Emory University in the southern U.S. state of Georgia says the Dalai Lama has been named a Presidential Distinguished Professor at the school.
Emory says it is the first time the Tibetan spiritual leader has accepted a professorship.
The Nobel Laureate will deliver a lecture in October and participate in a conference on science and spirituality.
Emory University has developed a study center for Tibetan philosophy and religion in the West. The school says it has close relationships with Tibetan Buddhist institutes of higher learning in India, where the Dalai Lama lives in exile.