Vander Putten’s work predominantly includes research on higher education—currently, for example, the topic of studying with disabilities. Therefore, it was the NEPS starting cohorts of students in higher education and of ninth graders at the threshold towards tertiary education in particular that were at the center of the conversation. Kerstin Hoenig, Operational Manager of the Operative Unit concerning “Social Inequality and Educational Decisions Across the Life Course” related her work focus in detail and her expertise was of special interest to Dr. Vander Putten. Then a lively discussion ensued on the respective features of the higher education systems in both Germany and the USA, and the particular research question connected with them.
At the end of the conversation, the collective wish towards future cooperation was emphasized. In this context, Dr. Daniel Fuß, Operational Manager of the Research Data Center LIfBi, gave a brief overview of the different ways of accessing NEPS data.