The Dalai Lama, former Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar, former CIA chief George Tenet and Elie Wiesel all have something in common — they teach courses at universities around the country.
Schools, including Boston University, Emory University and Georgetown University are increasingly trying to attract celebrity professors — from established professionals to former heads of state — to build their institutions’ star power.
Andrea Sarubbi, spokeswoman for Georgetown University, which lists Aznar and Tenet among its distinguished teachers, said the presence of so-called celebrity professors allows students to network with figures from the most elite circles of their future professions.
“Students are able to engage with faculty who have held leadership positions in government and public policy,” she said. “Many Georgetown students aspire to these kinds of professional roles and take advantage of the opportunity to hear firsthand about their careers.
“These individuals add a tremendous amount to our academic community,” she said.
BU’s celebrity faculty includes former Poet Laureate Robert Pinsky, Nobel Prize winner Elie Wiesel and historian Howard Zinn, a professor emeritus.
Brown University political science professor Darryl West, who teaches a course about celebrities’ forays into the political world, said university alumni who make it big are sometimes very willing to return to their alma maters to teach. West said universities often have to compete for public figures who have done noteworthy work outside of their alumni circles.
“It depends on the individual,” he said. “If the individual is an alumnus, it’s just a matter of contacting the person and making arrangements.”
As well as benefiting the students they teach, popular professors also benefit the universities because they help raise the schools’ profiles and build their reputations over time, West said. Brown’s faculty list includes former United Nations ambassador Richard Holbrooke.
“[Established professors] attract students interested in studying with them,” he said.
One school that does not buy into star power is the University of Southern California. According to university spokeswoman Orli Belman, USC does not make a special effort to attract celebrity professors.
“[USC] hires its faculty based on who is best for the job,” she said.