Welcome

In the conference ”Genes, Social Mobility, and Inequalities across the Life-Course” we discussed how genetic endowments and childhood circumstances shape health and socio-economic outcomes of individuals. Furthermore, we assessed the scope for public policy to level the playing field.

Keynote lectures were delivered by Paige Harden (Professor of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin) and Pia Pinger (Professor of Economics, University of Cologne).

In addition to scientific presentations by junior and senior researchers from various countries, two panel discussions built a bridge between academic research and policymaking.

In the panel session “Social Mobility and Equality of Opportunity: An International Comparison”, we discussed international evidence on social mobility in different countries, as well as the relevance of different policy areas to level the playing field.

In the panel session “Equality of Opportunity: A Conversation on the Role of Socioeconomic and Genetic Factors”, we discussed the ethics and implications of increasingly available genetic data for policies that seek to achieve equality of opportunity in education and labor market outcomes.