Jacinda Ardern, the former prime minister of New Zealand, has announced that she will become a fellow at Harvard University later this year.
The esteemed Ivy League university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, issued a press release announcing Ms. Ardern’s appointment to dual fellowships.
Ms. Ardern served as New Zealand’s prime minister for more than five years.
She announced her resignation from public office in January, citing a lack of “fuel in the tank.”
Harvard announced on Tuesday that Ms. Ardern will join their campus in the fall as part of a dual fellowship at the Harvard Kennedy School.
Ms. Ardern will be the Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow in 2023 and a Hauser Leader in the Center for Public Leadership at the School.
The university praised the former prime minister for her “strong and empathetic” political leadership in its announcement.
Douglas Elmendorf, dean of Harvard Kennedy School, stated,
“She has earned respect far beyond the borders of her country, and she will bring important insights for our students and generate vital conversations about the public policy choices facing leaders at all levels.”
The Angelopoulos fellowship will allow Ms. Ardern to spend time in residence at Harvard as she transitions from her public service role, during which she is expected to assist students and faculty in developing leadership skills.
According to the university, her second fellowship with Harvard Law School will focus on researching methods to improve online extremist content standards and accountability.
Ms. Ardern stated that she is “incredibly humbled” to join Harvard.
Ms. Ardern stated,
“Not only will I have the opportunity to share my experience with others, but I will also have the chance to learn.”
As leaders, we often have very little time for reflection, but reflection is essential if we are to support the next generation of leaders effectively.
Ms. Ardern, age 42, has received international acclaim for her leadership style, particularly in the aftermath of the 2019 mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, which resulted in the deaths of 51 people.
She was also praised by many for her management of the Covid-19 pandemic, although opponents of lockdowns criticized her public health policies.
In her 2022 commencement address at Harvard, Ms. Ardern spoke out against the online “scourge of disinformation” and received a standing ovation for her government’s gun control policies.
In 2017, at the age of 37, she became the youngest female chief of government, becoming prime minister.
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