Jacinda Ardern, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, has taken on a position at the University of Sydney this month as a lecturer and mentor. The role, which began this month, does not constitute full-time teaching but instead involves guest lectures, masterclasses, and mentoring activities. Her work will be housed within the university’s school of public health, with emphasis on empathetic leadership, social cohesion, and civic trust, alongside exploration of approaches to global health challenges centered on equity, inclusion, and wellbeing.
Ardern commented on her new position, stating that she has become increasingly focused on leadership questions since departing from office and on how to support and foster leadership capable of addressing contemporary global challenges. The university’s vice-chancellor, Mark Scott, praised Ardern’s demonstrated ability to combine empathy with resolve during her time leading New Zealand through significant events.
The former prime minister retired from politics in January 2023 after serving as Prime Minister for more than five years and leading the Labour party. During her tenure, she guided the nation through several major events including the Christchurch terrorist attack, the Whakaari volcanic eruption, and the Covid pandemic. In 2017, at age 37, she became the world’s youngest-serving female leader and later became the second world leader to give birth while in office.
Since leaving office, Ardern has held fellowships at Harvard University focused on public leadership and technology governance and published her memoir, A Different Kind of Power, in 2025. She relocated to Sydney earlier this year with her husband Clarke Gayford and their daughter Neve, acquiring a property in Sydney’s northern beaches for $5.3 million.
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