Internationally renowned scholar
researching the everyday lives of children.
Professor Marek Tesar is Head of School of Learning Development and Professional Practice, and the Associate Dean International at the Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Auckland. He is also the director of Centre for Global Childhoods, and the Chair of Early Years, Childhood Studies and Child Development Research and Teaching Hub. His award-winning scholarship is focused on early childhood education in both New Zealand as well as in cross-country contexts. His academic work and consultancy focuses on educational policy, philosophy, pedagogy, methodology and curriculum, and draws on his background as a qualified teacher. Currently, Marek serves as a leader of two leading learned societies in his fields; he chairs the Steering Committee of the Reconceptualizing Early Childhood Education (RECE), and is elected President of Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (PESA).
Marek’s scholarship and activism merges theoretical work with a practical focus on the everyday lives of children and their childhoods in Aotearoa New Zealand and overseas. He has published 200 peer-reviewed publications, and his scholarly work has received many prestigious national and international awards and accolades. He edits 4 educational book series with renowned publishers, is Editor of 6 academic journals, and sits on over 20 international editorial boards.
In 2016, Marek led a team of international and local experts in Indonesia to establish a research centre of excellence for early childhood education, care and parenting, that serves the South-East Asia region (SEAMEO). While his research is mainly focused on the early years, he has substantial experience and knowledge of educational systems more generally. Since 2018, Marek has been leading a team of New Zealand early childhood experts to deliver a curriculum framework, and teaching and parenting programmes in China. In 2020, Marek was appointed as a Research Fellow at SEAMEO to provide on future research and development initiatives and programmes, and enhance cooperation in education, science and culture in Southeast Asia.
Marek is also the Director of the Centre, a world-leading, interdisciplinary research centre for the study of global childhoods and the early years. The Centre for Global Childhoods serves as a central nexus that brings together a wide range of faculty, universities, teachers, policymakers and international collaborators that undertake and disseminate a cutting edge, collaborative research, provides scholarly expertise and leadership; engage in research-informed capacity building and consultancy across the Asia Pacific region.
Director Centre for Global Childhoods, University of Auckland (2021–present)
President Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (2020 – 2023)
Founder/Director Childhood Studies in Aotearoa New Zealand (linked with Journal for Child, Youth & Family Studies Review, part of ESOCSCI, with Dr Ergler (2014–present)
Founder/Director Early Childhood Seminar Series Project, UoA, with Dr Cooper (2013–present), including ECE YouTube Channel (since 2015, over 900 subscribers and over 31,000 unique views of over 70 videos)
Chair Steering Committee of the Reconceptualising Early Childhood Education International (RECE) (2019–present)
Chair Programme Chair, AERA Foucault and Contemporary Theories in Education SIG (2020–2022)
Chair Board for Trustees, InkluCity, Slovakia (2017–present)
Chair AERA Foucault and Contemporary Theories in Education SIG (2018–2020)
Chair AERA CPECE Dissertation Award Committee (2017)
Chair AERA CPECE Emerging Scholar Award Committee (2019; 2020)
Chair Book awards PESA committee, Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (2015–2016; 2019; 2020)
Leader Archives Project and Portfolio, Executive Committee of the Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (2016–present)
Leader Editorial Developmental Group (2014–present)
Leader Editors’ Collective (2017–present)
Leader Global Alliance for Critical Qualitative Inquiry (Founding Member, 2017–2019)
Advisor Future Cities Hub Advisory Board member (2023–present)
Advisor Steering group for the International Journal of Early Years Education (2023–2024)
Advisor Constructing a Framework for Early Childhood Teachers Cultural Wellbeing
(2023–2026)
Advisor Strategic planning and branding for Ho Chi Minh city(2022–present)
Advisor International Advisory Board of the sixth edition of The SAGE Handbook of Qualitative Research (Denzin et al.) (2020)
Advisor Founding Advisor of the Global Scientific Parenting Alliance (2017–2020)
Advisor Governing Board of South East Asian Ministries of Education (SEAMEO) Centre for Early Childhood Care Education and Parenting (CECCEP) (2018–present)
Advisor International Advisory Board for HANS – High functioning autism Asperger iNclusive Spectrum, Slovakia (2016–2018)
Advisor Adjunct advisor of APRU DSN Executive Committee (2011–2014)
Secretary Editors’ Council Collective (2016–2017)
