FutureLab - oikos International

FutureLab2021

The oikos FutureLab is our flagship event taking place every autumn since 2011. Due to the current situation with COVID-19 the latest edition of FutureLab had to be postponed and will take place online April 23rd to 25th, 2021.

The main goal of the event is to bring together our community, network, and strengthen our actions for integrating sustainability in economics and management curricula. At the FutureLab, the whole community meets to build partnerships among oikos members, alumni, faculty, partners and more.

FutureLab 2021: Justice Shift – Building a passage for a just world

Drastic adjustments in our world are necessary to reach the targets of the Paris agreement. Associations, governments, companies and citizens start realizing that it will be impossible to reach them without a global transition towards more sustainable practices in all domains. It is vital to make sure we are aiming for a just transition together.

However, it is crucial in these changing times/environment to think of those who are actually affected by policies that now are put in place or by changing practices and ensure fair measures towards all stakeholders (or … and ensure participatory processes of all stakeholders).

The FutureLab 2021 will explore ideas and best practices of how to establish justice in this transition – environmentally, economically and socially. It will create a space to discuss justice and a just transition and will provide a stage for stakeholders to communicate their claims.

How can you get involved?

Join as a participant online

Register for the FutureLab 2021 and represent your chapter in this gathering of our international community. Join discussions, share your experiences, gain new inputs and perspectives and develop actions together with around 100 people from all over the world and all that from the comfort of your home.

Join or organize one of the satellite events

You want to bring big speakers to your university and increase your chapters visibility with little effort? Then organize one of the satellite conferences. Find out more here.

Program

Experts

Keynote speaker 1: Juliana M. Mosley Williams, PHD

Watch her Ted talk here

Juliana M. Mosley-Williams has 20+ years of experience in education. Juliana currently serves as the Special Assistant to the President for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at Salus University in Elkins Park, PA and previously held several positions in higher education as the Chief Diversity, Inclusion & Community Relations Officer at Chestnut Hill College, a Vice President for Student Affairs at Lincoln University, Edward Waters College, Marygrove College, and Philander Smith College; the Director of Multicultural Affairs at John Carroll University; the Executive Assistant to the President at Kentucky State University; and High School Business Teacher in Houston Independent School District. Juliana also serves as a consultant, having presented more than 70 times, to include a TEDx Talk, regional and national conferences, universities, non-profit organizations, government agencies, and corporations. In these instances, she provided training and development workshops in diversity and inclusion, leadership transition, strategic planning, and student development. Juliana earned a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership and M.A. in Curriculum and Teacher Leadership from Miami University of Ohio, and B.S. in Business Education from Ball State University.

Affectionately called Dr. J. by her beloved students, Juliana’s commitment and service to education and the community is evident in her honors as a Philadelphia Tribune 2019 Woman of Achievement honoree; recipient of the Student Leadership and Success Award for Administrators (2015), given by Lincoln University’s Chapter of the National Society of Leadership and Success; Ohio Magazine’s Excellence in Education Awards for 2003 and an inductee to the Kaleidoscope Magazine 2004 Forty/Forty Club. Juliana is also extremely committed to serving her local communities, currently serving as a board member of Philadelphia Education Fund; and former roles as grant reviewer for Chester County Fund for Women and Girls Grants Allocation Committee (West Chester, PA); board member for Girl Scouts of America (Gateway Council—Northern Counties of Florida); Steering Committee Chair for Save Our Sons (non-profit in Jacksonville FL); and 25+ year member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc.

Juliana seeks to educate and train people to engage in difficult dialog through cultural humility to make the unconscious conscious.

Keynote speaker 2: Charlotte Horder

“For those of us in the priviledged position of being able to create & lead
businesses, let’s make sure they count!” (Higher Order Strategy)

Charlotte’s fire burns for all things related to sustainable development which is why she uses the UN SDGs as a guiding beacon for the projects she pursues.
She is the founder of Higher Order Strategy which supports business’s to align with their individual positive impact mission and drives businesses as a force for good in her role as a certified B Leader.

