In a somewhat left field move, Angelina Jolie has been appointed as a visiting professor at the London School of Economics.
Hollywood actress actress and activist, Jolie is set to teach for the LSE’s masters program in Women, Peace and Security.
In a statement, the school said Jolie will ‘play an active part in the Centre, delivering guest lectures to students, participating in expert workshops and public events, and undertaking their own work.’
It comes as a surprise to many, with most people recognising Jolie plainly as a Hollywood mega star or Brad Pitt’s wife. But the Jill of all trades has done far more than that – she’s Special Envoy to the United Nations, a writer, director, and all-around humanitarian do-gooder.
Is that enough to appoint her as a professor at an elite establishment though? Some think not.
But while the critics may equal many, most people have misunderstood her actual role at the university.
Jolie – together with her the former British foreign secretary William Hague – will deliver lectures at least one a year to students working towards a new LSE qualification: a Masters degree in women, peace and security, the Independent reports.
She will not teach everyday, but will be a ‘professor in practice’ – drawing on her own work and experience with the UN as a global negotiator to help students better understand women’s rights.
In fact, having a celebrity as a visiting professor is not new.
Film maker Spike Lee had a similar arrangement at Harvard in the 1990s where he taught film theory, drawing from the experience of his own work. And crime novelist Ian Rankin is a visiting professor at the University of East Anglia, giving practical writing advice.
So while many may think others (specifically those with a PhD) are more suitable for the position, Jolie may just prove everyone wrong.
