Review: AEMS 2024 - it's a wrap!

In 2024, the summer university welcomed 50 students and professionals from 26 nations and various academic fields in Vienna:

The program took place from 15 July to 2 August and followed a holistic and modular approach, comprising the modules:

1. Basics & Nature,
2. Finance & Money,
3. Economics with social and ecological values,
4. A social ecological transformation and a final wrap-up.

The program showcased alternative approaches and ideas for a more sustainable future, where students were introduced to different concepts such as the Economy for the Common Good, Degrowth, Circular Economy and Doughnut Economics, as well as the role of money and different approaches to finance, such as Sovereign Money, fundraising and complementary currencies.

The program included lectures, workshops with games, simulations and discussions, and students also worked on their own group projects for systemic change.

Other program points included an optional social housing walking tour, the “strategies of transition fair”, where students presented initiatives they are already part of, an excursion to IIASA and social activities: sports evenings, a movie night with a public screening of “Outgrow the system” by Cecilia Paulsson & Anders Nilsson and a dinner at an Austrian “Heurigen”.

In addition to the movie night, AEMS also offered further public events in collaboration with the Green.Building.Solutions. Summer University, which included:

- The Grand Opening “Building (for) the future” with speakers Keywan Riahi, Doris Österreicher and Anika Dafert: Link to review; Link to recording

- The panel discussion on “What are the leverages for a social-ecological transformation?" with speakers Margit Schratzenstaller-Altzinger, Michaela Krömer, Helga Kromp-Kolb and Christian Felber.

AEMS closed on Friday, 2nd August 2024, with the certificate ceremony. Thank you to all our students and team, and thank you to all our sponsors and supporters, for making this summer experience possible!