The International Kassel Summer Academy brings a fresh approach to the persistent big questions

The mission of the International Kassel Summer Academy could not be more topical. Global growth and investment are slowing, while warnings of a recession are growing louder. The IKSA’s academic focus has always been on the world economy, the financial sector and global inequality, since it was launched in 2003 by the German University of Kassel and the Hans Böckler foundation, named after Germany’s leading post-war unionist. The Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) has been a co-host of the IKSA since 2005.

From the beginning, the IKSA has offered young activists, labour representatives, and political party youth a space to connect. Participation of activists from the Global South has always been key. Many lecturers come from the network of the Global Labour University (GLU), which was set up in 2004 to improve trade unions’ understanding of the impacts of globalization. In keeping with this spirit, every session of the IKSA includes a factory visit and discussion with a works council member.

Another key part of the IKSA concept is acknowledging the new ways that young people experience their political engagement. Much has been made of them turning away from formal politics. But the truth is that, while party membership and voting turnout may be falling, young people are still politically active in other ways, and care deeply about political matters such as education or climate change. This year’s intake included some very young activists engaged in topics as diverse as democracy and human rights (Poland, Peru), mental health (Mozambique), workplace harassment (Indonesia), feminist geography and invisible voices in knowledge ownership (Ecuador), and local labour struggles (Germany).