Sociologist of education · Researcher · Education and skills policy expert
Piotr Mikiewicz is an associate professor at DSW University IDEIS in Wrocław, Poland, and heads its research team in the sociology of education and education policy. His work connects sociological research on education with the design and evaluation of public policy, from educational inequality to skills systems and lifelong learning.
Current focus and policy expertise
His current work focuses on skills policy, cooperation between education, employers and public administration, regional coordination mechanisms, vocational education and training, higher education, and the use of research evidence in policy decisions. He has worked with regional and national institutions on the implementation of Poland’s Integrated Skills Strategy 2030 and on knowledge infrastructure supporting public decision-making.
International and institutional experience
He served on governance bodies for the OECD PISA and PIAAC international assessments (2016–2024) and has contributed to the OECD PISA VET expert group. As a European Commission expert, he evaluates research proposals, including within Horizon Europe. He previously served as Deputy Director of Poland’s Educational Research Institute (IBE), with responsibilities in research and implementation, and supported regional skills policy coordination in Lower Silesia.
Research
His academic research examines the reproduction of social inequalities through education, educational aspirations and pathways, social capital, school culture, and the institutional mechanisms of schooling. A recurring question in his work is how the conceptual framing of educational problems shapes research, diagnosis and public policy.
Selected books
Mikiewicz, P., Jurczak-Morris, M. (2023). Will Schooling Ever Change? School Culture, Distance Learning and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Routledge.
Mikiewicz, P. (2016). Socjologia edukacji. Teorie, koncepcje, pojęcia. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
Mikiewicz, P. (2014). Kapitał społeczny i edukacja. Perspektywy teoretyczne i aplikacje empiryczne. Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Naukowe PWN.
About this website
This is an independent platform for commentary, analysis and the Policy Briefs — Education · Skills · Public Policy series. Views and recommendations expressed here are the author’s own and do not represent the official positions of affiliated institutions unless explicitly stated.
