Presentation

I am a Senior Lecturer in Public Law with a specialisation in Human Rights. I hold a PhD in Constitutional Law and Human Rights from Uppsala University and a Master’s degree in Higher Education from Malmö University. My work brings together legal, organisational and pedagogical perspectives to explore how human rights function—and sometimes fail—in the everyday practices of public institutions.

Research Focus My research approaches human rights from a constitutional and organisational standpoint, treating the public sector as a complex system in which norms, structures and individual encounters shape one another. This means that my perspective is holistic, systemic and far reaching, with the individual human being at the centre.

At present, my research covers the following areas:

  • • Mobilising welfare professionals for human rights in response to the reporting duty (HUMASP), funded by the Swedish Research Council and the Crafoord Foundation
  • • The Human Rights State – conceptualising a development beyond the rule of law, welfare and democratic state
  • • The emerging human rights profession
  • • Human rights defenders in Sweden
  • • Human rights pedagogy in professional university programmes
  • • Teachers as gatekeepers for human rights
  • • Beyond Didactics and Implementation: Developing an educational philosophy for transformative Human Rights Education
  • • Security and the school

Consistent with these themes, I study how interactions between the state, municipalities and individuals are shaped by legal norms, and how human rights can operate as safeguards against arbitrariness, abuse and violations of dignity. I have previously focused on discrimination, minority rights, women’s human rights and the organisational implications that rights place on public leadership, priorities, treatment of individuals and institutional design. I am a member of the Collegium for Human Rights Research at Malmö University.

Professional Experience For thirteen years, I held senior leadership positions across academia and the public sector, including roles at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights at Lund University, the Equality Ombudsman, and as Head of Department within teacher education. I also briefly oversaw student disability support services. I have chosen to return to the role of senior lecturer to devote more time to research and teaching.

Teaching and Collaboration I teach and coordinate courses within teacher education, particularly in pedagogical leadership, social relations, conflict management and, currently, Science, Method and Evidence Informed Practice. I have led workshop series for professionals in various fields, and I develop research projects in close collaboration with practitioners.

I am Vice Chair of Malmö University Collegium for Human Rights, Secretary in the Steering Committee for the International Association for Human Rights Education and have served on the University Ethical Review Council.

Recent Publications (selected) • Johnsson, C. (2026). Människorättspedagogik för professionsutbildningar. In Johnsson, C., Lettevall, R., Liljefors Persson, B. & Wendel, L. (eds.), Värdighetens gränser och rättigheternas möjligheter. Malmö University Studies in Human Rights 1. (In press) • Johnsson, C. (2025). Transformative University Human Rights Education. Human Rights Education Review, 8(1), 55–67. • Johnsson, C. (2025). Inclusive Human Rights Education. In Zajda, J. & Vissing, Y. (eds.), Discourses of Human Rights Education. Springer. 15-35 • Johnsson, C. (2025). Nordic perspectives on human rights education: research and practice for social justice. (eds.) A. Osler & Goldschmidt-Gjerlöw. Abingdon: Routledge. Human Rights Education Review, 1-2.
• Johnsson, C. (2024). Transformative University Human Rights Education. Master’s Thesis, Malmö University. • Johnsson, C. & Rahm, T. (2022). Människorättsprofessionen – en ny preprofession på framväxt. Report in collaboration with the Swedish County Administrative Boards’ national human rights mandate. • Johnsson, C. (2020). Rights of Persons Belonging to Minorities. In Bremdal, P. & Ohlsson, J. (eds.), Mänskliga rättigheter i teori och praktik. 181-208.

Publications

Research Projects