Mathias Urban, PhD, is Desmond Chair of Early Childhood Education, Director of the Early Childhood Research Centre (ECRC) at Dublin City University, Ireland. He works on questions of integrated early childhood systems, diversity and equality, social justice, and professionalism in diverse socio-cultural contexts.

Mathias is the lead author of the 2018 (Argentina), 2019 (Japan), 2020 (Saudi Arabia), 2021 (Italy), 2022 (Indonesia), and Brazil (2024) G20/T20 early childhood development, education and care policy briefs. He is a member of the European Commission expert working group on Early Childhood Education and Care, of the Global Advocacy Group with the global Right to Education initiative, and a board member of the Think Tank for Action on Social Change (TASC).