Hillary Clinton, former U. S. Secretary of State, has been awarded an honorary degree from St Andrews University during a ceremony to mark the 600th anniversary of the Scotland’s oldest university’s founding.

St Andrews University conferred Mrs. Clinton with a doctor of laws degree for her achievements in the fields of politics and diplomacy.

The university said that the award would also mark Mrs. Clinton’s work to promote education, democracy, human rights, women rights, civil society around the globe.

Prof Louise Richardson, St Andrews University’s principal & vice-chancellor, praised Mrs. Clinton saying she is one of the world’s most influential women.

Mrs. Clinton also praised the University for being the first of the country’s oldest universities to be led by a woman. Speaking on the topic, she said, “It is a great symbol because equality for women remains one of the great unfinished missions of our time."

Previously, St Andrews University conferred honorary degrees to high-profile personalities like former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams, anthropologist Prof Dame Marilyn Strathern, philosopher Professor Nancy Cartwright, classicist Prof Mary Beard and inventor of the World Wide Web (WWW) Prof Sir Tim Berners-Lee.