Former Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has been appointed to a role at the Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership in the United States.
Mr Varadkar has been named as a spring 2025 Hauser Leader at Harvard.
Other Hauser leaders include former New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern and former US deputy secretary of State Wendy Sherman.
In a statement the Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership said Mr Varadkar would “share his leadership experience with students, faculty, and the broader Kennedy School community through guest lecturing, student mentorship, and discussions focused on public leadership, healthcare policy, and international diplomacy”.
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It said that in April, the former Taoiseach would give Harvard Kennedy School’s 2025 Gustav Pollak lecture. It said this was “an endowed lecture established in honour of renowned author, scholar, and journalist Gustav Pollak, designed to stimulate interest in government careers and research with a view toward building a better government”.
The Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership says on its website that Hauser leaders spend their time on campus advising students and engaging with faculty “during richly-programmed visits throughout the academic year”.
“By teaching skill-building and leadership development workshops, engaging key external stakeholders, and advising students and alumni, Hauser leaders enact the Center for Public Leadership’s mission to develop principled, effective public leaders who make positive change in the world. Hauser leaders also inform Harvard curriculum by speaking in the classroom, engaging in research and case development, and sharing expertise with lead faculty.”
The director of the Center for Public Learning Anthony Foxx, and Emma Bloomberg professor of the practice of public leadership said: “At a time of deep public leadership challenges around the world, [Mr Varadkar’s] experience working across difficult divides to advance progress and deliver for the public good offers lessons for us all.”
Mr Vardakar said in the statement issued by the school that he was “truly honored to accept the position of Hauser Leader”.
“It’s going to be a great opportunity for me to learn as well as to mentor the next generation of public leaders.”
“More so than ever, our world turns on knowledge, information and ideas. This is a really exciting opportunity and after more than twenty years in elected politics, it’s going to be great to do something really different for a while.”
The Harvard Kennedy School Center for Public Leadership said Mr Varadkar had successfully helped lead Ireland’s public health and economic responses to the Covid-19 pandemic and led Ireland through Brexit.
“The Governments he participated in lifted Ireland’s ban on abortion and improved LGBT rights, including the introduction of marriage equality and a gender recognition law. Throughout his career in public service, Varadkar has promoted Ireland’s contributions to global prosperity and he has remained dedicated to advancing gender equality, public health, workers’ rights, public infrastructure, arts and culture,” it said.
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