Irina Schmitt

Irina Schmitt is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Gender Studies at Lund University, part of the Faculty of Social Sciences. She holds roles as program coordinator for the Gender Studies Bachelor’s program and deputy teacher representative. Her academic journey includes a PhD from the University of Bremen (2007), postdoctoral research at Lund, and a Visiting Associate Professorship at the University of British Columbia (2010).

Her research focuses on queer-feminist and trans-feminist theories, with emphasis on education systems and national policies. Key projects include studies on transgender youths’ school experiences, LGBTQ+ justice in academia, and intersectional negotiations of gender identity. Funded by the Swedish Research Council, her work addresses cisnormativity and systemic barriers in schools.

Teaching spans feminist methodologies, social justice, and pedagogical strategies in higher education. She co-edits the Swedish Journal of Gender Studies, one of the Nordic region’s leading interdisciplinary journals. Active in institutional equity work, she contributes to Lund University’s Human Rights profile area and participates in LGBTQ-LU, the university’s LGBTQ+ employee network.

Publications span over 80 works, including peer-reviewed articles, edited volumes, and policy reports. Recent research highlights intersectional analysis of gender identity in schools, methodologies in queer studies, and pedagogical innovations post-pandemic.