Summer Academy 2021: Questions & Answers

What is the Online Summer Academy for Pluralist Economics?

Who is behind the event?

The Summer Academy is co-hosted by the Netzwerk Plurale Ökonomik e.V. (Network for Pluralist Economics) and the Evangelische Akademie Thüringen (Protestant Academy of Thuringia).

Over the last years, the Network for Pluralism in Economics has become a dynamic student movement with substantial impact on debates surrounding the current state and future of economics as a discipline in academia. It is a member of the International Student Initiative for Pluralism in Economics (ISIPE) which unites more than 100 student initiatives from over 40 countries worldwide.

The Evangelische Akademie Thüringen is an educational institution of the Protestant Church of Central Germany, which contributes to public debates around democracy, freedom, and justice by organizing conferences, workshops, and other events. Its aim is to create a forum for exchange between people from different backgrounds and beliefs on the fundamental issues of humanity, religion, and the world.

To make this event possible, we cooperate with partners like the Bundeszentrale für politische Bildung, the Heinrich Böll Stiftung, the Institute for New Economic Thinking and the Institut für Makroökonomie und Konjunkturforschung (Macroeconomic Policy Institute). Our partners support the academic and organizational setup of the Summer Academy and/or contribute financially.

The planning is in the hands of an organizing team consisting of (mostly) volunteers who participated in earlier renditions of the Summer Academy.

Meet 2021's organizing team here.

What was the theme in 2021?

In 2021, the theme was “Reimagining Economics: Learning from the Past, Navigating the Future.”

The theme is an invitation to challenge economic orthodoxy and to engage with heterodox approaches - to reimagine economics.

Economic ideas are always shaped by the historic context they emerge from. Power relations as well as dominant cultural and social ideas have an impact on theorising. Of course, this relationship goes both ways: Economic thought impacts policies and the ways in which societies organize themselves.

Therefore, it is important to reflect on the past. However, looking backwards must not be an end in itself. The goal is to ask the right questions in order to make sure that mistakes are not repeated and preconceived notions are challenged:

Against the backdrop of what historical contexts and power relations has economic theory been developed? How has economic theory impacted people's lives and continues to do so? Are the theories and models we are using helpful for understanding and solving today's problems? Are there heterodox approaches that can help us to better respond to current challenges? We want to ask these questions, because we believe they are key to making sure that economics as a discipline contributes to navigating towards a just and sustainable future for all.

Given the different crises humanity is facing, it might be tempting to focus on ready-made economic solutions and to postpone fundamental academic debates to the future. We are still in a global pandemic, the climate and biodiversity crisis are unfolding, inequalities, discrimination, polarization, and a lack of opportunities for democratic participation are affecting people's lives around the world.

We agree that today's challenges are manifold. However, we think that the tools heterodox economics have to offer are, too. It is high time to stop clinging to economic orthodoxy and to instead ask what pluralist alternatives have to offer.

What were the workshops about?

The workshops can be thought of as the core of the online Summer Academy. Their overall goal is to complement the neoclassical mainstream of economic thinking by additional and alternative perspectives. Each workshop will be dedicated to a specific school of thought or economic issue.

There were fifteen workshop sessions of 90 minutes each that combine phases of interactive lecturing, collaborative teamwork, and periods of individual work. Each workshop group of around ten participants was guided by one or several facilitators. The workshop groups worked together in producing a common output which is now publicly available on the e-learning website www.exploring-economics.org. The groups' outputs may be used as a reference by future Summer Academy participants and as an e-learning resource by students and teachers all over the world.

You can find out more about the workshops and the workshop outputs here.

What about the evening program?

We have planned intriguing panels and lectures that are of interest to all participants and the public. We were joined by speakers who are experts on and passionate about the questions at hand. They will share their views with us and are looking forward to discussing with the Summer Academy's participants. The lectures and panel discussions are publicly available so that participants from all time zones can benefit from them.

Here you can find out more about the evening program and the links to the videos.

How is a one-week online event even possible?

The Summer Academy aims to provide high-quality teaching as well as opportunities for participants to get to know each other, to discuss, and to exchange ideas. The workshops are interactive with an emphasis on collaborative learning. The evening program offered food for thought beyond the workshops and everyone was invited to shape the Summer Academy by participating in and taking responsibility for one of the open spaces.

Which platforms and tools will be used?

We used Google Workspace which allowed us to chat, have video conferences, as well as to edit, store, and share documents.

When and where did the event take place?

The Online Summer Academy 2021 took place from July 30 to August 6. The Summer Academy was held online. You can find the schedule here.

What technical equipment do I need to participate?

Was it possible to participate in only a few events?

Who could apply? What were the selection criteria?

Everyone who is eager to learn about and discuss pluralist economics was invited to join us. 

Many participants were students of economics or a neighbouring discipline. The Summer Academy provided an opportunity to learn about approaches not typically part of the standard syllabus. We also encouraged students from other academic backgrounds to apply. Challenging the hard lines often drawn between different disciplines is key to many heterodox approaches.

We were open to undergrad and postgrad students as well as recent graduates. Eligibility to apply was not connected to a specific status. We were striving to have participants with diverse biographies.

Thanks to the online format of this year's Summer Academy, we were able to accommodate applications from around the world.

The event was conducted in English. Participants therefore needed to be able to converse in English.

We tried to accommodate as many applicants as possible. The goal was to make sure that there would be vibrant discussions in every workshop group. Our application process is designed to help us understand why participants wanted to participate, why they were interested in a specific workshop, and whether they would be preapared to actively participate in the programme.

When was the application period?

Was there a participation fee?

Yes, we asked participants for a small financial contribution. However, we wanted to make sure that this cost would not exclude anyone from participating.

• The regular participation contribution was 20 €.
• Who was able to was asked to consider paying more. Solidarity contributions helped others participate.
• If it was difficult for a participant to pay the regular contribution, we were able to find an individual solution.

A lot of money went into the Online Summer Academy 2021. We are thankful for our funders and partners who cover most of our expenses and allow us to keep participation fees low.