Aurora Olomouc
Biannual 2023

Tuesday 17th – Wednesday 18th October

Join us at the Palacký University Olomouc on October 17th and 18th for the highly anticipated Aurora Fall Biannual 2023 in Olomouc, Czechia.

Experience a retrospective of Aurora’s remarkable accomplishments and delve into the exciting prospects that lie ahead. Engage in thought-provoking high-level panel discussions on the future of European Higher Education and connect with colleagues from across Aurora and much more.

 Don’t miss this opportunity to be a part of something truly extraordinary. Register now to claim your spot at the Aurora Fall Biannual 2023.

Pre-register Now!

Connect with us on social media using #AuroraBiannualUP

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  • Welcome Day | Monday 16 October

    Time (CET) Sessions Location
    13:00 – 17:00 Aurora RI – Coodinators and WP-leads
    Closed Door Session    		 Big Meeting Room
    UP Rectorate
    Krizkovskeho 8, Olomouc
    15:00 – 17:00 Student Council Meeting
    Closed Door Session    		 UP Student Club
    Zbrojnice University Library
    Biskupské nám. 842, Olomouc
    19:00 – 22:00 Welcome Reception VKOL – Cerveny Kostel (Red Church)
    Bezručova 3, Olomouc

    Day 1 | Tuesday 17 October

    Time (CET) Sessions Location
    8:30 – 9:00 Registration Aula
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    9:00 – 9:30

    Welcome Words

    • Martin Prochazka, Rector
    • Vaclav Stehlik, Dean
    • Jón Atli Benediktsson, Aurora President
    • Lorenzo Rieg & Zuzana Hunkova, Aurora Sustainable Campus 
    		 Aula
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    9:30 – 10:45

    Plenary Session: Aurora Pilot Phase: Aurora Model Alliance?

    Speakers:

    • Sabine Allain Sainte-Rose
    • Audur Inga Runarsdottir
    • Barbara Buchenau
    • Gregor Halff 
    • Lucie Plihalova
    • Tetyana Keganovska
    		 Aula
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    10:45 – 11:00 Signing Ceremony
    Research Infrastructure Memorandum of Understanding
    MAMA Agreement    		 Aula
    Faculty of Law, Building
    11:00 – 11:30 Coffee Break Foyer
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    11:30 – 13:00

    High-level Panel 1: The impact and role of European Universities on future of Higher Education in Europe

    Speakers:

    • Vanessa Debiais-Sainton (DG-EAC)
    • Stijn Delauré (RTD)
    • Thomas Estermann (EUA)
    • Jon Atli Benediktsson (Aurora, University of Iceland)
    • Josef Matousek (4EU+, Charles University and ED Affiche)

    Moderator: Kees Kouwenaar

    		 Aula
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    13:00 – 14:30 Lunch Break Foyer
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    14:00 – 16:30 Presidents’ Strategic Dicussion & General Council Meeting
    Closed Door Session    		 Big Meeting Room
    UP Rectorate
    Krizkovskeho 8, Olomouc
    14:30 – 15:30

    Plenary Session: “Sustainability Talks”

    Speakers:

    • Lorenzo Rieg (UIBK)
    • Zuzana Hunkova (UPOL)
    • Aurora Sustainable Campus Team Guests
    		 Aula
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    14:30 – 15:30 Break Out Sessions See Tab: “Break Out Sessions”
    15:30 – 16:00 Coffee Break Foyer
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    16:00 – 17:00 Break Out Sessions See Tab: “Break Out Sessions”
    16:00 – 17:00 Thematic Session 1:
    ‘COIL: Innovating at the Intersection of Virtual Exchange and Sustainability Education with Aurora and Beyond’    		 Maly Sal I.
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    16:00 – 17:00 Thematic Session 2:
    Aurora Competence Framework: BEVI Workshop    		 Maly Sal II.
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    16:30 – 18:30 IC Meeting
    Closed Door Session    		 Big Meeting Room
    UP Rectorate
    Krizkovskeho 8, Olomouc
    17:00 – 19:00 Free Time
    19:00 – 20:00 Guided Tour of Olomouc Faculty of Law, Building B
    20:00 – 22:00 Regional Museum Visit and Networking Hour Olomouc Regional Museum
    nám. Republiky 5, Olomouc

    Day 2 | Wednesday 18 October

    Time (CET) Sessions Location
    9:00 – 9:30 Registration Aula
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    9:30 – 11:00

    High-level Panel II: Alliance Exchange – Balancing Education, Research Innovation and Social Responsibility

    Speakers:

    • Lenka Rovna (Charles University and 4EU+ Aliance)
    • Ignasi Salvado-Estivill (OPERA)
    • Harpa Sif Arnarsdottir (EC – ESC Initiative )
    • Marjolein Zweekhorst (Athena Institute, VU)
    • Werner Wutscher (New Venture Scouting)
    • Lucie Kotkova (PhD Impact Aymposium Aurora)

