Heike Solga

Professor Heike Solga is a leading academic in sociology and education, holding a professorship in Sociology at Freie Universität Berlin and serving as Director of the research unit 'Skill Formation and Labor Markets' at the WZB – Berlin Social Science Center. She was hosted as a Bath Global Chair (2020–2021) by the University of Bath, collaborating with the Departments of Education and Social & Policy Sciences, and the Institute for Policy Research, strengthening international research ties in social justice and education policy.

Her research centers on educational disadvantage, vocational training, and inequality in higher education admissions in Germany, with strong implications for labor market outcomes and social mobility. She explores the trajectories of marginalized populations and contributes to policy debates on widening participation and educational reform. Her expertise aligns closely with interdisciplinary, quantitative, and experimental approaches in social science research.

Professor Solga’s recent work has focused on education inequality, particularly around university admissions in Germany, and she actively promotes training for doctoral students and early-career researchers in innovative research methodologies. Her international collaborations, especially with the WZB and the University of Bath, highlight her influence in shaping accountable and evidence-based education and social policy.

She is affiliated with key research centers including the WZB Berlin Social Science Center and the Centre for the Analysis of Social Policy and Society (CASPS). Her work contributes to broader discussions on labor markets, social policy, and the reconfiguration of education systems in post-pandemic Europe.

• Director, Skill Formation and Labor Markets, WZB – Berlin Social Science Center
• Professor of Sociology, Freie Universität Berlin
• Bath Global Chair (2020–2021)
• Collaborative research with Institute for Policy Research (IPR), University of Bath