Sylvia Mandl is part of the Competence Center Survey Research and has been working at IHS since 2019. She holds a PhD in Social and Economic Sciences from the Vienna University of Economics and Business. Previously, she worked as expert and project leader at AustriaTech GmbH, the Chamber of Labour and the Austrian Institute for Sustainable Development. Alongside her research roles, she taught "Methods of Social Research" and "Sustainable Consumption" at the Vienna University of Economics and Business.

Her current research aims to provide an evidence base for cross-country comparisons in higher education. She coordinates research teams from around 25 countries, ensuring accurate questionnaire design, implementation of data collection, and data processing. Her research interests include inequalities in access to higher education with a particular emphasis on first-generation students and delayed transitions, as well as student employment and discrimination.