Hanna Schwander

Hanna Schwander is a Full Professor and Chair of Political Sociology and Social Policy at Humboldt University of Berlin. She leads the Einstein Research Unit ‘Coping with Affective Polarization’ and directs the Berlin Polarization Monitor, a large-scale panel study tracking polarization dynamics. Her research intersects comparative politics, political sociology, and political economy, focusing on welfare state transformations, labor market inequality, and climate policy. Previously, she held professorships at the Hertie School of Governance and the University of Zurich, with prior roles at institutions like the European University Institute and University of Oxford.

Education includes a PhD from the University of Zurich (2012) and a Licentiate in Political Science from the same institution (2008). Research projects include exploring the political feasibility of climate policies, the rise of Green parties, and the role of Universal Basic Income. She has been funded by the Einstein Foundation and the Berlin University Alliance.

Key research areas include affective polarization, distributive politics, and the societal impacts of economic inequality. Her work examines how structural challenges like climate change and welfare reforms influence political processes. Teaching focuses on comparative political economy, party politics, and inequality studies.