Dr. Souzana-Maria Nikolaou is an Associate Professor in the Department of Primary Education at the University of Ioannina, specializing in Sociology of Education with a focus on democratic education, social inequalities, and educational policy. She holds a PhD from the University of Cologne and completed extensive postgraduate studies in Social Pedagogy, Sociology, Philosophy, and History. Her research examines democratic school culture, political socialization, social and educational inequalities, childhood studies, and the sociological analysis of curricula and textbooks.

Since joining the University of Ioannina, she has served in multiple academic and administrative capacities, teaching in undergraduate and postgraduate programs and contributing to program development, curriculum reform, and academic governance. She has supervised numerous postgraduate theses and collaborates in interdisciplinary research teams addressing issues of democracy in education, interculturality, and emerging social challenges.

Dr. Nikolaou has an extensive publication record, including authored books, edited volumes, chapters in collective works, and numerous articles in international and Greek peer-reviewed journals on democratic education, social capital, social inequalities, and the impact of crises on childhood. She has participated in international and national conferences as presenter and co-investigator, with research funded by European and national initiatives. Her work contributes to contemporary debates on citizenship education, democratic schooling, and sociological approaches to educational reform.