Καθηγήτρια Ιωάννα Βασιλοπούλου
Καθηγήτρια
Professor Joana Vassilopoulou’s research focuses on workplace equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), migration, and the evolving relationship between artificial intelligence (AI) and inclusion. She has participated in major international research grants, totalling over €3 million, including projects funded by the OECD, the European Academy of Management (EURAM), EU Horizon 2020, and EU Erasmus+.
Professor Vassilopoulou has an established international reputation in workplace inclusion. She is a frequent keynote speaker at global academic and professional events and has organised and hosted the prestigious Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) Conference in three different countries.
She served as Editor of Work, Employment and Society (WES) (2020–2024) and as Associate Editor of the European Management Review (EMR) (2015–2020). She was also a Board Member of the European Academy of Management (EURAM) and served as the UK National Representative.
Her research has been published extensively, with over 50 scholarly outputs in top-tier journals and edited collections, including the Human Resource Management Journal, Work, Employment and Society, European Journal of Industrial Relations, International Business Review, and the International Journal of Human Resource Management.
Professor Vassilopoulou has held academic positions at several leading institutions, including the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University (Netherlands); the University of Sussex (UK); the University of Kent (UK); Brunel University of London (UK); and the University of Duisburg-Essen (Germany). She is also an Associate of the Allan Gray Centre for Values-Based Leadership at the Graduate School of Business, University of Cape Town (South Africa), and an Associated Faculty Member of the Erasmus Centre for Women and Organisations, Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University.
She currently holds an Honorary Professorship in Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and Human Resource Management at Brunel University of London. Her past Visiting Professorships include appointments at Dauphine University (Paris, France); MCI Innsbruck (Austria); and the University of Wuppertal (Germany).
She is the Co-Founder of the Centre for Inclusion at Work (CEFI) in Athens, Greece (https://www.inclusionatwork.eu/), a hub advancing inclusive workplaces through evidence-based research and practice.
She has over 25 years of teaching experience at UG, PG, MBA, and executive levels, with a strong commitment to excellence and research-led teaching. Joana has extensive experience in executive education across countries such as France, the United Arab Emirates, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, Germany, Greece and the USA. She has delivered training for leading global organisations, including the European Central Bank (ECB), ING Bank, Shell, and Eastman Chemicals.
She holds a PhD in Management from Norwich Business School, University of East Anglia, and a Degree in Social Science/Sociology from the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany. She holds additional degrees and certifications in HR and Personnel Management, and in Managing Gender and Diversity from Germany. She is an Associate CIPD Fellow, a Certified Leadership Coach and Mentor (ILM), and a Certified MBTI Practitioner.
Her most recent work explores the intersection of AI and diversity, culminating in her co-edited book: Vassilopoulou, J., & Kyriakidou, O. (Eds.) (2025). AI and Diversity in a Datafied World of Work: Will the Future of Work be Inclusive? Emerald Publishing Limited.
