Former Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, has recently been appointed as a Distinguished Fellow at the University of Oxford. Trudeau joins the Blavatnik School of Government, a department at the university dedicated to public policy and leadership education.
The Blavatnik School of Government was founded in 2010, and has since set up their World Leaders Circle – a forum for previous heads of government to “exchange ideas and foster international collaboration”. It also provides a platform for research, which ranges from climate change to global security, as well as teaching ‘future leaders’, who are currently undertaking postgraduate degrees at the centre.
Fellows at the School spend a year mentoring and engaging with students and alumni, alongside discussing different approaches to government with other former world leaders.
Trudeau, of Canada’s Liberal Party, was the Prime Minister between 2020 and 2025, and the second-youngest to take up the role in Canadian history. His achievements include appointing a 50% female cabinet, signing the Paris Climate Agreement, and strengthening gun control reforms.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, his government spent billions of dollars on medical research, mental health services, and food provision. This included $192 million (£101 million) on the development and production of vaccines and treatments for COVID-19 domestically.
Trudeau announced in his press release that he looks forward to “contributing his experience” and considering how governments can work together to build a “more hopeful, inclusive and prosperous future for everyone.”
Current members of Oxford’s World Leaders Circle include Rishi Sunak, UK Prime Minister between 2022 and 2024, Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand PM from 2017 to 2023, and new member Fumio Kishida, Japanese Prime Minister from 2021 to 2024.
Founding Dean of the Blavatnik School of Government, Ngaire Woods, has previously commented that the “mission of the school is to make government better.”
She has also emphasised the school’s global outlook, stating that it has as much to offer the UK as well as emerging powers, like China and India.
Trudeau is expected to visit Oxford later this month.