Jay Chou in "Kung Fu Dunk." Fudan University's Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts has named the Taiwan pop king-turned film actor and director as a performing arts guide. [File Photo]

Good news for Jay Chou's fans at Shanghai's Fudan University: Whenever your idol is in Shanghai, you will have the chance to meet, or perhaps even talk with him.

Fudan University's Shanghai Institute of Visual Arts has named the Taiwan pop king-turned film actor and director as a performing arts mentor. This means every time Chou travels to Shanghai, he will sit in on a lecture to exchange ideas with students, a school representative told the local Oriental Morning Post.

Chou accepted the responsibility on Sunday, when he joined director Chu Yin-Ping and actor Eric Tsang at the school to promote their new film, "Kung Fu Dunk."

Chu Yin-Ping has also been invited to perform the same job, while Eric Tsang is already a guest professor at Fudan.

Chou will be working as a volunteer, but he is very active in his new role, the school representative said.

A dozen celebrities serve as honorary professors or guest professors at Fudan University, one of China's top institutes for higher education, the Oriental Morning Post reported. Besides actor Eric Tsang, these professors include Oscar-winning director Ang Lee and Hong Kong Film Awards' Best-Director winner Tsui Hark.

Each guest professor is required to host a lecture on campus every semester, an obligation Chou might not be able to fulfill due to his busy schedules, the representative said, explaining why Chou was invited to serve in a more flexible role.

(CRI February 27, 2008)