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The project’s primary objective is to investigate the intangible barriers to entry into academic careers in higher education associated with class background. In doing so, it makes a case for safeguarding meritocracy within academic career pipelines. It also seeks to identify policy solutions by advocating support for the professional development of academics from disadvantaged social backgrounds. 

A substantial body of recent literature demonstrates persistent inequalities in higher education, showing that access and advancement are more difficult for first-generation individuals (i.e., those who are the first in their families to enter higher education) and those from working-class backgrounds (i.e., families in which non-academic career paths are the norm and parents are engaged in manual labor).

Based on a representative survey, MISO-CEE analyses class backgrounds and career inequalities in Central and Eastern Europe, adapts key concepts to regional contexts, and informs inclusive policy development. 

The MISO-CEE project replicates the American Sociological Association’s survey on first-generation and working-class academics (2022) in V4 countries, focusing on career pipelines and occupational mobility inequalities. While “first-generation” is increasingly used in CEE, “working-class” is conceptually more complex and requires careful cultural translation. The American study found that first-gen faculty are "28.6% less likely to be employed in a top-20 department, compared to their continuing education peers, and 14.7% less likely in a top-50 department” (ASA 2022: 9). Prior research therefore indicates that first-generation and working-class academics are more likely to experience economic precarity, limited professional visibility, and social isolation within academic departments and professional networks.

Quantitative data on these inequalities in the region are scarce, and no reliable statistics exist on the representation of first-generation or working-class academics. However, qualitative studies from Poland and Hungary, consistent with research from Western Europe and North America, point to significant career barriers associated with class background.

In each V4 country (CZ, HU, PL, SK), we will deploy survey modules uniquely customized to fit the national context. The comparative analysis will account for disciplinary variation across V4 higher education systems, with particular attention to sociology as a potential proxy for broader patterns of exclusion. 

There are currently very few structured initiatives supporting first-generation and working-class academics at universities and academies of sciences in CEE. The project’s recommendations will address teaching, research, and service—areas in which class-based disparities are particularly visible—while also recognizing the potential contribution of working-class perspectives to pedagogical practice.

Such initiatives are particularly needed because, although many V4 universities have implemented Gender Equality Plans, class-based inequalities remain largely unrecognized and insufficiently addressed. Our findings will therefore inform targeted policy recommendations, including institutional guidelines and practical toolkits for universities. While the distinct historical and cultural contexts of the V4 countries limit the direct transfer of policies across national settings, comparative analysis can identify shared barriers faced by academics without family backgrounds in higher education.

At the end of the project, we will organize three workshops, each comprising a national component designed by the full project team. The workshops will target university units responsible for diversity, equity, and inclusion, professional development, as well as university students

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Given the complexity of the planned activities, the extensive outreach efforts (including press releases and stakeholder workshops), and the time required to produce academic publications, the project has been designed to run for 18 months (September 2026-March 2028).