At the end of June, oikos management team members, Lenka (oikos Curriculum Strategy Manager) and J.Christopher (oikos Curriculum Research Manager), visited Siena, Italy in order to meet with a dynamic community of young researchers exploring different schools of economic thought, share oikos projects and new initiatives with them and to build new connections with like-minded organizations. They took part in the Institute for New Economic Thinking (INET)/Young Scholars Initiative (YSI) pre-conference followed by the Italian Association for the History of Political Economy (STOREP) conference. J.Christopher organized an interactive session on pluralism in economics and Lenka presented the new oikos Curriculum Change Initiative. In this brief article, they share insights from the conferences and discuss the upcoming oikos curriculum project.
Both events provided us with an amazing opportunity to meet young scholars and professionals who embrace new and critical ways of thinking about the economy. We not only had a chance to learn about research, projects and initiatives that bring fresh wind into mainstream economic thinking, but we also discussed oikos projects and further cooperation with groups like Rethinking Economics and the Network for Pluralist Economics. Based on feedback, support and inspiration we received from INET Young Scholars Initiative community and STOREP participants, we continue developing the oikos Curriculum Change Initiative. Its main purpose is to foster the transformation of economics and management education together with the oikos student community across the globe. We invite oikos members to develop true ownership of their own education and we would like to accompany them in the process of shaping and influencing what they are being taught.
Thanks to the financial support of SBFI, the curriculum change team will be able to run several projects. The oikos Curriculum Change Academy will be a 3-day workshop for students, junior lecturers and faculty, developed and facilitated by oikos student members. Its main purpose is to reflect and learn about innovative economics and management programmes which are designed to address current global environmental and social challenges. We will be discussing and testing new teaching methods and theoretical approaches in economics education. Getting inspired by good practice, we will develop strategies on how to implement similar programmes and methods at our universities.
In order to accompany students who want to develop and implement curriculum change projects at their universities, we will establish and facilitate student working groups and constantly work with their members online and onsite. The working group members will learn about curriculum change practises and apply them in their concrete projects.
Those interested in research activities will have a great opportunity to analyze economics and management curriculum worldwide while learning and applying various curriculum research methods. We will accompany students in the process of analyzing as well as publishing and presenting their research outcomes.
Furthermore, participants involved in the Curriculum Change Initiative will be offered specific coaching provided by LEAP and Alexandra (oikos International Project Manager).
The oikos Curriculum Change Initiative is about students and for students. It responds to an increasing interest of oikos members in shaping their curriculum and is inspired by chapter activities in this field. We would like to cordially invite all oikos community members to join the Initiative. Why get involved? You can influence hundreds of students who take the economics and management courses at your university. You have a long term positive impact not only on your peer students but also on professors, young scholars, university administration and top management. You can shape the process of how education is developed by adding a bottom-up perspective to it. Through starting a creative conversation with your university you inspire other students and universities worldwide to follow a similar path. Interested? Feel free to contact Lenka and J. Christopher, we look forward to working with you!
