Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern is now a professor at University of Sydney

Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern | Reuters

New Delhi: Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has been appointed a lecturer at the University of Sydney. She will also work as a mentor. According to the university, she has been hired as a professor of practice and will focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion, and civic trust.

Ardern will address global health challenges, inclusion, and well-being with new approaches and also give guest lectures and masterclasses. The university stated that the position will not be a full-time teaching role.

The former prime minister said she was hoping to “explore and develop ways to better serve our communities”.

“I’ve found myself especially focused on the question of leadership since leaving office, and how we can better support and encourage the kind of leadership needed to tackle our many global challenges,” said Ardern.

‘Dame Jacinda, a thoughtful teacher’

Mark Scott, vice-chancellor and president at the University of Sydney, said that Ardern brings courage and humanity to public life. 

“For our students, the opportunity to learn from Dame Jacinda is exceptional. They will meet not only a former Prime Minister but also a thoughtful teacher with a great deal to share about public leadership and service,” he said.

Jacinda Ardern was elected as the prime minister of New Zealand when she was just 37. She served in the position from 2017 to 2023. 

During her tenure, she led the country through the Christchurch terrorist attack, the Whakaari White Island volcanic eruption, and the Covid-19 pandemic.

Ardern was awarded a damehood for her services to the state in 2023, a few months after she announced her surprise resignation as prime minister.

After leaving office, Ardern became a fellow at Harvard University, where she focused on leadership and technology. She has also continued advocating for action on online extremism and strengthening democratic institutions, drawing on her experience of crisis management and public service in New Zealand.

(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)