deliver lectures drawing on her experience of human rights law and will take part in a public lecture series next year.

St Mary¡¯s vice-chancellor Francis Campbell, who was private secretary to Tony Blair from 2001 to 2003, said the university was ¡°greatly look[ing] forward to her lectures and presence around the campus which the staff and students will no doubt benefit from immensely¡±.

¡°Cherie very much shares the values we hold at St Mary¡¯s ¨C a commitment to high standards and a dedication to helping others,¡± Mr Campbell added.

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Ms Blair, who has been a practising barrister since 1976, said she was ¡°honoured¡± to take up the role and hoped to ¡°encourage the next generation before they embark on their careers and become successful members of society¡±.

She served as chancellor to Liverpool John Moores University from 1999 to 2006 and is the latest prominent Catholic to take a role at St Mary¡¯s.

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St Mary¡¯s, which was initially founded as a Catholic teacher training college in 1850 and was granted full university status in January this year, recently appointed Cardinal Vincent Nichols, head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales, as its chancellor.

jack.grove@tesglobal.com