In recent years, educational inequalities have become more pronounced, particularly affecting young people from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds, who are often more at risk of dropping out of school. The COVID-19 pandemic has increased these difficulties, making it even more urgent to adopt effective policies to ensure equal opportunities in access to and progression in education.

In response to this challenge, BRIDGE, a research project aimed at improving participation and completion of secondary and tertiary education, has been launched to analyse school systems, teaching methods and socio-economic factors influencing educational pathways, with the aim of understanding the causes of inequalities and assessing the impact of education policies on young people's educational outcomes and employment prospects. The project will provide concrete recommendations to guide educational choices, mitigate the effects of the pandemic crisis and promote international mobility of students and graduates.

BRIDGE will be of duration of four years and is funded by the European Commission under the Horizon Europe programme. The project is being developed by a multidisciplinary consortium of five European universities and one non-governmental organisation. They are KU Leuven (Belgium), Maastricht University (Netherlands), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), Brunel University of London (UK), Estonian Business School (Estonia) and Schoolmakers.

The POLIMI team, led by Professor Tommaso Agasisti, includes Professor Melisa Diaz Lema and researcher Lidia Rossi from the Department of Management Engineering (DIG). The group's contribution will be fundamental in the analysis of education systems and policies, providing useful tools to make education more equitable, inclusive and able to meet the challenges of the future.