Auckland (The NZ Today)
Former New Zealand Prime Minister Dame Jacinda Ardern has taken up a new academic role in Australia, joining the University of Sydney as a Professor of Practice.
The university says Ardern will be based in its School of Public Health and will work with students, researchers and the wider university community through guest lectures, masterclasses and mentoring. The position is part-time rather than a conventional full-time teaching role.
Her work will focus on areas including empathetic leadership, civic trust, social cohesion and approaches to global health challenges, with an emphasis on equity, inclusion and wellbeing.
Ardern said leadership had become an area of particular interest since leaving political office and that she was looking forward to working with students and faculty on how communities and institutions could respond to major global challenges.
University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor and President Professor Mark Scott said Ardern would bring significant experience in public leadership and service to the role.
Scott said her time as prime minister had demonstrated how empathy and resolve could work together during periods of major national pressure.
Ardern served as New Zealand prime minister from 2017 until her resignation in January 2023.
During her time in office, she led the country through several major events, including the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, the Whakaari volcanic eruption and the Covid-19 pandemic.
Since leaving politics, Ardern has continued working in academic and leadership-focused roles.
She has held fellowships at Harvard University and later joined Oxford University’s Blavatnik School of Government as a Distinguished Fellow, with much of her post-political work centred on leadership, governance and public trust.
Ardern moved to Sydney with her husband Clarke Gayford and their daughter earlier this year.
Source: University of Sydney and RNZ
