Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson visited UM on Wednesday, Jan. 14 and is scheduled to co-teach alongside professor Casey Klofstad and professor Joseph Uscinski this semester for POL 393, Special Topics in Public Administration, Policy and Law.
The course will mainly focus on British politics, making specific use of Johnson’s experience in a variety of domains, including government and the media, according to professor Casey Klofstad.
Although Johnson will not be present for every class, he will teach several lectures during the semester. He will also hold office hours outside of class for students to learn about his political experiences.
According to Klofstad, the course will be divided into four parts. Foundations of UK political institutions, current policy dilemmas, global challenges and international safety and prosperity.
“Proffesor Uscinski and I proposed that we design the course in the same way as POL 401: The Election,” Klofstad said. “In both courses we (will) provide a mix of academic lectures and prominent outside speakers.”
The course is open to all UM undergraduate students with no prerequisites.
“The objective is to provide students with an informative and dynamic mix of academic and ‘real world’ perspectives on the topics covered in the course.” Klofstad said.
For students like Marizú Weller Rios, the experience is unbeatable. Rios is a sophomore majoring in political science and public administration hoping to work in international relations and politics.
“I think this is truly a once in a lifetime opportunity students absolutely can’t miss. The fact that our university has such a prominent individual as a professor is very admirable,” Rios said. “There is something to learn from Boris Johnson’s experiences for people of every major and interests.”
Even though Johnson will not be the primary professor of the course, Rios is excited to continue learning from him and enjoys his teaching style.
“His teaching style was incredibly engaging and his storytelling made everyone stay in tune with his lecture,” she said. “At the end of the class, the entire class had the opportunity to ask questions about his experiences and the content presented and when it was over.”
According to Rios, professors Klofstad and Uscinski have told students they cannot share in advance when the Prime Minister will attend.
As of now, Johnson is scheduled to visit four times throughout the semester.