Presentation

I am Associate Professor in Public Law and Human Rights. My research evolves around human rights from different angles: constitutional law theory, critical legal theory, critical human rights theory, and recently from teaching and learning in higher and critical pedagogy. I have written about equality and non-discrimination, minority rights, human rights of women and on what human rights as a system require of the state organisation. My recent projects concern an emerging profession in Sweden - the human rights profession - and, as an educator, academic Human Rights Education. A strand of my reserach highlights the situation of students with accessibility needs, and in particular the academic scholarship approach to accommodation and support and to universal design for learning. I am am member of the Collegium for Human Rights Research at Malmö University.

Currently I work on the following research ideas and projects:

  1. The human rights state - the next step after the rule of law, the welfare state and the democratic state (published in Swedish and revised to be published in 2025 as an article and on 2027 as a book)
  2. The human rights profession - a new profession on the rise (first study publishedin 2022, article due in 2026)
  3. Human rights defenders in Sweden (together with the Swedich National Human Rights Institution)
  4. Human rights pedagogy in university education of professions (due in 2025 in a university publication and an international publication in 2026)
  5. Human Rights Education - what does it look like in Sweden with higher education in human rights? (see below recent publications)
  6. Aligning Education with the Convention on the Rights of the Child: Pedagogical Imperatives and Institutional Reforms (article due in 2025)
  7. Mobilization of welfare personnel for human rights against the Whistleblower Act - arguments, strategies and practices (HUMASP), funded by the Swedish Research Council (project ending in 2027)
  8. Accessible curriculum design in higher education (article due in 2026)

I have worked as head of department 2007-2019 - at the Faculty of Education and Society, Malmö University; at the Swedish Equality Ombudsman; at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, and at the Unit for Pedagogical Support here at the University just recently.

From 2021 I work as Associate Professor concentrating on research, and teaching. I take part in an International Master in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, with the aim at combining Human Rights Law and pedagogy in a way consistent with my experiences as international expert in development cooperation at the Raoul Wallenberg Institute and from various assignments as educator for Swedish government officials. The master degree is due 2024.

Currently I am involved in or head a number of courses at the Faculty within the teacher education programmes, concerning on pedagogical leadership, social relations and conflict prevention, and scientific method and proven experience. I lecture in most teacher training programs at Malmö University on the Convention on the Rights of the Child. * Latest publications:* Johnsson, C. (2025). Nordic Perspectives on Human Rights Education: Research Practice for Social Justice. Human Rights Education Review. Forthcoming 2025. DOI: 10.1080/25355406.2025.2465141

Johnsson, C. (2025). Inclusive Human Rights Education. In (eds.) Zajda, J. & Vissing, Y. Human Rights Ecucation Globally. Springer International Publishing. Forthcoming 2025.

Johnsson, C: (2025). Transformative University Human Rights Education. Human Rights Education Review, 1-20 https://doi.org/10.1080/25355406.2025.2452124

Johnsson, C. (2024). Transformative University Human Rights Education. Master's Thesis in Teaching and Learning in Higher Education. Malmö University.

Johnsson, C. & Rahm, T. (2022) Människorättsprofessionen - en ny preprofession på framväxt. (Human Rights Profession - An Emerging Minor Profession). Rapport i samarbete med länsstyrelsernas nationella samordningsuppdrag för mänskliga rättigheter. Stockholm.

Johnsson, C. (2020). Rättigheter för personer som tillhör en minorite.t (Rights of Persons Belonging to a Minority). I (red.) Bremdal, P. & Ohlsson, J. Mänskliga rättigheter i teori och praktik. Från idé till förvaltning. 181-208.

Research Projects