Maia Chankseliani (EdM Harvard, PhD Cambridge) is an Associate Professor of Comparative and International Education at the University of Oxford where she leads the Comparative and International Education Research Group in the Department of Education. Her work explores the intersection of tertiary education and societal development, focusing on the institutional, policy, and social dynamics that influence higher education and its potential to drive transformative change.
With expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methods, Maia’s research combines the analysis of large-scale datasets with insights from interviews and in-depth case studies. She has authored several books on higher education, including What Happened to the Soviet University? (2022) and Building Research Capacity at Universities (2022), alongside earlier works addressing educational transformations in post-socialist societies and global fairness in access to higher education.
Currently, Maia leads a significant research project examining how international mobility contributes to world development, funded by the U.S. Department of State. She has worked on a number of externally funded research projects and consultancies involving the UK Government agencies responsible for education and skills, UKRI/ESRC, British Council, World Bank, Qatar Foundation, the European Commission, supporting both academic and policy development.
Her background in academia, policy-making, and consultancy—across various international contexts—enriches her ability to connect research with practical application. She regularly engages with governments and international audiences, contributing to policy discussions, and her work is frequently highlighted in global media outlets.
Maia currently serves as the Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Educational Research. In addition, she is the incoming chair of the UKFIET Executive Committee, a board member at Oxford Nizami Ganjavi Centre and is a member of the Board of Trustees at the University of Bahrain.
