As 2025 comes to an end, we look back on a year of significant progress for the STRIDE project. From new publications to policy engagement and collaborative research activities, it has been a productive and rewarding year. However, as we now enter STRIDE’s final year, the focus shifts to consolidating our work and ensuring that the project delivers strong, impactful results.
The consortium meeting held last month in Aarhus marked an important milestone in this process. The meeting provided an opportunity to take stock of our progress, reflect collectively on lessons learned so far, and plan the final phase of the project. Building on these discussions, we are pleased to share what lies ahead for STRIDE in 2026.
A strong pipeline of publications
The final year of the project will be particularly rich in terms of research outputs. At the end of January 2026, STRIDE will publish three new reports:
- A report on the five country case studies (England, Poland, Hungary, Norway and Denmark),
- A Policy Analysis report, examining how education and training reforms have addressed equity and inclusion,
- A Systematic Review report, synthesising existing research on inequalities in education and training.
These publications will be followed in March 2026 by a fourth report focusing on trends in educational inequalities, offering a longitudinal perspective aligned with STRIDE’s core research approach.
Later in the year, STRIDE will continue to expand its analytical work. In July 2026, the consortium will publish a new Working Paper presenting a comparative analysis across education systems. This will be followed in December 2026 by the fourth and final Working Paper, which will reflect on the project’s workshops bringing together researchers, project members and a wider range of stakeholders.
In addition, October 2026 will see the publication of STRIDE’s second Policy Brief, which will bring together key findings from across the project and translate them into policy recommendations aimed at supporting evidence-informed decision-making at European and national levels.
Looking ahead to the Final Conference
Alongside publications, preparations are already underway for a major milestone: STRIDE’s Final Conference. The event is planned for the first week of December 2026 and will take place in Brussels.
The Final Conference will provide a space to present the project’s findings, engage in dialogue with policymakers, researchers and civil society actors, and reflect collectively on how evidence can support more equitable and inclusive education and training systems across Europe.
Save the date — more information on the programme and registration will be shared in the coming months.
