Alternative Economic and Monetary Systems

AEMS is an international summer university program that offers a new approach: An evaluation of economic alternatives that considers natural boundaries and the human factor to be equal parts of the equation. Our ambitious goal: To help solve some of societies’ problems by presenting viable alternatives to processes and developments that are putting enormous strains on economic, ecological, and social boundaries.
2018 saw the fifth installment of AEMS. 61 students from 34 nations joined the program to hear more about economic alternatives, planetary boundaries, technological remedies, and limits posed by demographic growth and human nature.

WHY AEMS? Overconsumption, resource depletion, overpopulation, environmental degradation; the current problems are vast and well known. But rather than just adding another discussion of the current state of the world, the Summer School offers solutions and provides the opportunity to link theoretical approaches with subject-specific content from different scientific disciplines and professional best practice. Students are provided with state of the art scientific data from natural and social sciences supplementing various new and classical concepts from economic sciences. This enables them to have a level-headed discussion about economic and monetary reforms while asking, “What is our leeway?”

Course leader

Experts from various scientific disciplines, among them Helga Kromp-Kolb, Christian Felber, Ernst Ulrich von Weizsaecker and many others.

Target group

Applicants are required to be at least 18 years old. Excellent English language skills are a prerequisite. The course is open to students from all fields with an interest in economic reform.

Course aim

Participants who formerly had little or no economic background knowledge will gain enough knowledge to hold their own in discussions about economic reform and initiate projects of their own. The lectures, workshops and discussion panels cover a variety of topics, from the reform or re-definition of money, an overhaul of the aim of economic activity towards solidarity and cooperation, tax reform, a reform of financial markets, all the way to a change in consumer culture and the reduction of resource consumption.

Credits info

5 EC
Continuous attendance is mandatory.

Fee info

EUR 1390: Participation fee, including fully furnished accommodation in a state-of-the-art OeAD dormitory in Vienna for the full duration of the course plus one additional week at no cost, and local transit tickets for the duration of the summer school.
EUR 490: Scholarship fee, including fully furnished accommodation in a state-of-the-art OeAD dormitory in Vienna for the full duration of the course plus one additional week at no cost, and local transit tickets for the duration of the summer school.

Scholarships

There are scholarships available. If you are in need of a scholarship please be sure to apply before April 22, 2019.