41 teens from five countries, aged 16 to 19, took part in the WU4Juniors Summer School from July 12 to 16, taking advantage of this opportunity to explore the fascinating world of business and economics and get a first glimpse of what it is like to study at a university.

The Summer School is part of the WU4Juniors program, a joint initiative of WU (Vienna University of Economics and Business), the Federation of Austrian Industries (IV), and the Berndorf Private Foundation. The program is intended to strengthen young people’s economic literacy. WU4Juniors allows teens to complete online study modules at the freely available learning platform LearnPublic to gain a basic understanding of economic concepts and mechanisms – a key skill in today’s society. The five-day Summer School complements the program. It was held for the second time this year, giving teens the opportunity to explore economic issues more in depth, get to know researchers and business representatives, and get an idea of what it is like to study at a university.

A varied program including a business simulation, project work, and lectures

During the kick-off event, the participants had the opportunity to get to know WU’s campus, both on site and virtually. The opening lecture gave them an idea of the many different aspects of economics and business, and a campus tour was held to give them a glimpse of what student life is like at WU. The program of the Summer School, held fully online from Tuesday onwards, was intended to familiarize the teens with a number of key topics related to business and economics: WU professors and researchers offered valuable insights into their various areas of research and expertise, and representatives of renowned companies shared their practical experience. The program also included a business simulation game that allowed participants to explore the consequences of managerial decisions and a project assignment, where the participants got to work on an economics-related question in small groups. The results of this work were presented in the form of a video during the final event. For their work, the participants obtained a certificate that is eligible for credit transfer towards a WU degree program and also serves as a valuable asset for their CV.

Applications for the 2022 Summer School open in the fall

The application period for the 2022 Summer School will start in the fall. Young people interested in participating in the Summer School should not wait too long to apply, because the places are highly sought after. For anyone interested in preparing for the next Summer School or deepening their knowledge, 52 online modules on 14 business and economics topics are available free of charge on the LearnPublic platform.

Find out more about WU4Juniors and the Summer School at wu.at/wu4juniors.