Ivan has extensive international teaching experience across multiple universities. At UTS, he leads the development of generative AI training for higher degree research students, including the flagship course "Getting Started with Generative AI in Research", designed to help PhD students navigate the opportunities and challenges of AI integration in academic work.

Previously, he taught a range of computational and data science courses at leading institutions including the University of Mannheim, RWTH Aachen, Higher School of Economics, and University of Paris. His teaching included courses in Scientific Programming, Social Data Science, and Big Data and Machine Learning, consistently receiving strong student feedback – including a best course award at HSE for his pioneering Introduction to Computational Social Science course.

Dr. Smirnov's commitment to education extends beyond traditional classroom settings. He has twice co-organized and taught at the Summer Institute in Computational Social Science (in Moscow and Aachen), demonstrating his dedication to building international educational communities. His teaching approach combines technical rigor with real-world applications, particularly focusing on the ethical and societal implications of emerging technologies, which aligns with his current research on GenAI's impact in higher education.