Jacinda Ardern reveals major career move
Jacinda Arden has revealed an exciting new venture following her departure as New Zealand’s prime minister.
Ms Arden, 42, will be heading to Harvard University for a semester, where she plans to engage in "speaking, teaching, and learning”.
She has now been appointed to fellowships at the elite US university in leadership and fighting online extremism.
“I’m incredibly humbled to be invited to join Harvard University later this year,” she announced on Instagram.
Ms Ardern has been named the 2023 Angelopoulos Global Public Leaders Fellow and a Hauser Leader in the Kennedy School’s Center for Public Leadership.
She will also be a Knight Tech Governance Leadership Fellow at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society, based at Harvard law School.
She said that Harvard is an important partner as a special envoy to the Christchurch Call, a commitment she started with French President Emmanuel Macron to fight online extremism following the terrorist attack on two mosques in Christchurch in 2019.
During that time she also joined the board of Prime William's conservation-minded Earthshot Prize.
In 2022, she delivered the annual commencement speech to graduates, which has previously been delivered by world leaders and distinguished figures such as Winston Churchill, Angela Merkel and Oprah Winfrey.
The Call is working with 120 governments worldwide to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content online.
“My semester there later this year will also be an opportunity to take up the first tech governance leadership fellowship at the Berkman Klien Center,” she wrote in her post.
“Not only will this be a chance to work collaboratively with the center’s research community, but also work on the challenges around the growth of generative AI tools.”
According to a Harvard statement, “she will study ways to improve content standards and platform accountability for extremist content online, and examine artificial intelligence governance and algorithmic harms.”
The fellowships commence in Spring, which Ms Ardern noted would align with voting times for New Zealander.
She said she hopes to share her experiences through future exchanges in New Zealand and abroad.
As she continues the significant work she started as the world’s youngest female head of government, she said she will set aside time to learn while she’s enrolled in one of the world’s top-ranked universities.
“While I’ll be gone for a semester (helpfully the one that falls during the NZ general election!),” she said.
“I’ll be coming back at the end of the fellowships. After all, New Zealand is home!”
Ms Ardern shocked the world when she announced in January 2023 that she would not be seeking re-election.
She stepped into the role of Labour leader seven weeks out from the 2017 general election after Andrew Little stepped down.
Before she was elected to the top office she learned she was pregnant with her first child, which sparked debate surrounding her ability to lead the country with a newborn.
She made international headlines during her first time when she was the first female leader to bring an infant into the UN General Assembly.
While she delivered her speech, her long-term partner Clarke Gayford cradled three-month-old Neve.
Ms Ardern and Mr Gayford are yet to announce a date for their wedding.
The pair have been engaged since 2019 and were forced to cancel their wedding due to the pandemic.
After she stepped down as New Zealand’s prime minister she was replaced by Chris Hipkins.
Image credit: Getty