Professor Marek Tesar
The Dean of the Faculty of Education leads a diverse array of disciplines encompassing pedagogy and curriculum development and provides strategic guidance to cultivate innovation and excellence in teaching and research.
Professor Marek Tesar commenced as Dean of the Faculty of Education in March 2025. Prior to this appointment, he held the positions of Head of the School of Learning Development and Professional Practice and Associate Dean International at the Faculty of Education and Social Work at the University of Auckland.
An internationally recognised scholar in early childhood education, Professor Tesar’s research explores education policy, philosophy, pedagogy, methodology and curriculum. Drawing on his background as a teacher, his work merges theoretical insights with a practical focus on the everyday experiences of children in New Zealand and globally.
Professor Tesar has held significant leadership roles in international education networks, serving as Chair of the Steering Committee for Reconceptualising Early Childhood Education (RECE), immediate Past-President of the Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia (PESA), Director of the Centre for Global Childhoods, and Chair of the Early Years, Childhood Studies and Child Development Research and Teaching Hub. In 2020, he was appointed as a Research Fellow at the Southeast Asia Ministers of Education Organisation (SEAMEO), contributing expertise to research and development initiatives in education, science and culture across Southeast Asia.
In recognition of his contributions to education philosophy and research, Professor Tesar was elected a Fellow of the Philosophy of Education Society of Australasia in 2023. He is also the co-founder and co-leader of Collaborative Online Learning Across Borders (COLAB), a teaching and research initiative that connects universities in Australia, the United States of America, Sweden, Indonesia and Nepal.
Professor Tesar holds an international BA and MA in Child Education and Psychology, along with a Teacher Training Certification from Comenius University, and a PhD from the University of Auckland.
Committed to education as a pathway to opportunity and inclusion, Professor Tesar fosters an environment where academic excellence, equity and fairness underpin teaching, research and community engagement.