The former US secretary of state was awarded the degree of Doctor of Laws in recognition of her commitment to promoting the rights of families and children around the world, a commitment that is shared by Swansea University’s Observatory on the Human Rights of Children and Young People.

The award was presented to Mrs Clinton at a congregation in the University’s Great Hall.

During the congregation, Mrs Clinton spoke about how Wales has a special place in her heart due to her family connections with it, and joked how she could neither confirm nor deny that her presidential campaign slogan, Stronger Together, was a secret tribute to the Welsh football team’s Together Stronger slogan.

Mrs Clinton later delivered a speech entitled Children’s Rights Are Human Rights, and spoke of how she feels a special connection to the work of Swansea’s Observatory on Children’s Rights, and that it means the world to her to have the University's Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law named after her. Mrs Clinton later stated that she would return to Swansea’s Bay Campus in the future, and would drive the mission of the Law School for generations to come; that children’s rights are human rights.

Following her investiture, Mrs Clinton unveiled a commemorative stone to mark the renaming of Swansea University’s College of Law and Criminology to the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law.

Vice-chancellor of Swansea University, Professor Richard B. Davies, said: “Mrs Clinton is, without doubt, one of the most powerful and important women of the age. Her influence on recent and current US domestic policy and on global affairs has been colossal. Today, in awarding this degree and in renaming our Law School as the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law, we symbolise our support for the values of social justice and rights that have been her hallmarks.

“It is particularly significant that Mrs Clinton chose Swansea University for a major announcement on how she will be channelling her undoubted energy for public service into international work on human rights.

“Today also signifies the beginning of a meaningful relationship between Swansea University and Mrs Clinton, which is based on our shared belief that we are active agents of change in our social and economic worlds. We are delighted to be working in partnership with her, to play our part in a global push for children’s rights over the coming years”.

Professor Elwen Evans QC, head of the Hillary Rodham Clinton School of Law, added: “We are delighted to have Mrs Clinton’s support as a champion for the human rights of children and young people. The School of Law has an international reputation for its ground-breaking work in this area, and we look forward to working with Mrs Clinton to promote and protect these rights around the world through policy, practice, advocacy and law reform”.

Watch a recap of Mrs Clinton's visit.

Watch Mrs Clinton's speech, Children's Rights Are Human Rights.