Tony Blair is to add to his growing jobs portfolio by lecturing on faith at Yale. The American university said yesterday that he was to become a Howland Distinguished Fellow.

The work will be part-time and will not affect Mr Blair’s work as a Middle East envoy or his City posts, his office said last night.

The former Prime Minister is to lead a seminar at Yale and participate in a number of events at the campus. His efforts at Yale relate to the work of the Tony Blair Faith Foundation, which he will launch this year.

The Howland Distinguished Fellowship was created in 1915 for any “citizen of any country in recognition of some achievement of marked distinction in the field of literature or fine arts or the science of government”.

Richard Levin, the Yale President, said: “The appointment of Mr Blair provides a tremendous opportunity for our students and our community. As the world continues to become increasingly interdependent, it is essential that we explore how religious values can be channelled toward reconciliation rather than polarisation. Mr Blair has demonstrated outstanding leadership in these areas and is especially qualified to bring his perspective to bear. We are honoured that he is planning to join the Yale community.”

The foundation will promote understanding between the main faiths and increase understanding of the role of faith in the modern world.

Since leaving Downing Street in June, the former Prime Minister has accepted offers of work at two leading financial companies and last month agreed to help Rwanda to attract private investment.

His work with Rwanda is unpaid but he is expected to earn more than £2 million a year from other positions.

Mr Blair took up a part-time post with the American investment bank JPMorgan this year, and was later appointed to advise the Swiss insurer Zurich on “developments and trends in the international political environment”, including climate change. Both appointments came in addition to a reported £5 million deal for his Downing Street memoirs. Mr Blair has also been spending much of his time working as an unpaid envoy for the Quartet of Middle East peace negotiators.

JPMorgan said that he had been employed “in a senior advisory capacity”, adding that he had a “unique perspective”.

Although it is not known how much he earns from his work for JPMorgan, some estimates have suggested that he will be paid more than $1 million (£500,000) a year.

The bank said that Mr Blair had been employed to advise its chief executive and senior management team, “drawing on his immense international experience to provide the firm with strategic advice and insight on global political issues and emerging trends”.

A Zurich spokeswoman said that Mr Blair would be working for the group on an ad hoc basis.

At the time of his appointment to the post at Zurich, Mr Blair said: “There is a consensus now that the challenge of climate change is real, and what we need now are the policy solutions to turn that concern into action.

“That’s why Zurich’s work to look at how business, and in particular the insurance sector, can play its part is so crucial, and why I welcome the chance to help them with it.”

Nice earners

— Mr Blair is believed to be earning a package worth £2 million a year working with JPMorgan and £500,000 a year for advising Zurich, the Swiss insurer

— After taking up his appointment with JPMorgan, he pledged to spend at least ten days a month on the role

— He is reported to have signed a £5 million deal with the publisher Random House for his memoirs

— Mr Blair is one of the highest-paid speakers on the international lecture circuit, earning up to £500,000 a month from such events

— Mr Blair made his first visit to Rwanda in February after agreeing to take up an unpaid role helping the country to rebuild its economy by attracting private investment

Source: Times database