Looking back on AEMS 2026

57 participants. 28 nations. 5 continents.

Different approaches - a shared vision.

This year's 13th AEMS Summer University came to a close on 31 July 2026- looking back, the program was full of highlights, inspiring discussions, and unforgettable moments for our international students & professionals!

Throughout the program, participants created a beautiful community of 57 participants from 28 nations - with the friendships, connections, and inspirations to last long beyond the summer.

AEMS took off on 13 July 2026, not only with welcoming words, but with introductions of students and team members on this shared learning journey. Over the course of three weeks, our participants dived into sessions of four exciting modules:

• 🌱 Basics & Nature
• 💶 Finance & Money
• 🌍 Economics with Social and Ecological Values
• 🔄 A Social-Ecological Transformation

Each module was filled with captivating lectures, interactive workshops and critical debates - both, among students and with the 21 lecturers. To actively encourage discussion of fresh perspectives, each input session was divided into two parts:

The lecture itself (leaving room for clarifying questions throughout) and the following space for reflection, discussion and the sharing of perspectives together with the lecturers and provided in a more informal group setting.

Program Highlights

Setting the scene for new approaches, the program culminated in highlights created by the participants themselves:

• The Open Space Market Place kept the page blank for participants to fill according to what they wanted to share - including everything from inspiring insights into the projects of the students in their home countries, and formats ranging from video and poster presentations, to personal talks and reflection walks.
  
  
• From the initiatives of the students, to pioneering organizations in Vienna: The tour "Visiting local initatives" took students to visit transformative initiatives in Vienna, where they got to to learn more about how these came to be, barriers to overcome as well as opportunities they created.
  
  
• The Group Project presentations provided another astounding highlight, which especially proved just how much can be accomplished in a short period of time. Throughout AEMS, students got together in small teams to develop solutions for systemic change - tackling pressing social, ecological, and/ or economic challenges with creativity and vision - and resulting in a plethora of different approaches!

Public Events

Change is a project of many, which is why AEMS also strives to draw in a wider audience with topics of sustainability and responsibility. We therefore hosted two public events this year:

• Opening Event Who builds the future
• Movie Night YANUNI

Read more on these events here.

More Than a Summer University

AEMS provides a holistic and thinking-out-of-the-box approach in an international setting - going beyond traditional academia and allowing for communal bonding. Another highlight for our participants lies in the many events and activities set on experiencing culture and community:

• An excursion to IIASA
• Sports evenings & yoga with Christian Felber
• A walking tour exploring Vienna’s iconic social housing model
• And a traditional dinner at a local Heurigen

Together, they built a vibrant international community – learning, celebrating, and creating friendships to stay long beyond the program.

Thank You 💚

A heartfelt thank you to all our participants, speakers, tutors, partners, supporters, and sponsors! Thanks to you, AEMS once again became a unique learning journey – full of inspiration, exchange, and visions for a sustainable and liveable future.

We can’t wait for the next year’s edition!