Dr Sandra León

Sandra León is a political scientist specializing in comparative politics, federalism, and decentralization. She has authored numerous high-impact publications, including an award-winning monograph and articles in leading journals such as International Organization, the British Journal of Political Science, and the European Journal of Political Science, among others. She has successfully led competitive research projects and has delivered invited lectures at world-renowned institutions.

Previously, Sandra served as the Director of the Carlos III-Juan March Institute and the Master in Social Sciences at Carlos III University, where she expanded the institute’s international collaborations and strengthened its research impact. As a Senior Lecturer at the University of York, she designed and taught a wide range of courses across undergraduate, postgraduate, and PhD levels, while also holding key administrative roles, including Director of the Postgraduate Office and Chair of the Board of Examiners. She has also taught courses at other international institutions, including the University of Cologne and the Universidad Mayor de San Andrés in Bolivia.

Sandra’s teaching is also enriched by her experience as a political analyst and public practitioner. She served as Director General of the High Commissioner against Child Poverty in the Ministry of the Presidency, Government of Spain, and has provided expert evidence to the Scottish Affairs Committee of the House of Commons in Westminster as well as to the Scottish Parliament on devolution. Beyond academia, she is a prominent voice in the Spanish public debate. Sandra was a weekly columnist for Spain’s most widely circulated newspaper, El País, for two years and continues to serve as a regular political analyst on TV, radio, and in the press. Her expertise has been featured in major international outlets, including The Guardian, The Economist, Financial Times, and The New York Times.