The goal of the RISIS Research Seminars is to foster the exchange of ideas within and outside RISIS community. In each seminar, scholars and practitioners present and discuss their ongoing research. Seminars promote communication among scholars at a critical stage of their research on a shared topic.
The seminars should involve a broad scholarly audience in science policy, higher education and innovation. To improve the effectiveness of the seminars, a discussant from the scientific community is involved.
Seminar general outline
Seminars are dedicated to the presentation and discussion of ongoing quantitative research by researchers and practitioners addressing topics relevant to the field. Use of quantitative data, including those from the RISIS datasets and from the European Higher Education Sector Observatory, is encouraged.
Be a presenter
If you are interested in presenting your work in the RISIS Research Seminars, please contact Georg Zahradnik.
RISIS Seminar #54
Title: Family instability and access to higher education in Europe: what policies help? Evidence from EU-SILC
Date: 11 March 2026
Presenter: Kristina Lindemann , University of Edinburgh
Discussant: Baranowska-Rataj, Center for Demographic and Ageing Research (CEDAR), Umea University, Sweden
Chair: Benedetto Lepori, AIT Austrian Institute of Technology/Università della Svizzera italiana, Lugano
Abstract: Using EU-SILC survey data for 25 European countries, this talk asks whether public policies can reduce gaps in tertiary education linked to family structure. I compare young adults from two-parent families with those whose parents separated and those who lost a parent, and relate these differences to two policy areas: (1) benefits for single parents and (2) financial support for tertiary students. Results from multilevel regression models point to student aid as the key lever: where student support is more generous, the gap for youth from separated families is smaller, especially in low- and middle-SES households.
EHESO Seminar
This online research seminar presents recent quantitative research on graduate employability and skill demand in European labour markets, with direct relevance for higher education systems, institutions, and policy. The seminar is organised with the involvement of the EHESO user group on graduate tracking data, which brings together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners working on the analysis and use of graduate outcomes data in Europe.
Title: Employability skills and jobs for graduates: learning from job advertisements
Date: 18 March 2026, 12:30 p.m. - 14:00 p.m. (CET)
Presenter: Fatima Suleman, University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE-IUL), DINAMIA’CET
Discussant: Andrea Kottmann, University of Twente, KiTeS
Chair: Frans Kaiser, University of Twente, KiTeS
Abstract: We use 2 812 online job advertisements from 21 European countries to identify attributes demanded by employers and explore economic and labour market characteristics associated with the set of required skills. Whereas some employers clearly target ready-to-work candidates for high skilled occupations, others do not even specify skill requirements. The latter are from countries that are moderate or modest innovators with varying levels of high-tech employment activities, a high level of youth unemployment and a low job vacancy rate. The findings suggest employers have raised hiring criteria and have therefore contributed to credential inflation.
