The AEMS Summer Program organized by ECOnGOOD, OeAD Student Housing and Universität für Bodenkultur Wien gathered students from 28 different nations this year. The group had classes on several themes from universal basic income, planetary boundaries, banking systems and new social models that can inspire other metrics beyond gross domestic product.
Economy for the Common Good (ECG) founder Christian Felber shared with the students both theoretical and practical knowledge. For example, the Common Good Product (CGP) as an alternative to replace the GDP and its relation to citizens assemblies so they can decide on economic policies.
AEMS asked students to deliver a final group project according to the program’s curriculum and one of the groups chose to create a global village based on the Economy for the Common Good pillars. Led by Lorenz Trattner from ECOnGOOD Austria, participants reflected through democratic assemblies processes what would be the main goals through a global village dashboard. One of the highlights was the language teaching system proposed by them, where every member of this global village would have access to free education and the chance to improve their language skills to prevent any sort of cultural misrepresentation or exclusion.
The exchange on climate boundaries with the teachers also promoted and reinforced the urgency for economic systems that truly protect people and planet. “Now I also see economics as a very powerful tool for climate, I want to combine them for the betterment of our world”, share Joan Yieke from Kenya, one of the students from AEMS 2025.
After three intense weeks of classes, panels, movie screenings and external activities, like social housing tour, the group experienced new approaches towards economic systems and also enjoyed the city of Vienna during summer. Applications for the 2026 program will start soon. Find more information on this year’s program here.
