On April 13th, 2013, the Universities for a New Economy conference at the New School for Social Research (NSSR) will investigate the particular role universities can play in promoting a shift towards a more democratic and socially and ecologically sustainable economic system. Organized by the NSSR Economics Student Union, the conference will bring together academic, organizational and grassroots leaders from the new-economy movement for a series of informative panels and interactive workshops.

Participants will leave equipped with a deeper knowledge of some commonly discussed “new-economy” concepts and empowered with a practical understanding of steps they can take to transform universities into engines of economic system change. The conference will ideally help launch a broader, continuing discussion about progressive economics change in the world of higher education, and inspire advocacy in this direction. It will likewise mark an opportunity for new-economy organizations and institutions such as worker-owned and self-directed enterprises to begin building relationships with the New School and broader NYC university community.

9:15 a.m. — Welcome Remarks: David Van Zandt, President of the New School

9:30 a.m. – 10:30 a.m. — Opening Presentation: Visions of a New Economy — What are some of the core principles, policies and institutions that might constitute a new, democratic and ecologically sustainable economic system? How could those pieces fit together to comprise a coherent system? What steps need to be taken societally and politically to effect such a transition and what is being done now?

• Gar Alperovitz — Lionel R. Bauman Professor of Political Economy, University of Maryland; author of America Beyond Capitalism; founder of the Democracy Collaborative.
• David Korten (via Skype) — Founder of Yes! magazine, and author of Agenda for a New Economy 

10:30 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. — Panel I: Curriculum for a New Economy – What kind of research is needed to develop new-economy principles and institutions and what courses can help facilitate that research? What challenges stand in the way of introducing such courses/research efforts to economics departments?

• Workplace Democracy: Richard Wollf — Professor of Economics, the New School; author ofDemocracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism
• Pluralist Economics: Sanjay Reddy — Professor of Economics, the New School; author of International Trade and Labor Standards: A Proposal for Linkage
• Future of Finance: Susan Arterian-Chang — Director of Content Development, the Capital Institute, and author of Field Guide to Investing in Regenerative Economy
• Ecological Economics: Eric Zencey — Fellow at the Gund Institute for Ecological Economics, University of Vermont; author of The Other Road to Serfdom and the Path to Sustainable Democracy

12:00 p.m. – 1 p.m. — Lunch and New Economy Village Exhibit

Lunch — Free lunch menu includes boxed lunches of vegetarian, vegan and deli-meat sandwiches, healthy sides, iced tea, orange juice, lemonade and water. (***Lunch must be eaten outside of the Kellen Auditorium***)

The New Economy Village — Participants will have an opportunity to network, meet representatives from local and national new-economy advocacy organizations and social businesses, check out exhibits and even participate in an interactive art project by Democracy at Work.

1:00 p.m. – 1:30 p.m. — Keynote Address — Professor Rick Wolff: Economics Education for the 21^stCentury

1:30 p.m. – 3:00 p.m. — Panel II: Institutions for a New Economy — Beyond curricular change, how can universities act as a new-economy institutions, and how can they support the practical development of a new-economy in their immediate communities and society at large?

• The University as an “Anchor Institution”: Gar Alperovitz — Lionel R. Bauman Professor of Political Economy, University of Maryland; author of America Beyond Capitalism; founder of the Democracy Collaborative
• Divestment and Responsible Investment: Chris Crews — Member of the New School’s Advisory Council on Investor Responsibility (ACIR), and Co-Chair of the New School Social Justice Committee
• Community Economic Empowerment: Danica Savonick — Coordinator, the Free University of NYC

———————-   Break    ———————-

3:30 p.m. — 5:00 p.m. — Interactive Workshops: Strategies for Action –  Participants will break out into three workshop groups to hear presentations on model campaigns for curricular and institutional change at colleges and universities and to discuss strategies for winning future campaigns. Presenters:

• Track I: Curricula and Labor: Paddy Quick — Professor of Economics, St. Francis College, Brooklyn; Steering committee member, Union of Radical Political Economics (URPE)
• Track II: Institutional Change: Anchor Institutions: Estefania Narvaez — Northeast Regional Coordinator, Real Food Challenge
• Track III: Institutional Change: Divestment: Rose Espinola — National Organizer, Responsible Endowments Coalition

5:10 p.m. — Closing Remarks and Special Guest Appearance

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