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
September 10, 2026
Ah-Reum Lee, University of Southern California
Title: Intergenerational returns to schooling on parents’ survival: Cross-national evidence on adult children’s education from Mexico, South Korea, United States, and Europe
Abstract: A growing literature points to intergenerational health spillovers from children’s education, but the magnitude of returns and cross-national variation remain unclear. We assess whether associations between children’s education and parental mortality are robust and comparable across settings.
We analyzed harmonized longitudinal data on 57,703 older adults from Mexico (MHAS, 2003-2018), South Korea (KLoSA, 2006-2018), the United States (HRS, 2006-2018), and 15 European countries (SHARE, 2006-2017). Within each study, Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate all-cause parental mortality as a function of children’s education (years of schooling, college completion), with stratification by parent and child gender. Results were pooled via random-effects meta-analysis. We also explored moderation by macro-level indicators of social protection, long-term care capacity, and healthcare burden.
Across settings, higher child education was associated with lower parental mortality, though magnitudes varied by context and measurement. Pooled across studies, each additional year of schooling was linked to a 3% lower mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.97; 95% CI: 0.96, 0.99), with associations strongest in the U.S., moderate in Mexico, and weak or null in South Korea and Europe. By college completion, the strongest associations appeared in South Korea, indicating a credential effect. Patterns were similar for mothers and fathers. Exploratory contextual analyses suggested stronger associations in settings with greater household burden or weaker social protection.
Findings underscore education as a long-term investment with benefits extending to older generations. Future studies should incorporate richer, consistently measured intergenerational transfers and caregiving to clarify the mechanisms.
October 8, 2026
Whitney Wells, University of California San Francisco
Title: The relationship between free preschool and parents’ wellbeing: Quasi-experimental evidence based on variation in generosity of US state-funded preschool programs
Abstract: The US has the highest childcare costs relative to parents’ wages in the world. The time and financial pressures of childcare can increase stress and prevent parents from participating in healthy behaviors, especially for parents with fewer resources. Some states have enacted policies to provide state-funded preschool, but the level of provision varies widely. We examined whether the presence and generosity of free state-funded preschool affect the sleep, physical activity, and psychological distress of parents with a preschool-aged child (4 to 5 years old).
Our sample consisted of the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) 2001-2018 waves including adult respondents with a preschool-aged child (~N=15k). We linked participants to annual state-level data on state-funded preschool from the National Institute for Early Education Research. Preschool measures included enrollment level, funding, and quality benchmarks, which we aggregated into an index of preschool policy generosity. We accounted for co-occurring policies, individual and state-level covariates, and state and year fixed effects. We examined effect modification by sex, partnership status, family income, and race and ethnicity.
Preschool generosity was associated with physical activity but not sleep or distress at an overall level. Higher generosity was linked with a significant increase in the odds of meeting physical activity guidelines. We found evidence of effect modification for psychological distress; higher preschool generosity was linked to a significant decrease in psychological distress among low-income women and Black women.
State-level preschool access policies may help parents achieve physical activity guidelines, an important determinant of cardiovascular health. At a time when many families are struggling to make ends meet, this research can inform preschool access policies in the US.
November 12, 2026
Andrés Hojman, Pontificia Católica Universidad de Chile
Title: Public Preschool Education and Adult Outcomes: Evidence from a Four-Decade Follow-Up
Abstract: To be announced
December 3, 2026
To be announced
Thank you to those who have already presented:
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
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
April 9, 2026
Léa Cimelli, French Institute for Demographic Studies
Title: The impact of reducing early school tracking on health in mid-life
May 14, 2026
Stella Tsoli, London School of Economics and Political Science
Title: The long-term effects of expanding access to secondary education on biological ageing