Alina Shirshikova successfully defends thesis

On Wednesday, October 23, Alina Shirshikova successfully defended her thesis on

Paths to Opportunity: Navigating Mobility-related Barriers in Access to Education and Labor Market

This thesis explores how reducing barriers to education and the labor market can improve access and employment outcomes. It consists of three studies, each examining different types of barriers. The first study focuses on the impact of building local universities in Egypt, showing that better access to higher education significantly increased university graduation rates and job participation, especially for women, while also boosting their social empowerment. The second study investigates cultural barriers, revealing that social skills can reduce ethnic discrimination in the German apprenticeship market, though Middle-Eastern applicants continue to face challenges. The final study looks at institutional barriers, showing that increased access to temporary foreign workers in Germany can lower local employment opportunities. 

Supervisor: Prof. dr. Frank Cörvers
Co-supervisors: Prof. dr. Raymond Montizaan, Prof. dr. Harald Pfeifer

Click here to read the full thesis