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a global student movement driving change
in economics and business education
How students can lead the change in business and economics.
oikos work puts students at the center of institutional change by actively engaging and making them into change agents, who work together with universities to lead the transformation of higher education that embodies regenerative values.
our perspective
our approach
The founding vision of oikos in 1987 was a student-led organization that puts students at the core of transforming business and economics education.
Our work aims to influence institutional change in higher education. We envision business and economics education where sustainability is not a module, but part of the operating system. In that effort we mobilize students and universities, bringing them together and engaging in a joint process of rethinking how business and economics are taught. For nearly four decades, oikos has worked with over 90 universities, combining the efforts of over ten thousand students and academia. Our projects influenced growing awareness and action towards embedding sustainability into curricula and innovating teaching methods.
oikos is a community of changemakers: students, chapters, alumni, and partners, working together to transform business and economic systems starting with education.
oikos functions as a living ecosystem where different actors play distinct but interconnected roles. Students organize locally in oikos Chapters at their universities. As active chapter members they work on local projects, collaborating with their schools, professors, businesses and other stakeholders. Internationally, they connect with peers in chapters from different universities, through participation in oikos International programs and cross-chapter collaborations. After graduating, many oikees remain engaged within our network as Alumni members, fostering inter-generational connection and knowledge sharing with active member.
oikos empowers and trains students to become responsible leaders, equipped with the competencies required to participate in decision-making processes that create positive impact for the society.
Enacting a meaningful change requires the right kind of leadership. Stepping away from the traditional views of a leader, at the core of our ideal of leadership lays responsibility, both to self, the society and the Planet. This requires a set of competencies to build self-reflection and self-awareness, a capacity to understand and relate to others and motivate them towards a joint action, and comprehend the complexities of challenges faced and the systems that we are changing. Our programs teach these competencies which students put to practice in their local and international chapter engagements.
we are oikos
The oikos story begins in 1987 at the University of St. Gallen. Local students created an association with the aim of connecting economics with ecological awareness. It was envisioned to give students a voice and laid the foundations for student-led sustainability movement. For over a decade of existence, the St. Gallen association drew attention from other campuses and new chapters were on campuses beyond the Swiss border. This was a birth of oikos International – a global network and movement on campuses across Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas.
Throughout history oikos has had a presence at over 90 universities and business schools. A testament to the size and long lasting of our network is the thriving alumni community bridging generational gaps. Continuously innovative and adapting to the global circumstances at different times, oikos has a rich history of programs. Over the years, we’ve hosted oikos Academies, Summer and Winter Schools, Case Competitions and many other programs that solidified the association of oikos with student sustainability movement worldwide.
oikos International empowers local chapters by providing organizational guidance, IT infrastructure, communication materials and mentorship to help students effectively launch and manage initiatives. The team coordinates global programs, handling fundraising, impact measurement and partnerships. Through practical support with strategic coordination, the team ensures that chapters have the necessary resources, networks and visibility to run meaningful sustainability projects and create a real impact on economics and management education.
our programs drive sustainability on campuses worldwide through supporting students’ personal and professional development. by donating you can help keep our work future-proof and accessible to students worldwide.