The education policy seminar series will take place on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 8:00 AM US Pacific Time / 11:00 AM US Eastern Time / 5:00 PM Central European Time.
The Gateway to Global Aging Data is organizing a monthly virtual seminar series on education policy. The series is led by Dave Knapp (University of Southern California) and Mauricio Avendano (University of Lausanne). The goal of the series is to foster conversations and exchange ideas between the Gateway education team, its collaborators, and outside researchers working in this growing field. Presentations will typically feature in-progress work, and active discussion is encouraged.
Participants must register to receive seminar announcements and meeting links. To register, please submit the form with your email here. Emails will be limited to seminar announcements, and you may unsubscribe at any time.
Upcoming Presentations
January 8, 2026
Clémence Kieny, University of Lausanne Unisanté
Title: The Long-Run Impact of Primary Education on Women’s Late-Life Cognitive Function in India
Abstract: During the 20th Century, women in India faced limited access to education, reflecting broader gender disparities in educational opportunities. By mandating school attendance for all children up to a set age, compulsory schooling laws are widely credited with substantially improving educational access for girls. Using novel data on historical compulsory schooling laws across India, this study examines the long-term impact of primary education on cognitive function in later life among older women from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in India. We leverage data from the first wave of the Longitudinal Ageing Study in India (LASI) (2017–2021) and use an instrumental variable approach to analyze the effects of compulsory schooling reforms. Our findings suggest that compulsory school laws increased schooling duration, which in turn significantly enhanced long-term cognitive function. These results underscore the critical role of primary education in preventing cognitive decline, and the urgent need to address gender disparities in access.
February 12, 2026
Emilie Courtin, London School of Economics and Political Science
March 12, 2026
Ariane Bertogg, University of Konstanz
Title: Unequal Impacts of Societal Transformation? Germany’s Division and Reunification and Gender and Educational Gradients in Later Life Cognitive Health
Abstract: Germany’s division into the East (GDR) and West (FRG) in 1946, and reunification in 1989, had lasting impacts. More than a decade after reunification, East German men exhibited lower life expectancy and physical health than West German men, while for women, life expectancy converged, reflecting general differences between West European and post-socialist states. With regard to mental health, East-West gaps are less clear cut. Recent research has turned to the lasting effects of the East German childcare and schooling system, including intergenerational transmission of (dis)advantage across reunification.
What remains unclear are the long-term cognitive consequences of exposure to such different political regimes, especially since longer schooling and a less-stratified educational system such as in the GDR is usually associated with greater cognitive skills. In light of recent debates about a “cognitive footprint” of policies, studying East-West differences in later life trajectories of cognitive aging seems promising. Exploring the division and reunification as a quasi-natural experiment offers new insights into how system changes and policy dynamics may shape a crucial resource for economic and societal participation. Since this becomes particularly relevant in ageing societies, as cognitive functioning enables older adults’ independence and improves quality of life in later life, we ask:
Based on eight waves from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE, 2004-2020), we investigate cognitive trajectories of adults aged 50 or older, who experienced reunification between ages 18 and 60, using three standardized tests (memory, verbal fluency, orientation in time). We apply random effects growth curve models, which allow us to estimate individual trajectories of cognitive ageing while using both time-stable and time-varying characteristics to explain such trajectories. Counter to earlier studies documenting a general health disadvantage for East Germans, we find that those socialized in the GDR generally perform better in memory, verbal fluency, and orientation. Cognitive advantages are driven by individuals with intermediate and higher education. Gender differences in cognitive trajectories are more pronounced in West Germany than in East Germany, with a (slight) advantage for women on memory and verbal fluency, but not orientation. Our findings contribute to understanding how political regimes shape trajectories of aging, and highlight the long-term effects of sociopolitical contexts cognitive skill development and retention across the life course.
April 9, 2026
Stella Tsoli, London School of Economics and Political Science
May 14, 2026
To be announced