Professor Katerina Strani

Biography

Katerina Strani is Professor and Head of the Department of Languages and Intercultural Studies at Heriot-Watt University, where she provides strategic leadership for education, research, international partnerships and organisational development. She combines institutional leadership with an internationally recognised research profile in languages, migration and intercultural communication.

Katerina is committed to inclusive leadership, fostering collaborative cultures and creating opportunities for colleagues and students to thrive. She has held a double Visiting Professorship at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland, in Applied Linguistics and Ethnology & Anthropology. She is a Horizon Europe expert evaluator, a member of the Arts and Humanities Research Council Peer Review College, and a Chartered Linguist and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Linguists. She has also served for over fifteen years as an external assessor for the Chartered Institute of Linguists' postgraduate qualification in translation.

Katerina holds a First Class Honours degree in Interpreting and Translation (French and Russian) and a PhD in Public Sphere Communication from Heriot-Watt University, together with a Master's degree in Politics from the University of Edinburgh. She recently completed Heriot-Watt University's Global Leaders Programme, gaining a Postgraduate Certificate in Business Administration (Merit). Before joining Heriot-Watt in 2013, she worked in the Greek Parliament and the private sector. She also served two elected terms on the University's Senate, contributing to institutional governance and strategic decision-making. Her interdisciplinary background in languages and political theory informs research on how language shapes identity, migration and social inclusion, with particular expertise in online hate speech, multilingualism and intercultural communication. She has led EU- and British Academy-funded research that has advanced understanding of racism, discrimination and migrant inclusion, while developing digital tools to support newly arrived migrants and refugees and to promote endangered languages. She coordinates the Migration theme within the Intercultural Research Cluster (IRC), fostering interdisciplinary collaborations.

Outside academia, Katerina enjoys running, swimming and, when the Scottish weather allows, cycling. She also enjoys singing and hopes to join the Heriot-Watt University choir once she can summon the courage.

Her research-informed podcast on Karaoke as Democratising Performance, recorded live at the SIEF conference in Aberdeen, reflects her belief that rigorous research should connect academic ideas with everyday cultural experiences to deepen understanding of identity, participation and belonging.