Former New Zealand PM Jacinda Ardern hired to teach ‘empathetic leadership’ at Sydney University

Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern has joined the University of Sydney where she will lecture and mentor students on “empathetic leadership”.The university announced that Ms Ardern, 46, would take up the position this month.In a statement issued on Tuesday, the university said this was, however, not a full-time teaching job for Ms Ardern. Ms Ardern moved to Sydney earlier this year with her husband Clarke Gayford and daughter, Neve. The family bought a property on the city’s northern beaches.New Zealand's former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern reacts at the Pacific Resilience Facility event during Pre-COP31 meetings in Nadi, Fiji, 7 October 2026 (Reuters)Ms Ardern became New Zealand’s 40th prime minister in 2017, aged 37, and served until January 2023. During her tenure, she led the country through the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, the deadly Whakaari/White Island volcanic eruption, and the Covid-19 pandemic.Her handling of the pandemic won international recognition, although restrictions and economic pressures contributed to declining domestic support towards the end of her time in office. She announced her resignation in January 2023.The University of Sydney said: “Her work will focus on empathetic leadership, social cohesion and civic trust; further developing new approaches to global and values-based leadership; as well as exploring new ways to address global health challenges centred on equity, inclusion and wellbeing.New Zealand's former Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern poses for a picture upon arrival at the Earthshot Prize 2025 awards ceremony at the Museum of Tomorrow in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on 5 November 2025 (AFP/Getty)“Based in the University of Sydney School of Public Health in the Faculty of Medicine and Health, Dame Jacinda will work closely with the Sydney Policy Lab and the office of the Vice-Chancellor on initiatives across the University.” Her responsibilities will include guest lectures, masterclasses and mentoring. “I’m delighted to be joining the University of Sydney. I’ve found myself especially focused on the question of leadership since leaving office – and how we can better support and encourage the kind of leadership needed to tackle our many global challenges,” Ms Ardern said after the appointment.“I’m looking forward to working alongside the brilliant students, faculty, and wider University of Sydney community, as we share experiences, explore and develop ways to better serve our communities, and help solve the issues facing so many today.”University of Sydney vice-chancellor and president Mark Scott welcomed the appointment, praising Ms Ardern’s approach to public service.“It is a great pleasure to welcome Dame Jacinda Ardern to the University of Sydney – I have long admired the courage and humanity she brought to public life.Jacinda Ardern attending the screening of Prime Minister at the Curzon Mayfair, London. Picture date: 1 December 2025 (PA)“For our students, the opportunity to learn from Dame Jacinda is exceptional, they will meet not only a former Prime Minister, but a thoughtful teacher with a great deal to share about public leadership and service. “Her contribution will enrich our work in public health, public policy and across the University,” he said.After leaving politics, Ms Ardern held fellowships at Harvard University and joined the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government as a distinguished fellow in 2024. She also founded “Field”, a fellowship programme focused on empathetic leadership, and continues to work on online extremism and artificial intelligence.