THE principal of Scotland's oldest university has been nominated as the next vice-chancellor of Oxford University.

Professor Louise Richardson, who has led St Andrews University, in Fife, for more than six years, is expected to take up her role next year.

"Oxford is one of the world's great universities. I feel enormously privileged to be given the opportunity to lead this remarkable institution during an exciting time for higher education," she said.

"I am very much looking forward to working with talented, experienced and dedicated colleagues to advance Oxford's pre-eminent global position in research, scholarship, and teaching."

Chancellor of Oxford University, Lord Patten of Barnes, who chaired the nominating committee, said: "The panel was deeply impressed by Professor Richardson's strong commitment to the educational and scholarly values which Oxford holds dear.

"Her distinguished record both as an educational leader and as an outstanding scholar provides an excellent basis for her to lead Oxford in the coming years."

Before joining St Andrews in 2009, Professor Richardson lived and worked in the United States where she was Executive Dean of the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard University.

Senior Governor of the University Court of St Andrews, Sir Ewan Brown, said: "Louise Richardson has proved a splendid leader of St Andrews, to which she has made an outstanding contribution over the last seven years.

"I believe her experience here will stand her in good stead in her exciting new role in Oxford and she will leave at the end of this year with our very best wishes."

Professor Richardson is an internationally renowned scholar of terrorism and security studies, on which she has advised policy makers and others internationally. Her publications include the ground-breaking study: What Terrorists Want: Understanding the Enemy Containing the Threat.

Whilst at Harvard she received several honours for the quality of her teaching, including the Joseph R Levenson Memorial Teaching Prize, bestowed by Harvard's undergraduate body in recognition of exceptional teaching.

Born in the Republic of Ireland, Professor Richardson holds a BA in History from Trinity College, Dublin, an MA in Political Science from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and an MA and PhD in Government from Harvard University. She is married with three children.

Subject to the approval of Congregation, Oxford University's parliament, Professor Richardson will succeed the current Vice-Chancellor, Professor Andrew Hamilton at the beginning of next year.