Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern Appointed Professor of Practice at Sydney University

Jacinda Ardern, who led New Zealand from 2017 to 2023, has accepted a professor of practice position at the University of Sydney’s faculty of medicine and health. Beginning this month, she will conduct guest lectures, masterclasses and mentorship focused on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust, working closely with the Sydney Policy Lab and the vice-chancellor’s office to craft new models of values-based, equity-oriented global health leadership.

The role is not a full-time teaching post. Ardern’s move follows earlier fellowships at Harvard and Oxford, where she warned against binary politics and promoted safe, people-centred AI. The university’s vice-chancellor, Mark Scott, praised her courage and humility, saying her experience will enrich public-health and policy work. Former politicians such as Julia Gillard and Grant Robertson have also taken academic posts after leaving office.