Spot at NYU for China dissident

NEW YORK UNIVERSITY has offered a visiting scholar slot to the blind Chinese dissident whose escape from house arrest led to a diplomatic crisis.

The invitation to Chen Guangcheng came after Chinese officials said he would be allowed to study abroad.

The fellowship was organized by NYU law professor Jerome Cohen, who met Chen nearly a decade ago and advised him during his ordeal.

“Chen Guangcheng has long-established relationships with faculty at the NYU School of Law, and has an invitation to be a visiting scholar at NYU — either in New York or at one of our other global sites,” said Nyu-spokesman John Beckman.

Chen, a 40-year-old lawyer, had spent most of the past seven years in prison or under house arrest. He slipped out of his home Sunday under the cover of darkness, evading dozens of security personnel.

Activists shuttled him eight hours to Beijing, where he was briefly holed up in the American embassy. Chen left the embassy for a hospital after U.S. and Chinese officials hashed out a deal that would allow him to stay in his homeland and study law.

But Chen abruptly decided he wanted to flee the country. From his hospital bed, Chen called Capitol Hill Thursday and implored Secretary of State Clinton for help.

On Friday, the U.S. and China struck a tentative deal, allowing Chen to leave the country and get a formal education.