At the Future Lab 2021 she will depict the economic perspective on a Justice Shift as one of our 3 keynote speakers by giving insights on the B Corp movement and how it can add to a more just transformation. Plus you can later on join her in our interactive world café to discuss about gender quality in the business world !

Keynote speaker 3: Flávia Bellaguarda

Our third keynote speaker, Flávia Bellaguarda will present her keynote speech on Justice from a climate perspective.

Currently serving as a Climate Change Advisor at ICLEI South America, Flavia holds a master in International Development in Climate Justice at the University of Birmingham. She is also the founder of Youth Climate Leaders and is part of the Global Shapers team from the World Economic Forum.

Workshops

Social Business – making profit through contributing to society

Hannah Muther_Sindbad Social Business_ Photo by Carolina Revertera

In our workshop you get to know the basic concept of a social business and why we need this approach. Additionally you receive first hand experience from the Austrian Social Business Sindbad. We strive for equal opportunities, social justice and a fair distribution of chances for young people.
This workshop is hosted by Hannah Muther. Hannah Muther (Community and Quality Management Officer, Sindbad Social Business) Throughout my sustainability-oriented studies and my simultaneous involvement in oikos, I have been spurred on by the emerging nexus between business and sustainability. Today, I am very grateful to work towards social sustainability as part of my daily professional duties.

Humanizing climate change – why does climate change has to do with everyone and its connection to all professional fields

Flávia’s workshop will leave you with some hands-on tools to develop your own understanding of climate change within your professional field so that you can find your place as a professional to tackle the issues. Because we need a more positive imagination of the future as the focus of thoughts places our energies that shape our future.This workshop is hosted by our keynote speaker Flávia Bellaguarda.

Read more about her above in the experts section.

The Good Life for Everyone – De-growth vs. Green Growth
Imagine a world where the prosperity of a country is not measured by GDP but a happiness index. What does it mean if we shift our thinking about economic prosperity from growth to the motto „the good life for everyone“ and what role does technology play in a sustainable economy? This workshop will view a justice shift from an economic perspective. We will discuss how alternative economic models can achieve a justice shift thinking. Therefore two economic trends will be presented: green growth and de-growth.

This workshop is hosted by Ingrid Hoffmann. Ingrid’s passion lies in intersectional sustainability and promoting the synergy of social, ecological and economic aspects. So far my focus has been on sustainable transformation, especially on the urban scale. Ingrid graduated in Sustainability Management and her career objective is to work as a sustainability manager and innovation accelerator, advising on strategic leadership in sustainable transformation, always having the bigger picture in mind.

Rights to be alive – Indigenous peoples’ rights

No forests, no future. Mariana’s workshop will be about the balanced relationship between nature and humankind and the indigenous peoples rights in Brazil. She will share some insights about the experience she has gained at Greenpeace Brazil, where she started the fundraising area from scratch. Today she is Head of Individual Giving Fundraising at Instituto Socioambiental, a significant Brazilian NGO, reference for its work on indigenous peoples’ rights.

This workshop is hosted by Mariana Zayat Chammas (Head of Relationships at ISA – Instituto Socioambiental). Mariana is passionate about the Amazon forest and its protection. She thinks a lot about human rights, democracy and the current lack of dialogue in some societies and in some countries. Her current challenge is how to increase my contribution to the world by making more impact when it comes to a world with climate emergency and shrinking civil society spaces.

Responsible Leadership for a Just World

We need a new generation of leaders to overcome the challenges of today and the future, and to navigate us to a more sustainable and just world. You could be one of those leaders! But what is needed to be a responsible leader and how can you become one? Find out in this workshop.

This workshop is hosted by Marcelo Veloso. Marcelo has much experience in responsible leadership. For oikos International in cooperation with Swissnex Brazil he created the NexGenLead, a global virtual program on sustainability and leadership. He can base his experience on his work experience in several youth-led organizations related to education for sustainability as well as an academic background in both business management and sustainability.

