Remember all the talk during Covid about the ‘new normal’? It seems that this year really has seen the embedding of it, with hybrid working in many (but not most) workplaces. IER is one of those workplaces, where staff now typically work 2-3 days each week in the office. In the past I worked most days in the office when not in London. I confess to not missing the daily commute on those days when I now work at home. On the other hand, I feel that I’m losing out on the important daily informal interactions with my colleagues in IER.

In 2013-16, the European Commission, concerned by regional skills gaps, increasing graduate geographical mobility across national boundaries and incompatibilities in the administrative data resources and graduate tracking measures in member countries, launched the Eurograduate Feasibility study, to explore how sustainable monitoring of mobility among Europe's higher education graduates could be established.

In November, Director of IER, Chris Warhurst presented at a string of events on:

• ‘Mapping the Good Work policy terrain’ to the Department of Business & Trade;
• ‘Good Work and Productivity’ to a Productivity Institute event held at Warwick Business School as part of the Productivity Week; and
• ‘Industry 5.0’ at the Digital Manufacturing Conference held in Cambridge.

The ESRC funded Buying Social Justice through Procurement project of which Dr E.K. Sarter is a Co-Investigator published its final report. Based on mixed-method research, the report sheds light on the policy framework and the inclusion of equality objectives in public procurement in England, Scotland and Wales and identifies barriers to and enablers of socially responsible public procurement.

Sangwoo joined IER in October. An economist and educationalist by background Sangwoo uses quantitative methods to understand issues in higher education and the labour market mainly in developed countries.

His research interests include inequalities in higher education and the labour market, with a particular focus on the role of higher education in intergenerational mobility and the importance of job quality in general wellbeing and as graduates’ labour market outcomes. He previously worked at the University of Cambridge and UCL Institute of Education.