Irina Kuznetsova

Dr Irina Kuznetsova is an Associate Professor at the School of Geography, Earth and Environmental Sciences (GEES), University of Birmingham. Her research focuses on migration, forced displacement, health, and critical urbanism, with particular emphasis on the social consequences of population displacement in conflict zones such as Ukraine, Russia, and Nigeria. She leads the 'Cities, Regions, and Mobility' subtheme in GEES and is an associate member of the Institute for Research into Superdiversity (IRiS) and the Centre for Urban Wellbeing. Dr Kuznetsova holds a Fellowship from the Intercontinental Academy ‘Laws. Rigidity and dynamics’ (UBIAS).

Her education includes a BA, MA in Sociology, and a PhD from Kazan Federal University, Russia. She has led projects funded by AHRC PaCCs, British Academy, and IGI, exploring topics like Ukrainian refugees in Poland, mental health in Gaza, and environmental health in Lagos during the pandemic. Her work integrates feminist geographies, critical border studies, and decolonisation studies.

Research interests include: migration policy, geopolitics of displacement, urban well-being, and intersectionality in immobility. Notable grants include the QR-funded 'Futures of Ukraine: youth, mobility and post-war reconstruction' and an EUniwell project on urban well-being education. She has published extensively on displacement, health, and policy impacts, with recent contributions analyzing visa policies, gender-based violence, and energy access in conflict zones.

Dr Kuznetsova collaborates with international stakeholders, including the Ukrainian Catholic University and UNDP. Her teaching includes modules on urbanity and well-being, reflecting her commitment to bridging academic research and practical urban challenges. She previously established the European Union Centre Voices in Russia, demonstrating her long-standing engagement with migration and sustainability.