Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who offered her country a strong and passionate leadership in the face of a terrible mass shooting, will be joining Harvard University this fall. Douglas Elmendorf, the Dean of Harvard Kennedy School, recently announced this opportunity for Ms. Ardern. She will be a part of dual fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School, namely the 2023 Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellowship and the Hauser Leader in the school’s Center for Public Leadership.
Jacinda Ardern has become a global icon of the left and a beacon of inspiration for women leaders worldwide. Dean Elmendorf praised her leadership skills and said that the appointment will “generate vital conversations about the public policy choices facing leaders at all levels.”
Ms. Ardern is considered a hardworking leader who stepped down from her Prime Minister’s office this January, after five years in office, stating that she had “not enough in the tank” to keep up. Her management of the Coronavirus pandemic in her country was also highly criticized by those opposing government protocols and lockdown regulations.
The Harvard Kennedy School opportunity appears to Ms. Ardern as a chance to share her experiences and learn from them as well. She commented that the “very little time for reflection” available to leaders is incredibly important to “support the next generation of leaders”.
The Harvard connection will also involve her fellowship at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, an important partner in New Zealand’s efforts to bring down online extremism. In February 2019, following the mass shooting at two mosques in Christchurch, Jacinda Ardern took a stand against online extremism and launched the Christchurch Call with French President Emmanuel Macron. The Call was joined by over 50 countries and some big tech companies like Meta (Facebook’s parent company), Amazon, Google, Microsoft, YouTube, Zoom and Twitter.
Jacinda Ardern will presumably be at Harvard for a year and continues to lead an inspiring example for many. Jonathan Zittrain, the co-founder of the Berthman Klein Center, was full of praise and noted that “ Jacinda Ardern’s hard-won expertise – including her ability to bring diverse people and institutions together – will be invaluable as we all search for workable solutions to some of the deepest online problems.” Ms. Ardern is keen to make the best of her time at Harvard and is looking forward to making a meaningful contribution to the institution. She plans to go back to New Zealand after her fellowships.
