Barbara Gross

Barbara Gross, Ph.D., serves as Associate Professor in General and Intercultural Education at the Faculty of Education of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Italy. Previously, until the end of 2024, she held the position of Junior Professor in Educational Science with a Focus on Intercultural Education at Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany. She maintains multiple professional affiliations including membership on the Scientific Board and as Lecturer for the National Ph.D. in Peace Studies at Sapienza University of Rome, Associate Editorship for the journal Intercultural Education, and Board Membership with the International Association for Intercultural Education (IAIE).

Her research focuses on linguistic-cultural diversity in educational institutions, educational (in)equality and heterogeneity in preschool and primary school, intercultural pedagogy, teacher professionalization, and the organization and internationalization of educational sciences. She examines these topics through lenses of diversity-sensitive and critical intercultural education, (in)equity and heterogeneity in formal education, linguistic diversity, intersectionality, and the internationalization of educational research.

Analysis of her recent publications (2021-2025) reveals a consistent focus on intercultural education with particular attention to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Her work spans multiple contexts including Italy, Germany, Sweden, and international comparative frameworks. Key thematic areas include heritage language education, intersectionality in educational settings, knowledge diversity in universities, and diversity-sensitive educational policies in early childhood education.

• Associate Editor of the journal Intercultural Education
• Board Member of the International Association for Intercultural Education (IAIE)
• Expert Evaluator for the European Commission

Dr. Gross has extensive teaching experience across multiple European institutions including Goethe University of Frankfurt, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore Rome, Birkbeck University of London, and University of Gothenburg. She teaches undergraduate, master's, and doctoral level courses including Diversity and Education, Qualitative Methods of Educational and Social Research, and Intercultural Pedagogy. Her research has been supported through various collaborations and institutional affiliations across Europe, reflecting her international scholarly network and influence in the field of intercultural education.