Matthew O'Meagher, Education Counsellor, New Zealand Embassy, Santiago Chile

Dr. Matthew O’Meagher is the New Zealand Ministry of Education’s Education Counsellor for Latin America. Based at the New Zealand Embassy in Santiago, Chile, this role has a particular focus on Chile and Brazil.

Dr. O’Meagher left his roles as founding Director of the New Zealand Centre for Latin American Studies (NZCLAS) and Senior Lecturer in History at Auckland University to take up this position on 5 June 2007.

Dr. O’Meagher has an extensive network of Latin American contacts. Since the establishment of the NZCLAS in 2002, it has become a focal point for New Zealand universities’ engagement with Latin America.
Dr. O’Meagher has provided professional services for the Ministries of Education and Foreign Affairs and Trade, including an investigative report on New Zealand’s interests with the Latin American region on behalf of Auckland Uniservices, and co-organising the New Zealand / Latin America Stakeholders Meeting in 2006.

He co-represented Auckland University on the Minister of Education’s mission to Mexico, Brazil and Chile in 2004 and has helped to organise Latin American research, media and education delegations and business seminars.

He has given invited lectures on a number of occasions, including in 2006 when he was a guest of the Institute of International Studies, University of Chile. He has received research grants from the governments of New Zealand, Chile and Mexico. In 2003 he held a visiting professorship at the Centre for Contemporary History, Trinity College, Dublin.

His extensive research record includes publications on New Zealand-Latin American relations, anti-nuclear history and Latin American religious history.

He gained a PhD in History from Duke University in 1994 and graduated with a BA Honours (1st class) from the University of Otago in 1985. He converses easily in both Spanish and Portuguese.

For more information contact Izak Human, 04 463 8718, izak.human@minedu.govt.nz