Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern takes up fellowship roles at Harvard University

Jacinda Ardern has ended weeks of speculation about her future to announce she will soon be heading overseas in her new role.

The former New Zealand prime minister announced on Wednesday that she will join the Ivy League institution Harvard University later this year in three fellowship roles in leadership and the fight against online extremism.

She will head to the US later this year to spend a semester at Harvard Kennedy School as the 2023 Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow and as a Hauser Leader in the school’s Center for Public Leadership engaging with students about principled leadership.

Ms Ardern hinted earlier this month that she would be “speaking, teaching and learning” in the wake of her shock resignation as prime minister after five years in the top job.

“I feel incredibly humbled to be joining Harvard University as a fellow – not only does it give me the opportunity to share my experience with others, it also gives me the opportunity to learn,” said Ms. Ardern.

‘As leaders there is often little time for reflection, but reflection is crucial if we want to properly support the next generation of leaders.’

Ms. Ardern will also be pursuing a leadership fellowship in technical governance at Harvard Law School’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, where she will study ways to improve content standards and platform accountability for extremist content online, and artificial intelligence governance. and will investigate algorithmic damage.

The fellowship also enables Ms Ardern to continue the work of the Christchurch Call, which she launched alongside French President Emmanuel Macron in the wake of the city’s mosque attacks that claimed 51 lives in 2019.

“This is not only an opportunity to collaborate with the center’s research community, but also to work on the challenges of the growth of generative AI tools,” she added.

“I will also share my experience speaking both here and abroad, while also taking the time to learn over the next year.”

‘While I’m away for a semester (helpful whoever falls during the NZ General Election!), I’ll be back at the end of the fellowships.’

‘New Zealand is home after all!’

Harvard University announced the new position in tribute to Ms. Ardern’s “internationally acclaimed” leadership.

“Jacinda Ardern showed the world strong and empathetic political leadership,” said Douglas Elmendorf, dean of the Kennedy School.

“She earned respect far beyond the shores of her country, and she will bring important insights to our students and spark vital conversations about the public policy choices facing leaders at all levels.”

Ms Ardern will also continue her recently announced role as a voluntary position as Special Envoy to the Christchurch Call and trustee of Prince William’s Earthshot Prize.

Harvard University previously recognized Ms. Ardern with the Gleitsman International Activist Award in 2020.

She also delivered the annual commencement address for Harvard graduates in 2022, following in the footsteps of world leaders Winston Churchill, Angela Merkel and Oprah Winfrey.

It will be Ms Ardern’s second time working in the US, having previously worked in New York two decades ago.

She became the world’s youngest female head of government when she was elected Prime Minister of New Zealand in 2017 at the age of 37.

The following year, Ms Ardern became only the second elected female leader to have a child while in office and the first since Benazier Bhutto in 1990 when she gave birth to daughter Neve, who will turn five in June.