CEP announces Economics of Education Research Centre partnership
A new Economics of Education Research Centre (EERC) bringing together researchers from LSE, University College London (UCL) and the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), is being established to strengthen the evidence base supporting education and skills policymaking.
The Department for Education (DfE) has awarded close to £3 million to the new research centre, which will create opportunities for policymakers and academics to work together on some of the most pressing challenges facing the education system in the UK today.
The centre will be jointly led by Professor Lindsey Macmillan from UCL’s Centre for Education Policy and Equalising Opportunities (CEPEO), Professor Sandra McNally from the Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) at LSE and the University of Surrey and Christine Farquharson from the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
The EERC will initially run until March 2028. During this period, researchers and the DfE will jointly develop a programme of work focused on generating new evidence and methodological tools to assess the impact and value of education and skills policies, including their wider social and economic benefits.
The centre’s work comes at a pivotal moment for education policy following major new government strategies in areas including early years education, special educational needs and disabilities and post-16 education. The research will also support policymaking around long-term challenges such as meeting future skills needs and understanding how AI may shape learning and education.
Professor McNally, director of CEP’s education programme, commented: "Education economists examine how resources, regulation and policies shape outcomes for learners – and thus for society. They explore the causal effects of education and skills on income, social mobility and wellbeing. This centre provides a great opportunity to help facilitate evidence-informed policy making. I look forward to working towards this goal with many others in our organisations and beyond.”