Jacinda Ardern to teach public health at University of Sydney

Former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern will lecture and mentor at the University of Sydney starting this month. The appointment places her in the school of public health, where she will explore global health challenges with a focus on equity, inclusion, and wellbeing. For students at the university, this means direct access to a former world leader who served during the Christchurch attack, the Whakaari eruption, and the pandemic.

The university clarified that the position is not full-time. Ardern will host guest lectures and masterclasses while engaging in mentoring. Her work will center on empathetic leadership, social cohesion, and civic trust. She stated that she has been focused on leadership since leaving office and wants to support the types of leadership needed to tackle global challenges.

Mark Scott, the vice-chancellor of the University of Sydney, praised Ardern’s approach to public life. He noted that she demonstrated empathy and resolve do not compete with one another. Scott told students they are gaining access to a thoughtful teacher with experience in public service. He described the opportunity as exceptional for those studying leadership and health.

Ardern retired from politics in January 2023 after more than five years as prime minister and Labour party leader. She became the world’s youngest-serving female leader in 2017 at age 37. She later became the second world leader to give birth while in office. Since stepping down, she has held fellowships at Harvard University focused on public leadership and technology governance.

In a July interview on ABC Conversations, Ardern argued that people are seeking empathetic leadership. She observed that voters often choose fringe parties not for ideology but to reject the status quo. She said the signs point to people wanting something different than what they are currently getting. This view aligns with her current academic focus on civic trust.

Ardern published her memoir, A Different Kind of Power, in 2025. She moved to Sydney earlier this year with her husband, Clarke Gayford, and daughter, Neve. The family purchased a property in Sydney’s northern beaches for $5.3 million.

The role adds to her post-political career, which has included academic work and writing. The university did not specify a start date beyond the current month. Ardern’s schedule will allow her to continue her family life in Sydney while contributing to the public health curriculum.