Harvard University’s Kennedy School is welcoming former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who was behind some of the strictest pandemic measures in the world, to two fellowships in the fall.
Ardern was appointed as the 2023 Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow and as a Hauser Leader in the School’s Center for Public Leadership.
“Jacinda Ardern showed the world strong and empathetic political leadership,” Kennedy School Dean Douglas Elmendorf said in a statement. “She earned respect far beyond the shores of her country, and she will bring important insights for our students and will generate vital conversations about the public policy choices facing leaders at all levels.”
Ardern said she is “incredibly humbled” to join Harvard as a fellow.
“[N]not only will it give me the opportunity to share my experience with others, it will give me a chance to learn," she added. "As leaders, there’s often very little time for reflection, but reflection is critical if we are to properly support the next generation of leaders."
Ardern will also be completing a fellowship at Harvard Law School's Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.
The former head of state's stint abroad comes after she abruptly announced her resignation in January.
"I'm leaving, because with such a privileged role comes responsibility," she said. "The responsibility to know when you are the right person to lead and also when you are not. I know what this job takes. And I know that I no longer have enough in the tank to do it justice. It's that simple."
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