Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is taking on a new role at Harvard University in Boston, a familiar institution for her. She was awarded the prestigious Harvard Kennedy School’s Centre for Public Leadership Gleitsman International Activist Award, which came with a prize of US$150,000 (NZ$210,000). Ardern has requested that the prize money be used for a scholarship for a student from New Zealand to attend the Kennedy School of Government. This is not Ardern’s first engagement with Harvard as she also delivered a widely-praised commencement speech at the university in 2019.
Her new role will be serving as a Hauser Leader in the Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership, as well as a 2023 Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow. Her appointment to these prestigious positions is a testament to her track record of strong and empathetic leadership, and her ability to generate important conversations about public policy choices facing leaders at all levels.
Douglas Elmendorf, the Dean of the Kennedy School, praised Ardern’s “strong and empathetic leadership”, saying that she will bring important insights and generate vital conversations about public policy choices facing leaders at all levels. Ardern expressed her gratitude for the opportunity, noting that Harvard has been a crucial partner in her work with the Christchurch Call and that she looks forward to taking up the first tech governance leadership fellowship at the Berkman Klein Center. She plans to continue sharing her experiences through speaking engagements while also learning from her time at Harvard.
Despite being in the US during this year’s New Zealand election, Ardern stated that she will return to New Zealand after the fellowships are complete, as New Zealand is her home. She is scheduled to begin her new roles at Harvard later this year.
