Making Fairness

In France and England and elsewhere in the world, algorithms have been introduced to moderate access to higher education (OfQual, 2020; Parcoursup, 2022) in an educational context already marked by social inequalities (Duru-Bellat & Kieffer, 2008; Breen et al., 2010; Woodward, 2020). The aim of this project is therefore to study how social inequalities materialise or not through the development of algorithms used to moderate access to higher education in France and England. The main aims of this research are (1) to develop an approach for tracing and mapping the emergence of discrimination during the construction of such algorithms, and (2) to identify the future risks associated with the implementation of such algorithms if they were to be introduced in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. The main impact of this research is the development of cartography as a methodological tool for highlighting the role of such systems in addressing social inequalities.

Thesis realised by Merlin Tieleman under the supervision of Pierre Delvenne