A Yale website is reporting that Shelly Kagan, Professor of Philosophy at Yale University, is “the most popular foreign teacher” in China. Kagan’s online Open Yale course, “Death,” is apparently a great success. Quoting from the article:

“China National Radio in September noted: ‘Kagan lectures the students while sitting on the podium with legs crossed and wearing jeans and sneakers. His image, resembling that of an ‘immortal’ in Chinese mythology, has made him a ‘star’ closely followed by the youth in China. Ever since Kagan’s philosophy class ‘Death’ appeared on the internet through Open Yale Courses, many young people in China scramble for the lectures given by this unconventional professor who could have been considered ‘out of line’ according to the traditional Chinese standard of teaching style and manner.'”

Hat tip to Brian Leiter’s blog, where I first saw this.