Sara Shahbakhti works as a research assistant at the Technopolis Group, where she assists with evaluations in the areas of education and skills. Her expertise lies in quantitative and qualitative research on European social policy, particularly active labor market policies, youth employment, and educational inequality.

Most recently, Sara completed a Blue Book internship at the European Commission in Luxembourg, where she assisted with the coordination of Horizon Europe projects on augmented reality, virtual worlds, and digital skills. Prior to that, she worked as a research assistant at the European Centre for Welfare Policy and Social Research in Vienna. Her work there combined quantitative analyses with interviews and focus groups on active labor market policies for young people and the platform economy. Sara also gained insights into the higher education sector as a student assistant at the University of Konstanz, where she supported master’s programs and assisted international students.

She completed a Master of Arts in Political Science and Public Administration at the University of Konstanz and a Master of Science in European Governance at Utrecht University. In her master’s thesis, she analyzed government spending on active labor market policies for young people during the COVID-19 crisis.

Sara is a native German speaker, speaks English fluently, and has a basic knowledge of Spanish.