Ema Demir

Ema Demir is an Affiliated Researcher at the Center for Educational Leadership and Excellence and SSE Institute for Research (SIR) at Stockholm School of Economics. Her research examines how school leadership and organizational dynamics influence educational equity and outcomes through teacher collaboration, principal leadership, and AI-driven analysis of Swedish educational reforms.

Her academic background includes:

• PhD in Education, University of Cambridge (2022)
• Master of Education, Stockholm University (2010)
• Master of Arts in English, Stockholm University (2010)
• Bachelor of Social Science (Political Science), Stockholm University (2003)
• Bachelor of Arts (English), Stockholm University (2001)

Demir investigates organizational structures that foster teacher social capital and professional learning, emphasizing how school autonomy impacts student achievement. Her interdisciplinary work integrates policy analysis with computational methods to evaluate decades of educational reforms, particularly focusing on leadership practices that promote equity in Scandinavian contexts.

Her publication trends reveal consistent emphasis on systematic reviews of leadership efficacy and school improvement pathways, highlighting non-linear approaches to turnaround success. Recent work analyzes organizational constraints on teacher collaboration and longitudinal impacts of principal preparation programs, demonstrating strong connections between leadership quality and student outcomes.

Key recognitions include:

• Shortlisted for BERA Conference Best Paper Award (2023)
• Fitzwilliam College Senior Scholarship, University of Cambridge (2021, 2019)

Demir mentors Stockholm educators and serves as guest lecturer for SSE's "Developing Teaching Excellence" and "Policy Ventures" PhD courses. Her research receives funding from Forte and IFAU for projects examining timetabling autonomy, principal leadership programs, and AI-driven reform analysis in partnership with Swedish municipalities and the National Library Lab.

She collaborates internationally through the Swedish National Library Lab partnership and leads SSE's Literary Agenda group, facilitating cross-disciplinary discussions on literature's societal connections.