    Moderator: Selma Porobic

    		 Aula
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    11:00 – 11:30 Coffee Break Foyer
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    11:30 – 13:00 Panel III: Toward student-centered European University Alliances Aula
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    11:30 – 13:00 Vice-Rectors for Education Meeting
    Closed Door Session    		 Room K21
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    11:30 – 13:00 Vice-Rectors for Research Meeting
    Closed Door Session    		 Big Meeting Room
    UP Rectorate
    Krizkovskeho 8, Olomouc
    13:00 – 14:30 Lunch Break Foyer
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    14:30 – 16:00 Thematic Session 1:
    ‘From science to Entrepreneurship’    		 Maly Sal II.
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    14:30 – 16:00 Thematic Session 2:
    LOUIS Competence Framework    		 Room K21
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    14:30 – 16:00

    World Cafe
    Topics:
    1. Sustainable Campus
    2. Popolurisation of Science
    3. Diversity and Inclusion
    4. Capacity Building and Outreach

    		 Maly Sal I.
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    16:00 – 16:30 Closing Ceremony

    		Aula
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    16:30 – 19:00 Free Time
    19:00 – 22:00 Farewell Reception Archbishop’s Palace
    Wurmova 562/9, Olomouc

     Event App: For more information, locations and more we recommend our event app, which will be available soon.

  • Accomodation

    There are many hotels in and around Olomouc’s beautiful city centre. The centre is compact, and well-served by various tram lines. Below, please find a selection of recommended hotels:

    Hotel Flora Olomouc

    Situated next to one of the cities main parks, the Flora Hotel, offers georgeos views of the city. It is a 20 minute walk, or 8 minute tram-ride away from the Biannual venue.

    Hotel Flora Olomouc

    Long Story Short 

    Less then a 10 minute walk from the main venue, Long Story Short offer both stylish private hotel rooms and modern dorm style rooms, at affordable rates.

    Long Story Short

    OREA Hotel Arigone

    Located in the heart of Olomouc’s historic city centre, to get to the main venue from the Orea Hotel Arigone takes about 5 minutes by foot.

    Orea Hotel Arigone

    Clarion Congress Hotel Olomouc

    The Clarion Congress Hotel Olomouc, is conveniently situated next to the Olomouc Train Station, at walking distance from the biannual venues. 

    Clarion Congress Hotel Olomouc

    Theresian Hotel Olomouc

    This beautiful hotel in the centre of Olomouc is situated a stylishly renovated historic building. It is a 20 minute walk, or 8 minute tram-ride away from the Biannual venue.

    Theresian Hotel Olomouc

    Getting to Olomouc

    If you travel by air, we recommend Prague, Brno or Vienna airports as a destination. Due to its location right in the middle of Moravia, Olomouc is easily accessible by road and train. Trains and buses operate on a frequent and regular basis.

    For detailed instructions on how to get to Olomouc easily, visit our dedicate arirval page.

    Arrival to Palacky University

  • Break-out Sessions

    <br\> During the biannual, we encourage workpackages and task teams to meet to collaborate and work together. We offer two dedicated slots for break out sessions. In the table below you can see where and when your TT is scheduled to meet.
    For those who have not booked a session, a flexible workspace is available right upstairs.

    Break-out Slot 1 – Tue 17 October 14:30 – 15:30
    Time (CET) Task Team Location
    14:30 – 15:30 2.1 Quality Room K22
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    14:30 – 15:30 3.3 Borderless Learning Room K21
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    14:30 – 15:30 3.4.1 Sustainability & Climate Change Room 1.51
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    14:30 – 15:30 3.4.4 Culture: Diversity & Identity Room 3.33
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    14:30 – 15:30 4.2 Aurora Research Platforms Room 4.23
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    14:30 – 15:30 4.3 Social Entrepreneurship Room 2.11
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    14:30 – 15:30 3.5 Teaching For Societal Impact Room 3.22
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    14:30 – 15:30 6.2 Communication & Dissemination Room 1.27
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    Break-out Slot 2 – Tue 17 October 16:00 – 17:00
    Time (CET) Task Team Location
    16:00 – 17:00 3.1 Aurora Competence Framework & Identity Room 1.27
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    16:00 – 17:00 3.4.1 Sustainability & Climate Change Room 1.51
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    16:00 – 17:00 3.6 Learning Analytics Room 3.22
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    16:00 – 17:00 4.4 Capacity Development Support Room K21
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    16:00 – 17:00 5.2 SDG Education Dashboard Room 2.11
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    16:00 – 17:00 5.3 Sustainable Campus Room K22
    Faculty of Law, Building B
    16:00 – 17:00 RI WP2 STP Envelopa
    16:00 – 17:00 RI WP3 STP Envelopa
    16:00 – 17:00 RI WP4 STP Envelopa
    16:00 – 17:00 RI WP5 STP Envelopa

450 years of Palacký University

Palacký University Olomouc is an internationally respected, top-rated academic and scientific university in Central Europe. It is the oldest university in Moravia and the second oldest in the Czech Republic. Its eight faculties now number 23,000 students, and its research centres employ internationally-renowned teams.

For 449 years, it has contributed to the intellectual wealth of society, to scientific, cultural, and social development. The development of Palacký University over four centuries has reflected important historical milestones: the Thirty Years’ War, the revolutionary year 1848, the establishment of Czechoslovakia, the German Occupation, and the student demonstrations of 1939 and 1989.

The university has overcome repeated adversity with strength of spirit and faith in the purpose of academia and the immense value of education. Values near and dear to the legacy of František Palacký, in whose honour the university was renamed in the 20th century.

Now, on the threshold of its 450th jubilee year, the university invites you to look back at its history and look forward to the future.

www.450.upol.cz