Emma Watson is a British actress most famous for her role as 'Hermione Granger’ in the Harry Potter film franchise. Known for her blunt dialogue delivery, she appeared in all eight installments, which have been deemed some of the most iconic films of the era. Further acclaim came from portraying Belle in the musical romantic fantasy Beauty and the Beast (2017), which ranks among the highest-grossing films of all time. Acting aside, Watson has forayed into modeling and has also begun to spread awareness about a number of humanitarian issues. In 2014, she was appointed a UN Women Goodwill ambassador and helped launch the UN Women campaign HeForShe, which advocates for gender equality. In 2018, she helped launch Time's Up UK as a founding member. Watson was appointed to a G7 advisory body for women's rights in 2019, consulting with leaders on foreign policy.

Her modelling work has included campaigns for Burberry and Lancôme. She also lent her name to a line of clothing for sustainable brand People Tree. In 2020, she joined the board of directors of Kering, a luxury brand group, in her capacity as an advocate for sustainable fashion. Watson has been ranked among the world's highest-paid actresses by Forbes and Vanity Fair, and was named one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World by Time magazine in 2015.

Despite her early fame and wealth, Watson still pursued a university education. In 2009, at the age of 24, the actress enrolled at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island. Part of the appeal for Watson was Brown's open curriculum that allowed her to design her own major. In regard to her great fame, the Harry Potter star admitted that she was nervous about trying to blend in with her peers. "On the first day, I walked into the canteen and everyone went completely silent and turned to look at me."

When she wasn’t seated in a lecture hall or writing term papers, Watson kept busy with her career. Over the five years it took to earn her degree, she also filmed Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows Part I and Part II, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, and The Bling Ring. Watson did take a year off from school in 2011 to make her acting commitments a priority, but she returned and completed her coursework. In May 2014, she graduated from Brown with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English literature.

To date, Watson's hectic schedule has kept her from returning to her alma mater in person. But that hasn't kept the Brown community from recognizing her many professional accomplishments. On major social media sites like Twitter, Watson is constantly being recognized by present and former students of her alma mater. Likewise, she has been the subject of Brown University news fodder such as the 2014 Brown Daily Herald article which highlighted Watson's ongoing fight to further international women's rights. More than just a pretty face with cult fame, Watson has used her prestigious Brown education to make the world a better place for the next generation.