Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced Tuesday that she will join Harvard University in the fall. File photo by Oliver Contreras/UPI | license photo
April 26 (UPI) — Jacinda Ardern, the former New Zealand prime minister who led the country through the worst of the pandemic and mourned with its citizens after the Christchurch massacre, announced that she will join Harvard University this fall.
The 42-year-old has been nominated for double scholarships at the Harvard Kennedy School, the Ivy League school of public policy and government.
“I am incredibly honored to join Harvard University as a fellow; it will not only give me the opportunity to share my experience with others, but it will also give me the opportunity to learn,” she said in a declaration. “As leaders, there is often very little time for reflection, but reflection is critical if we are to properly support the next generation of leaders.”
The announcement comes after she resigned as prime minister in January during her sixth year at the helm of the country, citing a lack of gasoline in the tank to take on not only another year in office but also to prepare for another term.
She initially took over in 2017 at the age of 37, making her the world’s leading youngest female leader at the time, and gained international attention for his compassionate response to a mass shooting at two mosques in the New Zealand city of Christchurch that left 51 dead in March 2019.
She is also known for imposing a strict and prolonged lockdown across the country during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, which drew some criticism at home in the form of protests, but drew praise abroad.
She also gave birth while she was prime minister, becoming only the second world leader to do so while in office and the first in nearly three decades.
“Jacinda Ardern showed the world strong and empathetic political leadership,” Douglas Elmendorf, dean of the Harvard Kennedy School, said in a statement. “She has earned respect far beyond the shores of her country, and she will provide important information for our students and spark vital conversations about the public policy choices facing leaders at all levels.”
While at Harvard, he will complete dual fellowships as an Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow 2023 and as a Hauser Leader at the Center for Public Leadership.
she will also continue to work as a special envoy for the Christchurch Call, an international community working to eliminate terrorism and violent extremism online, and will remain on the Earthshot Prize board, she said.
On Instagram, he explained that at Harvard he will be able to share his experiences through talks and at the same time he will have time to learn.
“Although I will be away for a semester… I will return at the end of the scholarships,” he said in social media platform. “After all, New Zealand is my home!”
In May, Ardern also delivered the 2022 commencement address at Harvard University.
Since Ardern stepped down, Chris Hipkins has served as Prime Minister and New Zealanders will vote for a new leader on October 14.
