Tony Blair to Teach at Yale Uni

[punky]

Originally Posted by Matt D

I find his appointment to this position at Yale really rather odd...

I guess, but from an American point of view, it makes sense. Americans tend to view the British as sophisticated and intelligent, and so a well known Brit will help re-enforce that. Americans would love to go around saying: "I went to Oxford, England", even if it was only Oxford Brookes.

Also, Yale is an important university for politics, so to have one of the world's most famous and influential ex-politicans on its books teaching, is a real coup for them.

[Osem]

Originally Posted by Gavin

I guess, but from an American point of view, it makes sense. Americans tend to view the British as sophisticated and intelligent, and so a well known Brit will help re-enforce that. Americans would love to go around saying: "I went to Oxford, England", even if it was only Oxford Brookes.

Or indeed Oxford Circus

[punky]

Something I forgot to add, Cherie Blair is always getting offers for the very lucrative US lecture circuit, so it work out perfectly for the two of them.

Although I think with the ACLU, they've suffered enough without letting Cherie Booth QC on them.

[TheNorm]

Originally Posted by Gavin

...Yale is an important university for politics, so to have one of the world's most famous and influential ex-politicans on its books teaching, is a real coup for them.

Tony is in distinguished company:

...the composer Ralph Vaughan Williams, journalist Sir Alistair Cooke and stateswoman Indira Gandhi.

This is an investment - having "big names" giving a few seminars costs a bit of money, but brings in much more for the university. Remember, many US universities do not rely on handouts from the government, unlike the situation in the UK.