Everyone's favorite Egyptian satirist, Bassem Youssef, just got another academic appointment, this time at Stanford University.
The prestigious California university just announced that Youssef has joined the Program on Arab Reform and Democracy at Stanford’s Center on Democracy, Development, and the Rule of Law as a visiting scholar this fall semester.
"I would like to bring a different voice to the discussion over what is happening in the Middle East and the Muslim World, and how narratives in the United States can affect the realities in the region," Youssef said in an interview posted on Stanford's website .
"Beyond my own research on satire and social change, my priority is to connect with the student community at Stanford and encourage them to find their own voices and their own opinions about that part of the world."
Youssef rose to fame during the 2011 Egyptian Revolution as protestors took to Cairo's Tahrir Square to protest the government of President Hosni Mubarak. From his Cairo apartment, Youssef began filming a satirical YouTube show discussing the revolution and the political situation. Quickly going viral, he went on to launch and host the popular Egyptian TV political satire show "Al-Bernameg."
His program was shutdown several times before it was indefinitely suspended in 2014. Since then he has become an international celebrity and recently launched " The Democracy Handbook," a American Fusion TV digital series that satirizes U.S. politics through a Middle Eastern perspective.
"I believe that satire can be a great tool to understand and even change how people view the world around them." Youssef said.
In regards to what he will offer students he added: "As much I have a lot to share with students, I am sure I will have a great deal to learn from them too, and from the Stanford community more generally. I had the privilege to meet with some of the smartest young people here and I look forward to benefit from this intellectually promising experience."
This isn't Youssef's first academic appointment in the U.S. In the spring of 2015, he was a fellow at Harvard's The Kennedy School . His current fellowship is supported by a grant from the Carnegie Corporation, and by the Stanford Arts Office of the Associate Dean.
While Youssef is best known for his political commentary and satire, he is actually trained as cardiothoracic surgeon. He has passed the U.S. Medical License Exam and is a member of the Royal College of Surgeons.