Patrik Scheinin is a Professor of Education (PhD) and the dean of the Faculty of Behavioural Sciences at the University of Helsinki. He is chair of the Finnish Matriculation Examination Board and of the Board of the Helsinki Collegium for Advanced Studies, among other duties.

Scheinin is a founding member of the Centre for Educational Assessment at the University of Helsinki, and has taken part in the Finnish PISA Project, and has been scientific expert for projects of the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, the Finnish National Board of Education, as well in Sweden and Hungary. He has acted as expert and referee for many international and national universities, scientific journals, foundations, organizations, and conferences.

His research interests are learning and cognitive abilities, self-concept and self-esteem, their structure and development, as well as research methodology, educational assessment and evaluation research.