March 2025
In Europe, Higher Education remains a privilege – and it’s not just about class
Achieving equal educational opportunities for all in Europe remains a complex challenge. Recent research conducted at the Mapineq project sheds light on the interplay of social, economic, and geographical factors influencing access to higher education.
March 2025
Supporting older workers in economic downturns: The role of labour market policies
Economic fluctuations have profound effects on older workers’ employment prospects. As economies face downturns, older workers often find themselves at a crossroads: some are pushed out of the labour market due to reduced job opportunities, while others delay retirement to recover lost savings. Understanding how labour market policies can mitigate these challenges is crucial for ensuring economic security and stability among workers aged 50 to 64.
March 2025
How COVID-19 reshaped educational gaps between rural and urban areas
New research examines how the pandemic widened—or, in some cases, reduced—educational disparities between urban, town, and rural students across OECD countries.
January 2025
Genetics, childhood aspirations and family background work together to shape later occupational status, careers and health
A study of occupational status published in Nature Human Behaviour identifies 106 genetic variants, the importance of the interplay of genetics and family environment, childhood educational and occupational aspirations, and differences across the life course and links to health.
January 2025
Better air, better grades: Why Madrid’s Low Emission Zones should be reinforced, not reversed
Does cleaner air improve student performance? A new study on Madrid’s low emission zone finds better air quality led to higher exam scores, but the recent rollback of the policy raises questions about what’s next.
January 2025
Growing up in change: How family shifts influence children’s education outcomes
How do changes in human capital inside households, like parents pursuing new degrees or family shifts like divorce or the loss of a parent shape children’s education outcomes? Finnish researchers reveal that fluctuations in household human capital often fail to enhance children’s educational prospects.
January 2025
Moving between jobs: Occupational mobility in prime age across Europe
A study on occupational mobility in 22 European countries reveals major differences in job stability, influenced by country, gender, health, and income.
December 2024
The genetic basis of fertility, family and longevity
Published in Nature Aging, a new review by researchers from Oxford Population Health and the University of Iceland reveals how DNA shapes reproductive health, fertility, and even life expectancy.
November 2024
The role of local economic resources in shaping living standards across EU regions
Broader, structural factors such as national policies or deeply embedded regional characteristics may influence living standards more strongly than local variables like education or labour market conditions.
November 2024
The road to resilience for young Europeans: Supporting better careers and well-being
By adopting an integrated policy approach that views health, education, family support, and economic stability as interconnected, Europe can forge a future where young people thrive.
November 2024
Rethinking biobanks: The power of family sampling
In a recent Perspective article published in Nature, we – a team of researchers from the UK, USA, Norway, Australia, and the Netherlands – propose a new approach to genetic research that focuses on family-based sampling.
October 2024
No passport, more pollution: Why citizenship means environmental privilege in German cities
A new study finds: Non-nationals who live in German cities are exposed to more air pollution and have less access to green spaces than nationals. Income level does not seem to factor into this. But there is a third variable which correlates: anti-foreigner sentiment.
October 2024
Why social mobility needs more than good grades
Education remains a key tool for social mobility, especially for lower-class students, and policies like scholarships and academic support programs are crucial. Yet, it’s unrealistic to think education alone can fix inequality.
October 2024
Family policies and fertility: National strategies and their impact
The study by Sehar Ezdi, Elina Kilpi-Jakonen, Heta Pöyliö, and Jani Erola from the University of Turku examines the impact of family policies on childbearing in Finland, Germany, and the UK, revealing that their effectiveness varies depending on the national context.
June 2024
Air pollution affects students’ school performance unequally
In this article, Fabrizio Bernardi and Risto Conte Keivabu investigate the effect of exposure to particulate matter (PM2.5) at schools on students’ test scores in Italy.
May 2024
The hidden talent pool: Empowering low-qualified persons in the EU labour market
The study by Jan Paul Heisig, Carla Hornberg, and Heike Solga highlights that focusing on workplaces and innovative human resource strategies is essential to improving job opportunities for low-qualified workers.
March 2024
How policy and science can work towards a rich data landscape in Europe
Even when respecting legitimate privacy concerns, the accessibility and use of register data for research purposes could be fundamentally improved in Europe.
