Mahuad was no stranger to the Kennedy School when he arrived in the spring--his ties with Harvard go back more than a decade. After winning a Mason fellowship through the Kennedy School, he earned a master's degree in public administration in 1989.

Mahuad was a part of the celebrations of the Mason program's 40th anniversary in April. At the time of the celebration, Dean of the Kennedy School Joseph S. Nye Jr. praised Mahuad, saying he exemplified the ideals the school tries to instill in its graduates.

Phillips said the IOP hired Mahuad because of his first-hand experience in government.

"We bring in people involved with politics and public service to teach students what it's like," she said.

And while it is unclear whether Mahuad will continue teaching, Phillips said he was under consideration to stay at the University in the fall.

Harsh Words

But some in Ecuador are incensed that Harvard is employing Mahuad, and alums there say the Harvard name has been sullied by harboring an alleged criminal.

"Is there anyone interested in not allowing a fugitive of Ecuadoran justice to teach at Harvard?" wrote Humberto X. Mata '90, a member of the liberal reformist movement Fuerza Ecuador, in an e-mail message to The Crimson and University officials.