Aurora Spring
Biannual 2023
Wednesday 10th – Thursday 11th May

On Wednesday 10th and Thursday 11th May, the University of East Anglia hosted the Aurora Spring Biannual 2023 online.
The program focused on exploring International Education from different perspectives. Participants examined how future education and research would adapt and develop in the changing international climate, with staff and student contributions.
Attendees were delighted to welcome keynote speaker Dr. Anne D’Angelo from the University of Minnesota, who had published a book entitled “Possibilities of International Education.”

Day 1 | Wednesday 10 May
Time (BST/CEST) | Sessions |
8:30 – 9:30 BST / 9:30 – 10:30 CEST | Opening: Welcome Prof Jón Atli Benediktsson – Aurora President and University of Iceland Prof Mark Searcey – University of East Anglia |
9:30 – 10:30 BST / 10:30 – 11:30 CEST | AI in Higher Education (ChatGPT policies & Implementation) Prof Fabio Arico (Chair) – University of East Anglia Prof Irene Häntschel-Erhart – University of Innsbruck Prof Richard Harvey – University of East Anglia Auli Viidalepp – University of Tartu |
10:30 – 12:00 BST / 11:30 – 13:00 CEST | Aurora Student Competences (BEVI, LOUIS, and SEISMIC) Adam Christian von Wald – University of Duisburg-Essen Prof John Style – Universitat Rovira i Virgili Prof Max Tomoszek – Palacký University Olomouc Dr Anne-Karen Hueske – Copenhagen Business School |
12:00 – 13:00 BST / 13:00 – 14:00 CEST | Lunch Break |
13:00 – 14:00 BST / 14:00 – 15:00 CEST | Possibilities of International Education Dr Anne D’Angelo – University of Minnesota |
14:00 – 15:00 BST / 15:00 – 16:00 CEST | Panel Discussion: Institute for Volunteering Research Dr Jurgen Grotz – University of East Anglia |
15:00 – 16:00 BST / 16:00 – 17:00 CEST | Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) Panel Discussion Prof Helena Gillespie (Chair) – University of East Anglia Dr Chris Sippel – Case Western Reserve University Marina Vives i Cabré – Universitat Rovira i Virgili |
16:00 – 16:30 BST / 17:00 – 17:30 CEST | International learning through a UNESCO Chair partnership Prof Anna Robinson-Pant – University of East Anglia Prof Yann Lebeau – University of East Anglia Lauren Bouttell – University of East Anglia |
Day 2 | Thursday 11 May
Time (BST/CEST) | Sessions |
8:30 – 9:00 BST 9:30 – 10:00 CEST | Second day opening |
9:00 – 10:00 BST / 10:00 – 11:00 CEST | Informal networking session – How ‘international’ are we? Prof Eylem Atakav (Chair) |
10:00 – 11:00 BST / 11:00 – 12:00 CEST | Celebrating the Aurora Alliance’s Achievements and Looking Forward: Work Package Updates |
11:00 – 12:00 BST / 12:00 – 13:00 CEST | Student session – Mental Health Aurora Student Council |
12:00 – 13:00 BST / 13:00 – 14:00 CEST | Lunch Break |
13:00 – 13:50 BST / 14:00 – 14:50 CEST | The Suitcase project by the University of Sanctuary Madeleine Dutton – University of East Anglia Dr Sophie North – University of East Anglia Anastasia Petrenko – University of East Anglia |
14:00 – 14:50 BST / 15:00 – 15:50 CEST | Joint session: Pluriversality and Plural epistemologies Dr Spyros Themelis – University of East Anglia Dr Marián Arribas-Tome – University of East Anglia Prof Ulrike Jessner-Shmid – University of Innsbruck |
15:00 – 15:20 BST / 16:00 – 16:20 CEST | Peru Project Prof Sarah Barrow – University of East Anglia Prof Eylem Atakav – University of East Anglia |
15:20 – 15:35 BST / 16:20 – 16:35 CEST | Coastal Communities update – Eastern Arc Dr Wendy McMahon – University of East Anglia |
15:35 – 16:00 BST / 16:35 – 17:00 CEST | Aurora Ryze App (Demonstration & Update) Dr James Gardiner – University of East Anglia |
16:00 – 16:30 BST / 17:00 – 17:30 CEST | Closing remarks Auður Inga Rúnarsdóttir – Aurora Central Office Prof Eylem Atakav – University of East Anglia |
Closed sessions (invitations have been sent separately to related groups):
VRR meeting: Wednesday 10 May, 10:00 – 12:00 BST (11:00 – 13:00 CEST)
General Council meeting: Thursday 11 May, 8:00 – 10:00 BST (9:00 – 11:00 CEST)

Dr Anne D’Angelo

Prof. Jon Atli Benediktsson

Mark Searcey

Prof. Helena Gillespie

Prof. Eylem Atakav

Auli Viidalepp

Fabio Aricò

Prof. Richard Harvey

Irene Häntschel-Erhart

Adam Christian von Wald

Dr Anne-Karen Hueske

Maxim Tomoszek

Jurgen Grotz

Dr Christopher Sippel

Marina Vives Cabré

Ricardo Lyle

Prof. Anna Robinson-Pant

Yann Lebeau

Lauren Bouttell

Aurora Student Council

Madeleine Dutton

Dr. Sophie North

Spyros Themelis

Marián Arribas-Tomé

Ulrike Jessner

James Gardiner
Prior to joining UEA, James was the Academic Programme Director for the Management and Social Science degrees and worked with the Chartered Management Institute to deliver one of the UK’s first Chartered Manager Degree Apprenticeships. Before joining academia, James founded 2 companies and worked in the London insurance market with Willis Towers Watson and Chubb Insurance Inc. and Twinsoft B.V as Underwriter, Broker, Marketing Director and Managing Director. James completed his International Baccalaureate and studied at the University of Birmingham, the University of Hull and the University of East Anglia. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, the Chartered Management Institute and the Higher Education Academy.

John Style

University of East Anglia
A research-intensive university, the University of East Anglia (UEA) is ranked one of the United Kingdom’s top 15 universities, one of Europe’s top 100, and is also in the world’s top 100 for research excellence. Located in the Norwich Research Park (NRP), UEA has 15,000 students (4,000 of them postgraduate) and 25 per cent of students are international. UEA shares the NRP with the research-intensive Institute of Food Research, the John Innes Centre, The Sainsbury Laboratory, the Earlham Institute and the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital.
Specialisms range from environment and climate change, to health and nutrition, exploring issues of family and child policy, economics and business through to creative writing. The university’s interdisciplinary approach, and the international reach of its research, ensures it’s well placed to continue to address significant research questions and make a real impact on the world.