Kai Maaz is Managing Director of the DIPF | Leibniz Institute for Research and Information in Education, where he also heads the ‘Structure and Governance of Education’ department. He is also Professor of Sociology specialising in educational systems and society at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. His research interests include social inequality in educational attainment and the reduction of educational barriers, systemic school and system development, the evaluation of educational reforms and programmes and educational monitoring. Among other things, he is a member of the Standing Scientific Commission of the Standing Conference of Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs (SWK), spokesperson for the group of authors of the national education report and heads the research network for the scientific monitoring of the Startchancen programme. He has been a WBGU member since 2024.