Satellite Events

Does your chapter want to benefit from the amazing opportunity to organize a satellite event? Then you are right here.

What is a satellite event?

Satellite events are extensions of events to other geographical places via online streaming of the content to increase their outreach and impact.

In the case of the FutureLab that means that we, the FutureLab team, organize the input of the event – the speakers, workshops, discussions, etc. – and you only have to focus on the logistics around an event – the venue, food, promotion and nice casual activities for your participants if you want.

Why your chapter should organize a satellite event:

This is your chance to bring high-level experts (virtually) to your University and increase the visibility of your chapter on your campus with relatively little effort.

It gives your whole chapter the possibility to experience the international community and hear from and exchange with people from all over the world.

It is also a way to create new solutions in a guided environment and in your local context and thereby bring change to your community.

What you have to do and next steps:

Get in touch with Alexandra Horvath, our coordinator for the satellite conferences and indicate your interest
Reserve a venue. Depending on how many participants you expect, reserve a big room for the discussions and smaller rooms for the workshops. You can also organize some snacks for the breaks or some evening activities for participants to get to know each other better in a casual environment.
Promote your event through your network, University, community and friends.
Recruit and train your onsite facilitators. To ensure the success and smooth running of the workshops make sure that you have a trained onsite facilitator for each workshop. The training will be organized by the FutureLab team.
Enjoy maximum conference fun with minimum effort.

Team

Team 2020

Registration

Registrations for the FutureLab 2021 are now open.

The oikos FutureLab 2021 will bring together a diverse representation of the oikos community and will allow in-depth discussions and exchange. We cordially invite active student members from oikos Chapters, alumni, faculty, advisors and partners to join us online from April 23rd to 25th 2021. We encourage our community to actively participate in the preparation of the FutureLab 2021 and co-develop the agenda with us.

Registration

oikos chapters are invited to encourage their members to register. Since the event takes place online this year we have higher capacities and can host more people.

You can register here
The deadline for registrations is April 11th 2021.

Payment

FAQ

What is the oikos FutureLab?

The oikos FutureLab is our flagship event since 2011, usually taking place every autumn. Due to the current situation with COVID-19 the latest edition of FutureLab had to be postponed and will take place online from April 23 to 25, 2021.

The main goal of the event is to bring together our community, network, and strengthen our actions for integrating sustainability in economics and management curricula. At the FutureLab, the whole community meets to build partnerships among oikos members, alumni, faculty, partners and more.

What is the topic of the FutureLab 2021?

At the upcoming FutureLab we will focus on Justice Shift. We will explore ideas and best practices of how to establish justice in global transitions – environmentally, economically and socially. It will create a space to discuss justice and a just transition and will provide a stage for stakeholders to communicate their claims.

How will the FutureLab 2021 take place?

The FutureLab will take place April 23rd to 25th fully online. The platform and instructions to join will be shared with all registered participants prior to the event.

Additionally, some chapters will organize Satellite Events based on the content of the FutureLab 2021 which will take place onsite at their respective locations if possible.

Who can apply for the oikos FutureLab 2021?

Every active oikos member can register to the FutureLab 2021.

Alumni, young scholars, faculty, advisors, and partners are welcomed to join us as well.

You can apply in the tab “Registration” or via the button on the right “Apply Now”

Is there a limit how many oikees per chapter can apply?

Since the event is held online this year there is no limit to the number of chapter members that can attend the event. Bring your whole chapter and introduce them to the international community.

Can alumni from my chapter attend the FutureLab 2021?

Yes, we strongly encourage alumni to attend.

Are there any participant fees?

As the FutureLab 2021 will take place fully online, the event is free for the oikos community.

How can my chapter host a Satellite Event?

If your chapter is interested in hosting a satellite Event please get in touch with Alexandra Horvath who will provide you with more information.

alexandra.horvath@oikos-international.org

What is the LEAP Meeting and is it related to FutureLab?

LEAP Meeting is a separate oikos event that will take place online from 18th to 20th March, 2021. The content and program of these two oikos events are not related.

