oikos is an international, student-led non-profit organization for sustainability in economics and management. Founded in 1987 in Switzerland, it empowers student change agents worldwide to embed sustainability in academia and from there into day-to-day business, government and personal activities.

Our programs integrate environmental and social perspectives in economics and management education and equip our members with the necessary tools to become today and tomorrow’s responsible leaders. They comprise local and international conferences, webinars, workshops, simulation games, and other initiatives that provide platforms for learning, creating and sharing solutions.

The heart of our organization are our student members who turn ideas into action and tackle local sustainability needs in over 45 chapters around the globe. They collaborate with a wide network of alumni, advisors, faculties, and partners, and are supported by an international management team based in Switzerland. oikos builds and empowers a global community to solve the challenges of the 21st century.

Our Purpose

oikos is shaping the world in several ways and on several levels.*

Individual development

oikos shapes personalities. By addressing sustainability change agents in a university environment with tools and programs for self-development and awareness building, the organization enables and inspires its members to move forward on their learning journey and actively contribute to a sustainable world.

Institutional development

With over 45 active chapters in universities with business schools in 4 continents, the organization has a powerful outreach to the institutions that define and equal education. Being organized in a self-managing structure, the single student-led chapters adopt their action portfolio to the local needs and address sustainability in curricular and extracurricular contexts.

International development

As the subgroups and regions come together to form an international community, the influence of oikos also lies in the strong bonds created between nations, cultures, partners and student change agents all around the world. The glue that holds the organization together: a passion to contribute to a higher cause, to make our world more sustainable by acting on it and collaborating towards the goal.

Planetary sustainable development

By following our passion through developing, co-creating and implementing a diverse multi-level, hands-on commitment, we, therefore, contribute actively to a planetary sustainable development with a focus on the societal leverages of higher education and economics.

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* We are still in the process of explicating the different levels of our purpose.

Our Mission

To transform economics and management education by empowering student change agents, raising awareness for sustainability opportunities and challenges, and building institutional support for curriculum reform.

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Our Vision

Economics and management education purposed for a sustainable world.

See the Constitution of oikos International.