Secretary AERA Foucault and Contemporary Theory in Education SIG (2016–2018)
Treasurer AERA Foucault and Contemporary Theory in Education SIG (2016–2018)
Moderator International Critical Childhood Studies Collaborative (ICCSC) (2015–2016)
Mentor Official Mentor for Early Career Academics, RECE (2019)
Mentor Official Mentor for Early Career Academics, QI SIG, AERA (2017–2023)
Member CPECE AERA Life Achievement Scholar Award (2023)
Member Board of Studies member at Amrita School for Sustainable Futures, India
(2023–present)
Member AERA CPECE Life Achievement Award Committee (2024)
Member Ministry of Education - Centre Design, Environmental Factors, and Group Size Advisory Panel (CEGAP). (2023–2024)
Member Childhood, Law & Policy Network (CLPN), Queen Mary University, University of London (2022–present)
Member Selection Panel, SEAMEO SE Asia Educational Innovation Awards (2021)
Member Executive Committee, Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (2018–2020)
Member Reconceptualising Early Childhood Education Steering Committee (2016–2019)
Member Steering Committee, Research and Youth Network at UoA (2014–2017)
Member Steering Committee, Global Childhoods Research Centre, Uni of Gothenburg
(2020–present)
Member Strategy Bibliometrics Group (2015–2018)
Member NZARE ECE SIG Lyn Foote Awards Committee (2016–2017)
Member NZARE ECE SIG Judith Duncan Awards Committee (2016)
Member Executive Committee, Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (2014–2016)
Member AERA CPECE dissertation committee (2015–2016)
Member Editors’ Council Collective (2015–2016)
Member RECE Bloch life achievement award committee (2015)
Member Steering Committee, Centre for Research in Kenya Steering Committee at Trnava University (2015–2019)
Member The best paper committee for Educational Philosophy and Theory (2014)
Member NZTC Advisory committee academic representative (2009–2010)
Journal Editing (Active)
Editor-in-Chief, Policy Futures in Education (Sage)
Acting Editor-in-Chief, Educational Philosophy and Theory (Taylor & Francis)
Deputy Editor, ACCESS: Contemporary Issues in Education (PESA)
Executive Editor, Journal of Pedagogy (DeGruyter)
Editor, Linguistic and Philosophical Investigations (AAP)
Immediate Past Executive Editor, The First Years Ngā Tau Tuatahi (UoA)
Journal Editing (Past)
Deputy Editor, Education Philosophy and Theory (T&F)
Deputy Editor, PESA Agora
Associate Editor, Open Review of Educational Research (T&F)
Book Review Editor, Policy Futures in Education (SAGE)
Assistant Executive Editor, Educational Philosophy and Theory (T&F)
Book Series Editing
Children: Global posthumanist perspectives and materialist theories (Springer)
New Directions in the Philosophy of Education (Routledge)
Critical Childhood & Youth Studies: Theoretical Explorations and Practices (Lexington Books / Rowman & Littlefield)
Educational Philosophy and Theory: Editor's Choice (Routledge)
2024 Citation at the Vice-Chancellor’s Recognition Dinner, University of Auckland
2023 World’s Top 2% Most Cited Scientists Stanford University/Elsevier
2023 Elected Fellow of the Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia
2022 World’s Top 2% Most Cited Scientists Stanford University/Elsevier
2021 World Class Professor (WCP) appointment, Ministry of Education and Culture, Indonesia (Sponsored by UPI)
2019 Citation at the Vice-Chancellor’s Recognition Dinner, University of Auckland
2018 New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE) Judith Duncan Award for Research Excellence in Early Childhood Education
2018 Citation at the Vice-Chancellor’s Recognition Dinner, University of Auckland
2017 American Educational Research Association (AERA) AERA-SRCD Research Fellowship Award 2017–2018
2017 Citation at the Vice-Chancellor’s Recognition Dinner, University of Auckland
2016 American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2016 Critical Perspectives in Early Childhood Education Emerging Scholar Award
2015 Early Career Research Excellence Award, UoA, New Zealand
2015 Nominated for Early Career Teaching Excellence Award, UoA, New Zealand
2015 Citation at the Vice-Chancellor’s Recognition Dinner, University of Auckland
2015 Paper at the International Congress of Qualitative Inquiry (ICQI) selected as ‘Spotlight’ session
2013 Vice-Chancellor’s Prize for Best Doctoral Thesis
2013 American Educational Research Association (AERA) Outstanding Qualitative Dissertation Award
2013 New Zealand Association for Research in Education (NZARE) Sutton-Smith Award for the Best Doctoral Thesis
2013 Dean’s list award in recognition of excellence achieved in a PhD thesis
2013 AERA International Travel Award
2012 Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (PESA) Doctoral Award
2011 Nominated for Outstanding Teaching Award, EDSW, University of Auckland
2011 3 Minute Thesis University of Auckland finalist
2010 University of Auckland Doctoral Scholar Award
2008 NZTC Tinana award for Excellence in Teaching
Copyright© Marek Tesar, All rights resereved.
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