Oxford University to honour New Zealand ex-PM Jacinda Ardern, Sir Mo Farah, 7 others with honorary degrees

In a major honour for former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who was at the helm of the country during the Covid-19 pandemic, the University of Oxford will award her an honorary degree in civil law. She and eight others including long-distance running legend Sir Mohamed Muktar Jama Farah alias Mo Farah will be awarded the honorary degree on June 25, 2025. Jacinda considers former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark as her political hero.

She resigned as the Prime Minister of New Zealand in January 2023 and was appointed a dame later in the year. The United Nations in 2024 named her as a champion for global change.

Her association with the University of Oxford began in 2025 when she joined the its Blavatnik School of Government as a Distinguished Fellow and member of the World Leaders Circle.

Along with Jacinda, Sir Mo Farah will also be awarded during the Encaenia ceremony. Farah won 19 gold medals, nine silver and two bronze at major championships including the 2012 Long and 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

He is only the second person after Finland’s Lasse Virén (1972 and 1976) to have completed the double of 5,000 and 10,000 metres races at Olympics. He acheived the rare distinction by winning the two races at the London and Rio Olympics. The other distinguished personalities who will be honoured with the degrees inlcude Lord Melvyn Bragg, Clive Myrie, Professor Serhii Plokhii, Professor Timothy Snyder, Professor Colm Tóibín, Professor Robert S Langer and Professor Erwin Neher.