Slushing through snow, we have finally made our way to the end of the year. And while the days are short, cold, and mostly gray, there is much to look forward to in our December calendar. After the successful conclusion of the FutureLab and accepting new oikos chapters Jena and Luxemburg, we are preparing for our next big gathering - the 2014 Spring Meeting in Copenhagen. There is still time to apply for the Winter School in Germany. Also, learn about our brand new oikos Finance Initiative and spend 30 seconds getting to know Mark Wade.
oikos Students
Winter School – Apply now! In times of scarcity of fossil fuels and global imbalance, changing the understanding of economics and management is the key towards a future of greater sustainability. Want to know how you can contribute to the change you wish to see? Apply now for the oikos Winter School and be a part of this constructive-minded process. We are looking forward to meeting you and working together from 21 February – 2 March, 2014, in Germany. See you at the Spring Meeting in Copenhagen The 2014 Spring Meeting in Copenhagen will provide a 4-day platform for 120 participants to inspire, discover and develop joint perspectives on the future of sustainability in management and economics. Awarded the title of the European Green Capital for 2014 by the European Commission, Copehnagen is a city that embodies the spirit of sustainability, and matching this beautiful city's spirit is the Spring Meeting’s theme of “Sustainable Cities: Challenges and Strategies”. Register now and join us from 3 – 6 April, 2014. Presenting you the New Executive Board 2014 During the Legislative Meeting at the FutureLab, the oikos community chose five passionate representatives who will strategize and develop oikos together with the oikos International President in the upcoming months. With shared vision of sustainable economics and management, the new Executive Board aims to work with oikos chapters across the globe, bring fresh ideas, and implement impactful projects. Read all about these passionate oikos leaders!
FutureLab 2013 “Transforming Education”
Last month, 100 people based in 17 countries around the globe joined us at the FutureLab 2013. Driven by the belief that each of us has the capability to transform education, we came together for two inspired days of exploration, innovation, and experimentation. Presidents’ Meeting 37 oikos leaders from all over the world gathered in St. Gallen to work together and strengthen the oikos network. Who are we? What kind of leaders do we want to be? How do we want to make a difference and how do we prioritize the range of things we want to achieve? These were the core topics of the three -day Presidents’ Meeting.
oikos Alumni
“Youngsters meet old hands” Former members of oikos Prague met with the current team and toasted to their 15th anniversary. They recalled their past, shared their present, and envisioned their future, accompanied by tons of fun and great vegan cuisine. oikos Alumni Debates in your city! oikos Alumni Debates is a platform to bring different generations of former oikos members together to discuss topics that they are passionate about. Check out the impressions from an evening of lively alumni debate in Zurich on Growth and Sustainability. If you are interested in bringing this event to your city, please contact Adriana Troxler. LinkedIn for Alumni: Are you an alumna/alumnus? Keep in touch via Linkedin.
oikos Academic
oikos Finance Initiative
Working on oikos projects that integrate sustainability into finance education and research? Or just interested in the topic? Join our new oikos Finance Initiative group on Facebook.
30 seconds with...
Mark Wade Warm (yes warm!) November sunshine heralded the start of the 2013 Presidents’ Meeting in St. Gallen last month. Presidents of over 40 oikos chapters from across the world gathered for the annual workshop. In helping to design and facilitate the three-day event, I was amazed to see the commitment of such inspiring and self-driven young people to making the world a better place. For me it was like coming home. I had first been involved with oikos back in the early 2000s when it was much smaller. It was wonderful to see how it has grown whilst remaining true to its founding ambitions. In those days I was in the corporate centre of Shell International in the Sustainable Development Group. Here we were pioneering sustainability reporting and the driving of sustainability into the daily decision making of a global energy company. Later I was to head the Sustainable Development Learning Programme bringing sustainability into all stages of our talent pipeline from graduate recruitment to senior executive development. I am passionate about developing leadership equipped with the values, mindset, and competences necessary for achieving a sustainable world. I have been fortunate to have been involved in all aspects of sustainability in organizations, both the hard wiring (governance, policies and commitments, standards and processes, KPIs and reporting) and the soft wiring (aligning hearts and minds, culture and behavior). This enables me to advise companies and institutions in every stage of their sustainability journey.
I retired from Shell a few years ago to share a ‘gap year’ with my son. He was just finishing his Master’s degree in engineering. I am of a generation where gap years were not common. So we took a year off together to sail from the UK to the Caribbean and back. Being at sea thousands of kilometers from land in a small boat in the face of the vast power of nature is a humbling experience. It is also a perfect place to practice sustainability where you have finite food, water and fuel as well as physical and mental limits. Each has to be balanced and conserved. Team work, communications, and trust were key to achieving a safe, happy, and fulfilling experience for all who joined us along the way. I was able to bring my experiences to the oikos workshop. We used a quiz to explore global trends and the sustainability challenge. We reviewed the oikos ‘vision, mission, values’ and shared inspiring examples of leadership. We then considered what it means to be a modern leader and how best to apply this to running the oikos chapters and international efforts. Sadly I was not able to stay for the final day when the action plans were formulated, but I was pleased to have helped set the context for this and gain alignment on purpose and approach. The sun didn’t last, but the friendship and sense of shared purpose will remain as an inspiration for all who attended.
Outlook
21 February – 2 March: oikos Winter School, Witten/Herdecke, Germany
3 – 6 April: oikos Spring Meeting, Copenhagen, Denmark
Contribute
Let people know what you are up to and submit your oikos News for the next newsletter to: update@oikosinternational.org
Meet oikos
Shailee Pradhan, oikos PhD Fellow, 5 October - 20 December,
Iloilo City, Philippines
In times of scarcity of fossil fuels and global imbalance, changing the understanding of economics and management is the key towards a future of greater sustainability. Want to know how you can contribute to the change you wish to see? Apply now for the oikos Winter School and be a part of this constructive-minded process. We are looking forward to meeting you and working together from 21 February – 2 March, 2014, in Germany.
The 2014 Spring Meeting in Copenhagen will provide a 4-day platform for 120 participants to inspire, discover and develop joint perspectives on the future of sustainability in management and economics. Awarded the title of the 
During the Legislative Meeting at the FutureLab, the oikos community chose five passionate representatives who will strategize and develop oikos together with the oikos International President in the upcoming months. With shared vision of sustainable economics and management, the new Executive Board aims to work with oikos chapters across the globe, bring fresh ideas, and implement impactful projects. Read all about these passionate oikos leaders!
37 oikos leaders from all over the world gathered in St. Gallen to work together and strengthen the oikos network. Who are we? What kind of leaders do we want to be? How do we want to make a difference and how do we prioritize the range of things we want to achieve? These were the core topics of the three -day Presidents’ Meeting.
Former members of oikos Prague met with the current team and toasted to their 15
oikos Alumni Debates 
Are you an alumna/alumnus? Keep in touch via Linkedin.
Working on oikos projects that integrate sustainability into finance education and research? Or just interested in the topic? Join our new oikos Finance Initiative group on 
Warm (yes warm!) November sunshine heralded the start of the 2013 Presidents’ Meeting in St. Gallen last month. Presidents of over 40 oikos chapters from across the world gathered for the annual workshop. In helping to design and facilitate the three-day event, I was amazed to see the commitment of such inspiring and self-driven young people to making the world a better place.