Beyond Academic Writing

By Jonas Bunte

In many professional contexts, success depends not only on having strong ideas, but on the ability to communicate them clearly and persuasively. This is the starting point of a teaching activity I use in my courses: students are asked to both write and deliver a speech. The exercise is built around a realistic public scenario that requires students to move beyond academic writing and engage with the challenges of addressing a broader audience.

In this iteration of the assignment, students were asked to imagine themselves standing on a small stage in front of the Mayor’s Office in Vienna, speaking to a crowd of approximately 2,000 young people who had just completed a march around the Ringstraße. The topic centered on intergenerational fairness and Austria’s fiscal future. Students had to develop a persuasive speech explaining why debates about deficits, pensions, and fiscal consolidation are not merely technical policy questions, but issues with direct consequences for younger generations. The task required them to connect economic constraints, political incentives, and normative arguments in a way that would resonate with an engaged but non-specialist audience.

The primary objective of the assignment is to develop skills. Students learn to identify a core message, structure arguments, and adapt their language, tone, and framing to a specific audience and setting. At the same time, the performance component encourages them to develop confidence in situations characterized by uncertainty and exposure. Communicating persuasively, managing nervousness, and maintaining credibility are abilities that are valuable across a wide range of careers, from management and consulting to policy, media, and public leadership.

From a pedagogical perspective, the assignment is intentionally designed as a safe learning environment. Speech videos are viewed only by the instructor, allowing students to experiment with rhetoric, style, and delivery without social pressure. Detailed guidance is provided on both writing and performance, including techniques for capturing attention, structuring content, and using vocal and non-verbal communication effectively. In this way, the exercise connects analytical thinking with practical communication skills – competencies that are increasingly essential in a world where economic decisions and public debates are deeply intertwined.

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