Katharina Beck

Biography

Katharina Beck is passionate about sustainability in nearly all its facets.
Since February 2009, she manages and develops training and research projects at the Institute for Social Banking in Bochum, Germany. She is also responsible for Public Relations and co-develops the overall strategy of the institute. (www.social-banking.org)
At the same time she boosts the impact of oikos International – students for sustainable economics and management – by starting sustainability activities at universities where oikos is not present until now. In 2008, Katharina led oikos International as its president, organising three international conferences, coaching students and supporting and pushing the whole network. (www.oikos-international.org)
Ms Beck’s broad interest in sustainability-driven change in society is not only mirrored in her present jobs. In Cologne, where she studied, she was involved with the local oikos group until she was elected as the international president. In 2005-2006, she was president of matices, a magazine on Latin America, Spain and Portugal where she especially focused Economics and Human Rights issues. She got to know political realities during an internship at the German parliament in 2006. During her job at the German Western Broadcasting (WDR) she had a several years lasting glimpse behind the scenes of media production.
Inspiring, teaching and coaching people connected to strategic thinking is one of Ms Beck’s delights. She was tutor at her University, coaches project leaders and recurrently holds the oikos Pathfinder Session in which she motivates young people to find their project path to sustainability.
In October 2007, Ms Beck graduated at the University of Cologne in Regional Sciences of Latin America, a five years interdisciplinary career comprising of Political Sciences, International Law, History, Spanish and Portuguese. The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) supported her exchange semester in Argentina in 2004. In 2006, Ms Beck was President of the European Council in a three days simulation game (WaCoPas) where she was responsible for agenda setting, thematic preparation and moderation of the whole event.
Her love towards Latin America results from an exchange year in Panama in 1998/99 where she got to know the Panamanian culture living with a Panamanian family and going to school regularly. Ms Beck knows Spanish and English very well and she also speaks French and Portuguese.
Ms Beck lives in Cologne.

This biography was last updated on August 19, 2009