To learn more about oikos LEAP, visit the page: https://oikos-international.org/programmes/leap/

Archive

oikos FutureLab 2019

In 2019, the annual oikos conference took place in Geneva, Switzerland from 31 of October to 2 of November.

Learn about highlights of the FutureLab 2019 in our report. Download the report here

Learn more: https://oikos-international.org/futurelab2019/

oikos FutureLab 2018

In 2018, the annual oikos conference took place in Geneva, Switzerland from 26 to 27 of October. The FutureLab 2018 brought together over 100 oikos members, partners and supporters to discuss sustainability issues affecting our world and explore opportunities for the integration of sustainability into economics and management curricula.

Sustainability was at the heart of the FutureLab logistics as well. From serving vegetarian and vegan food to encouraging participants to take trains or buses for travel, we tried to limit our carbon footprint as much as we could. Moreover, with the help of the Swiss climate protection organization -myclimate, which offset our emissions, the FutureLab 2018 became a climate neutral conference.

Learn about highlights of the FutureLab 2018 in our report. Download the report here

Learn more: https://oikos-international.org/oikos-futurelab-2018/

oikos FutureLab 2017

In 2017, the oikos FutureLab was also the launchpad for the celebration of our 30th anniversary and for kicking off the next decade of oikos initiatives. We took stock of and celebrated our achievements by bringing together the global oikos community from 30 years of impact: our members and alumni, advisors and faculty, partners and supporters. The theme for this year’s event was Shaping Tomorrow Today.

The FutureLab took place on October 12. Inspiring keynote speakers included Ambassador Michael Gerber (Swiss Special Envoy for Global Sustainable Development), Peter Lacy (Managing Director for Growth, Strategy, and Sustainability, Accenture), and Sophia Tickell (Founder and Director, Meteos). They tackled the topic of how business can and should be a force for good. In addition, oikos FutureLab panelists discussed reforms needed to transform economics and management education and debated the role of oikos in this process. The FutureLab workshops also examined contemporary sustainability challenges that are crucial for the development of the sustainability agenda of the decades to come.

Learn more: https://oikos-international.org/oikos-futurelab-2017/

oikos FutureLab 2016

For the sixth consecutive year, the oikos community is gathered in St. Gallen from November 6 to 9 for the FutureLab 2016. The aim was to pursue the implementation of our mission: integrating more sustainability in economics and management education. Whilst many understand and talk about the struggle of our educational systems to integrate sustainability and teach for its internalisation, we cease to couple the talk with the walk. A gap can be observed both in the struggle to teach for sustainable change agents and for inciting people to walk their talk in implementing projects that can bring about transformation. This is why the international organizing team chose the topic #WalkTheTalk, empowering and inspiring each other and the oikos communities to advance our actions and close educational gaps.

Present at the conference were inspirational voices from business, NGOs and learning institutions as well as motivated oikos members from around the world. Watch this video for a quick impression or

learn more: https://oikos-international.org/programmes/futurelab/oikos-futurelab-2016/

oikos FutureLab 2015

The 2015 oikos FutureLab took place on 26 – 28 October (Monday – Wednesday) in the Pfalzkeller in St. Gallen. Its main aim was to create action plans to implement sustainable and relevant education systems, by involving representatives from all parties with an interest in management and economics education. It is, specifically, intended to facilitate the design of learning experiences that are more effective at preparing change agents to address the challenges of the 21st century. This signifies the embedding of sustainability and social perspectives in management and economics education and integrating pluralistic teaching methods.

We are an important step closer to making education matter and could not have done it without more than 120 enthusiastic and driven participants from 20 countries and 4 continents. Now it is time to act in our local chapters. We are looking forward to seeing the next steps, projects and initiatives of the whole oikos community. Check out the Publication of Ideas here.

More information: https://oikos-international.org/programmes/futurelab/oikos-futurelab-2015/

oikos FutureLab 2014

The 2014 oikos FutureLab took place on 10 – 11 November in St. Gallen. Several projects and initiatives were planned during the oikos FutureLab towards “building a bridge for sustainability in economics and management” together with 120 participants from 18 countries.

