Jacinda Ardern appointed University of Sydney Professor of Practice

Ardern said she was “delighted” by the appointment.

“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.

“I’m looking forward to working alongside the brilliant students, faculty, and wider University of Sydney community.”

University of Sydney vice-chancellor Professor Mark Scott welcomed Ardern’s appointment.

“Dame Jacinda led New Zealand through events of profound consequence and her leadership demonstrated that empathy and resolve do not compete with one another; each can strengthen the other,” he said.

“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.”

The Sydney appointment follows Ardern’s move into academia after stepping down as Prime Minister in 2023.

Ardern joined Harvard University later that year, taking up a technology governance leadership fellowship at its Berkman Klein Centre.

Her work focused on improving online content standards, holding social media platforms accountable for extremist material and examining the governance of artificial intelligence.

In 2024, Ardern became a distinguished fellow at the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government, joining its World Leaders Circle.

In June this year, she received an honorary degree from Oxford, one of nine people recognised for their contributions to fields including politics, science, culture and sport.

Founded in 1850, the University of Sydney is Australia’s oldest university and one of the country’s largest, recording more than 74,000 student enrolments last year.

Ardern will work closely alongside the Sydney Policy Lab and the university’s leadership on projects involving public policy, health and global challenges.

Last month, the Herald reported that Ardern and her husband, Clarke Gayford, had reportedly bought a $6.5 million home in Dee Why, on Sydney’s northern beaches.

Ardern previously told the Sydney Morning Herald the family had chosen Australia partly because they wanted to be closer to friends and family in New Zealand.

“We’d been far away for a while, and we wanted to be closer to friends and family, but also wanted to get back to a life that was, you know, a bit like what we might have in New Zealand.”

She said the family had no fixed plans for how long they would stay.

“We’ve never been much for five-year plans.”

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