Dr Irina Popova

Dr Irina Popova is a Lecturer in Social Entrepreneurship with over a decade of experience in entrepreneurship education, research, and programme leadership. She holds a PhD in Entrepreneurship from Anglia Ruskin University, where her research examined social venture incubation and the development of social enterprises. Prior to joining The Open University, she was a Lecturer in Entrepreneurship at the University of Brighton and Anglia Ruskin University, and has also worked within the social enterprise support sector through the Cambridge Social Ventures programme. 

Irina's research focuses on social entrepreneurship, social venture incubation, entrepreneurial learning, and organisational change. Her work has been published in leading journals, including Organization Studies, and she collaborates internationally with researchers across Europe and beyond. 

She is passionate about innovative and inclusive approaches to entrepreneurship education, particularly experiential and team-based learning. Alongside her teaching and research, she supervises doctoral students, serves as an external examiner, and contributes to the development of entrepreneurship education through international networks and collaborations.