For the first time, the oikos FutureLab was organised by a group of seven members from three different chapters worldwide who worked together for eight months. The floor was mainly in the hands of the participants who shaped the gathering. Students, alumni, NGO representatives, faculty members and corporate partners were working together in seven oikos Learning Circles (Economics, Finance, Leadership, Management, Energy, Fashion/Supply Chain and Entrepreneurship) in order to develop projects and initiatives. Speakers included Yuan Yang from Rethinking Economics and Marloes Nichols from Meteos, who spoke about campaigning for sustainability and shared their practical experience, as well as Uwe Lübbermann, founder of Premium Cola, the ecologically friendly and socially just drink producer in Germany who has chosen an organisational structure and strategies at Premium Cola that are in sharp contrast to what we learn in business schools.

More information: https://oikos-international.org/programmes/futurelab/oikos-futurelab-2014/

oikos FutureLab 2013

The 2013 oikos FutureLab took place on 11 – 12 November in St. Gallen. It focused on “Transforming Education” and on opportunities to drive change at faculties for economics and management. As a platform focused on solutions and action, the oikos FutureLab offered insights to co-learn with our members and partners and to identify opportunities to take oikos to the next level as an effective learning organization – in particular:

To understand and effectively tap into the learning opportunities already existing in our network.
To develop a platform for oikos and universities where we are active as learning organizations that foster sustainability leadership skills among their members and audiences.
To explore what a reference model for sustainability education in economics and management actually could look like, so that we can inspire students, scholars and university administrators.

More information: https://oikos-international.org/programmes/futurelab/oikos-futurelab-2013/

oikos FutureLab 2012

On 19th and 20th November, 2012, we will welcome oikos members and partners in St. Gallen for the second oikos FutureLab. The 2012 topic is “Impact: Think – Act – Share”. As a central platform for changemakers, the FutureLab will bring together our chapter members from across four continents; our alumni in business, government, NGOs, and academia; our faculty members from schools for management and economics worldwide, and a broad array of partners supporting our projects.
The oikos FutureLab will focus on impact and activating our network: What impact do we aim to achieve as individuals? How do we develop a mindset of change? How can we activate our oikos network more effectively to create impact? As a platform focused on solutions and action, the oikos FutureLab will offer insights into sustainability trends to watch, to co-learn with our members and partners and to identify opportunities for strengthening our impact in the future.
A key feature of the oikos FutureLab will be the Impact Fair, a forum where conference delegates introduce their own projects, and through which they can engage the oikos community to help them further develop their project. Delegates will be invited to present their initiatives by using a theory of change logic during the Project Fair. Background information will be provided prior to the conference.
The Project Fair will be followed by an Open Space to design and develop concrete projects to pursue with the support of the oikos community.

More information: www.oikos-international.org/2012-2/

oikos FutureLab 2011

The oikos FutureLab 2011 is the first oikos event ever to gather our global family of student members, alumni, advisors, faculty and partners. As we approach our 25th anniversary in 2012, we are launching this new platform to provide not only a meeting point to share perspectives on the future, but also a “laboratory” to design initiatives and engage the oikos community in pursuing them. With oikos chapters across four continents, alumni in business, government, NGOs, and academia, faculty members at leading schools for management and economics worldwide, and a broad array of partners supporting our projects, we believe it is time to bring all of us together and accelerate the sustainability momentum.

As a platform focused on solutions and action, the oikos FutureLab will offer insights into sustainability trends to watch in the long-term, key developments to monitor during the next 12 months, and opportunities for change moving forward. It will take a close look at how the oikos community can strengthen selected projects that are already on their way and provide a launching pad for new initiatives that emerge in the discussions. And it will nurture an ongoing exchange within the oikos community to set agendas, define priorities and join forces to increase impact.

Participation is by invitation only. The event will take place in St. Gallen, Switzerland – where it all started in 1987.