Member spotlight

Multiple generations of researchers hit the world stage

26 June 2018

This article was originally published in October 2016.

Two Life Course Centre PhD students joined senior researchers to present two symposia at the 2016 Society for Longitudinal and Life Course Studies (SLLS) International Conference in early October.

The event, which was built around the theme Education and the Life Course: Determinants and Consequences of Unequal Educational Opportunities, provided LCC staff and students the opportunity to showcase their work in this area to a global audience.

The conference covered the key themes of longitudinal and life course research, such as physical, psychological, social developmental and ageing processes and functioning from infancy to old age.

LCC representatives who presented at the event include Centre Director, Prof Janeen Baxter; Research Fellows, Dr Jack Lam, Dr Jenny Povey, Daniel Christensen; and PhD students, Kirsten Hancock and Francis Mitrou.

They discussed recent research into topics such as the transferal of educational attainment and inequality across generations; the impact of grandparental contact with grandchildren in regards to academic outcomes; the concurrent risks for school achievement; the impact of upward and downward school mobility on literacy and numeracy over time; and the persistence of Indigenous disadvantage.

With such a diverse group of researchers at a range of stages in their careers, this symposium demonstrates the LCC’s commitment to mentoring early career researchers and providing opportunities for development. Experienced researchers were on-hand to support early career researchers, offering advice and guidance on presenting research topics to large audiences.

The conference was also a terrific opportunity for LCC to build and expand its reputation internationally, and for each of the researchers to forge new relationships and develop their professional networks.

This year’s SLLS conference took place in Bamberg, Germany from 6-8 October.