Angelina Jolie 'nervous' ahead of her first lecture as LSE visiting professor | London Evening Standard

Angelina Jolie today said she was “feeling butterflies” ahead of her first lecture as a visiting professor at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

The actress and film-maker, who co-founded the Preventing Sexual Violence in Conflict Initiative, was set to tell students at the LSE’s Centre for Women, Peace and Security today about her experience in the field and how sexual violence is used as a tool of war.

“I’m a little nervous, feeling butterflies,” she told the Evening Standard beforehand. “I hope I do well. This is very important to me.”

The post, which is unpaid, formally begins in September, with Ms Jolie helping teach students about the impact of war on women.

As a visiting professor, she will deliver guest lectures to students, participate in public events and workshops, and undertake her own research.

Ms Jolie, the special envoy of the UN High Commission for Refugees, launched the campaign against rape in war zones five years ago with Lord Hague when he was foreign secretary.

Ms Jolie said she was nervous ahead of the speech (Alex Lentati)

Last week, Lord Hague spoke to students on the same course about his experiences of shaping policy. 

Ms Jolie and Lord Hague are two of four visiting professors contributing to the programme, alongside Jane Connors, the director of International Advocacy at Amnesty International in Geneva, and Madeleine Rees, Secretary General of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom.

Today, Ms Jolie was set to speak to students taking the paper “Women, Peace and Security” — a one-term course taken by master’s students from a range of postgraduate disciplines.

However, from September, students will be able to take an entire master’s in the subject, the first of its kind anywhere in the world.

According to a university statement, the course is intended to “[develop] strategies to promote gender equality and enhance women’s economic, social and political participation and security.”

The centre, run by Professor Christine Chinkin, opened in February 2015, in the hope of ensuring the next generation of policy-makers at the United Nations and other global institutions are schooled in this area. 

Ms Jolie, who attended the launch, said at the time: “I am very encouraged by the creation of this master’s programme.

"I hope other academic institutions will follow this example, as it is vital that we broaden the discussion on how to advance women’s rights and end impunity for crimes that disproportionately affect women, such as sexual violence in conflict.” 

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