CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (AP) — Former U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is heading to Harvard University this fall as one of two visiting fellows at the Ivy League school’s Institute of Politics.

Hagel is also a Republican former U.S. senator from Nebraska. He will join Jim Roosevelt at the institute at the John F. Kennedy School of Government. Roosevelt is a Democratic Party Rules and Bylaws Committee co-chairman and former Tufts Health Plan CEO.

Along with six resident fellows, the visiting fellows meet with students, faculty, and staff as part of the institute’s efforts to encourage interest in public life and increase interaction between the academic and political communities.

Institute Director Maggie Williams says it’s an extraordinary class of fellows who are “perfect guides to lead our students through the fascinating terrain of this election year.”