"Today's university teaching has not led to responsible behaviour"
Zeit, a leading German weekly, quotes Katharina Beck, oikos President 2008, on university education and the financial crisis.
The financial crisis has shaken the economy, can it also shake universities?
Yes, it can, reports Die Zeit, a leading German weekly. They cite Katharina Beck, oikos President 2008: "The financial crisis is a huge opportunity to pursue change at universities." The newspaper also reports on the goal of oikos, to establish topics like sustainability and responsibility in university education. "It is obvious that today's teaching has not inspired people to act responsibly", says Katharina.
To discuss the financial crises, oikos Cologne invited experts on finance for a podium discussion on the future of financial markets on 11 December. The speakers and the committed audience discussed the current financial crisis, potential solutions and the implications for university education on economics and management. The event was well visited, drawing over a hundred students in a crowded lecture hall. The panel included amongst others Thomas Jorberg, Speaker of the German GLS Bank, that also sponsored the event, and Caspar Dohmen, Journalist and author of Let's make money, the book explaining the stories behind the new movie of Erwin Wagenhofer.
A similar panel discussion is organised by oikos Hamburg at the University of Hamburg on 16 December.
Get involved
To promote more research on sustainable finance, oikos organises a Finance Academy for PhDs students and young faculty on the topic with the UN Principles for Responsible Investment in February 2009.
In case you have any questions, please contact Katharina Beck at beck@oikosinternational.org.