Benoit Peeters, an expert in The Adventures of Tintin comic book, has been named Britain’s first ever professor of graphic fiction and comic art. The French graphic novel writer and critic will become visiting professor at Lancaster University in England, beginning next summer.

“I want to explore the connections between the history of graphic fiction and contemporary creation, between the world of French and Belgian bande dessinée [Franco-Belgian comics], and the world of comics and graphic novels,” Peeters said in a statement.

Peeters is celebrated as a world authority of Tintin and author of a biography on cartoonist Herge. During the three-year position he will run creative workshops, give lectures, and supervise post-graduate students.

The school created the position in collaboration with the Lakes International Comic Art Festival in Cumbria, a neighboring county. Peeters will participate in the next festival in October 2016.

Lancaster University described it as “a significant investment in the academic significance of comic art.”

“The appointment will bring a new dimension to our university and, in particular, to our English and creative writing courses,” Lancaster’s dean of faculty of arts and social sciences Simon Guy said.