Empowering Students as Changemakers: Ecotopia Summer School 2025

For the fourth year in a row, the Ecotopia Summer School has turned Ljubljana into a hub of circular innovation and collaboration. From June 30 to July 4, 2025, forty students from across Europe gathered at the School of Economics and Business, University of Ljubljana, to co-create solutions for a sustainable future—not as passive learners, but as equal contributors in shaping the circular economy.

This immersive experience was made possible through the Ecotopia programme, an initiative rooted in the broader Eutopia —a network of ten European universities and six global partners striving to reinvent transnational higher education. Within this context, Circular Change co-created the Circular Economy module, which lies at the heart of Ecotopia and culminates in the experience of ECOTOPIA Summer School | University of Ljubljana, School of Economics and Business

Unlike traditional educational settings, the Ecotopia Summer School is not about exams, but about engagement. Students apply their learning through a real-world business case—in 2025, this centered on a restaurant with a plant-based offering. Participants designed their own bio-based diet solutions, supported by hands-on workshops, gamification techniques, and deep systems thinking.

Led by experts such as Ladeja Godina Košir, Maja Zalaznik (UL SEB), Mina Mansoor Rankel, Marco Segovia Bifarini, and Polona Hrovat Mavšar, the programme brought theory to life. From exploring circular business models to tackling climate challenges, the students built not only knowledge, but also confidence and solidarity.

“What can be achieved in just one week?” one might ask. The answer: a lot. For many of the participants—young master’s students already engaged in professional paths—this was the first time they were addressed as equal co-creators of solutions, not just students. Moving from team to team, overcoming competitiveness, and discovering the power of collaboration and mutual support, they embodied the values of Circular Change: solidarity, inspiration, and cooperation over competition.

As this year's Ecotopia wraps up, it leaves behind not just certificates, but empowered individuals ready to drive change—in their communities and beyond.