Dr. Nicolai Netz

Every year, substantial numbers of students become internationally mobile. Although international experiences are often promoted as benefitting graduates’ career development, until recently there had been little sound research examining whether different types of student mobility pay off in the labour market. Against this background, this policy brief summarises available evidence on the labour market outcomes SMS and SMI. It also develops ideas on how policymakers can contribute to enhancing the outcomes of these types of ISM for students, higher education institutions, and employers.

We contribute to research on social inequalities in educational attainment by examining the role of institutional contexts for students’ study abroad (SA) intent and participation. First, we examine social inequalities in SA choice by extending the individual-level rational choice model into a multi-level framework that emphasizes the importance of context effects. Second, using unique micro-level student data (N=18,510, nested in 69 universities across Japan) supplemented with context data, we empirically examine how university contexts shape inequalities in SA choice according to students’ socioeconomic status (SES). In doing so, we provide the first in-depth multi-level analysis of SA in Japan.

Considering the increased emphasis on inclusion in Erasmus+, this policy brief aims to explore the profile of Erasmus+ students and the obstacles they face when going abroad. It draws particular attention to students’ socio-economic background, gender, and disability status. Our analysis shows that although steps have been taken towards more inclusion and diversity of Erasmus+ participants, study abroad opportunities are still not equally accessible to all students. Therefore, we formulate five recommendations for higher education institutions, national agencies, and the European Commission with a view of making international student mobility more inclusive.

Während weitgehend bekannt ist, welche Kriterien den Zugang zu einer Universitätsprofessur beeinflussen, wurde bislang nicht systematisch untersucht, wie sich die Signalkraft akademischer Leistungen nach Fachdisziplinen unterscheidet. Wir argumentieren, dass die Signalkraft akademischer Leistungen von der disziplinspezifischen Standardisierung des Forschungsprozesses sowie der raumzeitlichen Universalität der Forschungsgegenstände abhängt. Mithilfe eines faktoriellen Surveyexperiments unter Professorinnen und Professoren der Germanistik, ausgewählter Sozialwissenschaften und der Chemie untersuchen wir die eingeschätzte Eignung von fiktiven Kandidatinnen und Kandidaten für eine unbefristete Professur.

Recent evidence suggests that women are more likely to be selected for professorships when they apply. This female advantage may be partly due to the widely promoted gender-equality policy of having a substantial female quota in selection committees. Yet, research has rarely considered whether male and female committee members evaluate applicants for professorships differently. We address this research gap based on a large factorial survey experiment with German university professors from different disciplines. We asked these professors to rate how qualified hypothetical applicants are for full professorships and the likelihood of inviting these applicants for a job interview.

Integrating research on school-to-work transitions, international migration, and social inequality, this article investigates the social stratification of international school-to-work transitions and their payoff. Existing research shows that spatial mobility can amplify social inequalities both through social selectivity in access to mobility and through heterogeneity in its labor market outcomes. Building on these findings, we investigate the social selectivity of international school-to-work transitions (ISWT) and the wage difference between ISWT and national school-to-work transitions (NSWT) among graduates from higher education institutions in Germany.

Studierende mit Beeinträchtigung stehen im Studium oft vor besonderen Herausforderungen. Im Zuge der Corona-Pandemie haben sich ihre Studienbedingungen nochmals erschwert. Welche Auswirkungen hatte das auf das Abbruchrisiko dieser Studierendengruppe?

Der Beitrag illustriert Konstruktionsprinzipien, Potenziale und Fallstricke von Vignettenexperimenten anhand eines faktoriellen Surveyexperiments zur Bedeutung soziodemografscher und meritokratischer Merkmale beim Zugang zur Professur. Im Rahmen des Surveyexperiments wurden alle Universitätsprofessor*innen der Germanistik, Soziologie, Politikwissenschaft, Geographie und Chemie in Deutschland eingeladen, Vignettenprofile hypothetischer Wissenschaftler*innen auf ihre Eignung für unbefristete Professuren hin zu beurteilen. Anhand dieser Beispielanwendung veranschaulicht der Beitrag die Möglichkeiten und Grenzen von Vignettenexperimenten mit Blick auf die Validität der erzielten Ergebnisse.

Das vorgestellte Literaturreview fasst die Ergebnisse von Studien zum Einfluss studienbezogener Auslandsmobilität auf das Arbeitseinkommen von Hochschulabsolventinnen und -absolventen zusammen. Es zeigt, dass studienbezogene Auslandserfahrung in vielen Beschäftigungskontexten und Ländern einen moderaten positiven Einfluss auf das Arbeitseinkommen hat. Dieser variiert jedoch nach den jeweils betrachteten Absolventengruppen, Beschäftigungskontexten und Arten von Auslandsaufenthalten. Erklären lassen sich die beobachteten Einkommenseffekte vor allem dadurch, dass auslandserfahrene Absolventinnen und Absolventen häufiger gewinnbringend den Arbeitgeber wechseln und besseren Zugang zu gut zahlenden großen und multinationalen Arbeitgebern haben.

In many Western countries, women are more likely to study abroad than men. At present, there is a lack of theory-guided empirical studies searching explanations for this pattern. We address this research gap by examining gender differences in study abroad intent among first-semester students in Germany. To derive a comprehensive theoretical framework, we draw on social role theory of sex differences, cognitive development theory, new home economics and statistical discrimination theory. Using data from the nationally representative 2010 DZHW School Leavers Survey, we test our hypotheses by estimating logistic regressions and non-linear effect decompositions.

This editorial to the special issue on heterogeneous effects of studying abroad starts with a review of studies on the determinants and individual-level effects of studying abroad. On that basis, it illustrates the necessity to place more emphasis on effect heterogeneity in research on international student mobility. It then develops a typology of heterogeneous effects of studying abroad, which shall function as an agenda for future research in the field. Thereafter, the editorial introduces the contributions to the special issue. It concludes by summarising major findings and directions for future research.

Studying abroad can positively influence students’ personality development, transversal skills, and labour market outcomes. At the same time, students from a high social origin are more likely to study abroad than students from a low social origin. Against this background, recent research has suggested that international student mobility (ISM) may foster the reproduction of social inequality. However, this assumption has hardly been tested empirically. Drawing on social stratification theory, we first demonstrate that a scenario in which ISM increases social inequality (cumulative advantage) is as plausible as a scenario in which it decreases social inequality (compensatory levelling).

In this article, we review quantitative studies that empirically examine whether studying abroad influences graduates’ wages. Our review suggests that studying abroad has a moderate positive effect on graduates’ early-career wages in various national and institutional settings. However, this effect tends to vary across groups of graduates, employment contexts, and types of stays abroad. Employer change, access to large and multinational companies, and access to high-wage labor markets abroad appear to be the most relevant mechanisms mediating the effect of studying abroad on wages. Other mechanisms, such as improved language skills and a greater tendency to pursue further education, turn out to be less relevant.