Katharina Schmid

Katharina Schmid is an Associate Professor at the Department of People Management and Organisation within Esade Business School. She is also part of the Leadership Development Research Center (GLEAD) at Esade. Her research focuses on intergroup relations, prejudice reduction, discrimination, and the psychological aspects of climate change. Schmid has led multiple funded projects, including investigations into social polarization, far-right attitudes, and climate psychology interventions across 63 countries.

Her research interests span social psychology, political behavior, and behavioral science applications to global challenges. Recent work includes analyzing the impact of social contact on reducing prejudice, personality's role in Brexit preferences, and political knowledge across nations. She has published in high-impact journals such as Science Advances and Group Processes and Intergroup Relations.

Notable grants include European Union funding for studies on Catalan independence movements and La Caixa Foundation support for projects combating discrimination. Schmid collaborates internationally, with research networks in over 60 countries. She is actively involved in leadership development initiatives through the GLEAD center.