Sustained student pressure secures win at University of Copenhagen

The win

The Department of Food and Resource Economics (IFRO) at the University of Copenhagen agrees to hire a new professor in Ecological Economics. Previously economics and the environment had largely been taught from a neoclassical perspective.

The way there

The Rethinking Economics IFRO team organised a series screenings, heterodox presentations to mobilise new students to the lack of ecological engagement in the economics teaching. They also engaged in some minor criticisms during classes and held meetings with junior members of the department leadership. This pressure led to a meeting with the Heads of Studies of the program ‘Environmental and Food Economics’.

During those meetings, we suggested a number of more radical changes to the curriculum. While they did not met any of these demands, they did agree to prioritising a the new professorship role. They said they had planned to do it at some point, but it became a priority as a result of our campaigning.

Shining a bright light on these shocking shortcomings have led the university to step up their game and broaden their offer in economics courses. No direct action was involved – yet. Just imagine what could be achieved if great research and on-the-ground campaigning were combined!

Factors of success

• Causing reputational risk by challenging the institution’s claim to provide a ‘green education’.
•  Building a broad coalition of those dissatisfied with the course including different student bodies and supportive academics.

Learnings

• Expect the serendipitious unexpected! This change wasn’t one of the demands that RE IFRO brought into negotiation with the department but it meets the aims of our campaign and is a powerful stepping stone to achieving further change in the curriculum.