Victoria Shmidt

Victoria Shmidt is a senior post-doctoral researcher and associate professor at the University of Graz in Austria, with a PhD in Social Policy from Masaryk University. Her doctoral thesis, titled “How does history predestine contemporary issues of child protection in CEE countries: beyond the issue of socialist path dependence”, explores the connections between historical legacies and present-day challenges in child protection within Central and Eastern European (CEE) countries.

Initially focused on critical social policy, Victoria’s research interests expanded to include the study of institutional violence against marginalized communities. Since 2008, when she joined Masaryk University in the Czech Republic, she has concentrated on understanding and addressing issues related to institutional violence against the Roma and individuals with disabilities.

Her work contributes to a deeper understanding of the societal challenges facing these communities and prompts important discussions about addressing them effectively.