Ilze Plavgo, Prof. Dr.
University of Mannheim
Welcome!
I am a quantitative researcher working on inequality, poverty, and social policy. My research themes include inequality of educational and labour market opportunities, monetary and multidimensional poverty, and social policy effects on life course transitions. The geographic focus of my research is on Europe and Africa.
Since August 2023, I am Junior Professor of Sociology of the Welfare State at the University of Mannheim. I carry out research and teach seminars in Bachelor and Master programmes on social stratification, life-course sociology, social and labour market inequalities, and contemporary welfare state change and challenges.
Between 2020 and 2023, I was a post-doctoral Research Fellow at the European University Institute (EUI), working in the project WellSIRe (Wellbeing Returns on Social Investment Recalibration). Within this research project, I studied the potential of social investment policies to smoothen life-course transitions and reduce poverty and social inequalities in Europe.
Before joining the academia, I worked as a researcher and policy analyst at the UNICEF Office of Research (2011-2014) and at the Economic Policy Research Institute (2015-2016) where I carried out research on the measurement and analysis of child poverty and social policy. My work involved leading regional and national workshops on poverty measurement for UNICEF regional and country offices and local partners.
In addition to academic research, I write opinion articles to the media, and engage in research and training with governmental institutions and international organizations, among other activities. You can find my full CV below.
Junior Professor, Sociology of the Welfare State
Research Fellow in the WellSIRe project - Wellbeing Returns on Social Investment Recalibration in Europe.
Ph.D. in Political and Social Sciences (4-year full-time fully funded doctoral programme). Thesis: Trends and determinants of intergenerational educational inequality in sub-Saharan Africa.
Visiting scholar at the Research for Equitable Access and Learning (REAL) Centre, Faculty of Education. Research focus: social stratification in education in Ethiopia using Young Lives and RISE longitudinal data.
Social Policy Consultant. Research projects: social protection and child poverty analyses in Morocco, Algeria, and Kenya.
Social and Economic Policy Consultant. Research projects: measurement and analysis of multidimensional child poverty; technical support to UNICEF country and regional offices; social protection evaluation.
MSc in Public Policy and Human Development. Specialization: Social Policy Design. Thesis: Evaluation of the ‘Placement for Training’ Unemployment Reduction Programme in Mauritius.
MA joint honours in European Studies and International Relations (First class honours). Thesis: What are the obstacles for effective cooperation between the EU and Russia?
Erasmus exchange at the Faculty of Law. University diploma received: Administration et Politique Internationales.