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Archives: Boards

Sofia Panasiuk

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on .

Sofiia Panasiuk is a 21-year-old Master’s student in Public Administration (Public Policy and Management in Conditions of Hybrid Threats) at V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. As the former Head of the University Student Council, she has significant experience in student leadership, policy advocacy, and promoting quality education. Sofiia is passionate about strengthening student participation in decision-making and developing inclusive, transparent, and resilient educational environments. Within the Aurora Student Council, she aims to connect student voices across Europe, enhance collaboration between institutions, and promote civic responsibility and sustainable leadership. She believes that active student engagement is key to building universities that are adaptable, democratic, and future-oriented.

Alessandro Arienzo

Written by rostanetek on .

Alessandro Arienzo is Professor of History of Political Thought and Political Philosophy at the Department of Humanities at the Università Federico II of Naples.  Member of the scientific board of the Doctorate in Philosophical Sciences of the Department of Humanities and representative for the area of political and social sciences in the Italian National University Council. He is among the Rector’s delegates for internationalisation. I am currently a member, and vice-chair, of the Higher Education Standing Committee of ETUCE (European Trade Union Committee on Education). Institutional coordinator for the Federico II of the European university network Aurora and the European Universities projects. 

Anton Serdiuk

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on .

Serdiuk Anton is an 18-year-old student studying Marketing at the Faculty of Economics of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. He has been working in the Student Council of his university for the second year and currently he is the Head of the University Student Council. Anton has experience in managing processes in student activities, improving the quality of the educational process and protecting students’ rights. He sincerely wants to expand opportunities for students through fruitful cooperation with the Aurora Student Council, forming students into a single force that will move the world towards the best changes.

Petra Günther

Written by rostanetek on .

At University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), Petra Günther is Head of the International Office and Aurora Institutional Coordinator. As Aurora Institutional Coordinator, she has an overview of Aurora network activities and the Aurora EUN project at the university. Often this means finding a balance between the ambitions of Aurora and academic life at UDE. While this may be exhausting and frustrating at times, she considers it a privilege to work with many enthusiastic and motivated international colleagues.

Hana Ferati

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on .

Hana Ferati is a Dentistry student at the University of Tetovo, passionate about oral health, scientific discovery, and the importance of ethical, patient-centered care. She is committed to developing both her clinical knowledge and interpersonal skills, with the goal of becoming a competent and compassionate dental professional. As an active and community-minded student, Hana values collaboration, leadership, and inclusivity, qualities that align strongly with the Aurora Student Council’s mission. She believes that student representation plays a vital role in shaping academic and social environments where every voice matters. Through engagement in initiatives that promote academic excellence and cross-cultural exchange, Hana strives to contribute meaningfully to the growth of her university community and beyond.

Joan Miquel Canals

Written by rostanetek on .

Born in Pla del Penedès (Barcelona) in 1964, Joan Miquel Canals studied Chemistry at the University of Barcelona and completed his PhD in the Department of Biochemistry and Biotechnology at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV). He has been working as a lecturer at the URV since 1994, where he has been a senior lecturer in Nutrition and Bromatology since 2008. He has also taught subjects in the Bachelor’s Degree in Oenology, the Master’s Degree in Fermented Drinks, and the International Master’s Degree in Wine Tourism Innovation (WINTOUR) at the Faculty of Oenology.

Sena Avziji

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on .

Sena Avziji is a first-year Medical Student at the University of Tetovo. She is 19 years old but still very passionate about medicine, science, and improving the well-being of others. Sena is dedicated to her studies and she always prioritizes her knowledge. She has been part of many organizations and has travelled to many countries with CBC Loja and Erasmus. She is very excited to be part of the Aurora team too and hopes she can actively contribute with anything she can to help others. She values teamwork, effective communication, and people that have empathy not only for the humans but also for animals and the environment.

Selma Porobic

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Selma Porobić obtained her PhD in migration studies from Lund University in Sweden and holds academic qualifications from the American University in Cairo, Fordham University in New York, and Oxford University in the UK. She is a globally recognised scholar who has extensively published on educational topics related to human rights and peacebuilding. With significant experience in academic administration, she has provided consultation services to government education and research institutions throughout the UK, Scandinavia, Central and Eastern Europe, and the Western Balkans.

In 2018, Selma became part of the Rector’s Office at Palacký University Olomouc, where she serves as an advisor on the European Universities Initiative and heads the Aurora office as the Institutional Coordinator. She also leads the Aurora Capacity Development Programme for Central and Eastern Europe and the Aurora Karazin University Peace Education Hub in Ukraine. Additionally, she chairs the inter-alliance working group ‘Internationalisation and Global Outreach’ within ForEU4ALL, which unites 28 European university alliances.

Martin Schwell

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Martin Schwell is the Vice-President in charge of European Affairs at Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC). He has been a professor of physical chemistry at UPEC’s Faculty of Science and Technology since 2013. He was its Vice-dean for International Relations between 2016 and 2022, and has worked for the international development of his Faculty.

Martin Schwell is an alumnus of the Freie Universität Berlin, where he studied and obtained his doctorate in 1998. He is currently attached to the Laboratoire Interuniversitaire des Systèmes Atmosphériques (LISA). He was head of the LISA Spectroscopy and Atmospheres group from 2011 to 2018. His research focuses on the ultraviolet spectroscopy of molecules of astrophysical and atmospheric interest. He has a passion for scientific events and has organised numerous international schools and workshops.

Anne-Karen Hüske

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Post Doc in Social Entrepreneurship Education at the Department of Management, Society and Communication (MSC) at Copenhagen Business School (CBS), Anne-Karen is also Associate Editor Journal of Social Entrepreneurship, Academic co-lead and Institutional Coordinator for the Aurora European university alliance. She is passionate about responsible management, and contributes to social entrepreneurship, sustainability transformation of organisations, and responsible management education. Using qualitative and quantative methods, Anne-Karen researches inter- and transdisciplinary teams towards the sustainability transition of business and society.

Matthias Beekmann (President)

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Academic Discipline : Environmental Sciences

Matthias Beekmann is research director at CNRS in France. He is working in atmospheric sciences on issues of air quality and its link to climate change. He co-developed a numerical chemistry-transport model which is today widely used for air pollution forecast, scenario calculations of mitigation measures, and scientific purposes. He (co-)organised several field campaigns in order to better understand formation process of so-called secondary pollutants (ozone, aerosol) chemically formed in the atmosphere from directly emitted primary pollutants. He was the first director of the Universe science observatory hosted at Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC), a research federation of environmental science laboratories. Matthias Beekmann is today assessor at UPEC for Aurora research and innovation. He is President of the Aurora Research Council.

Professor Konstanze Zwintz

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Academic discipline: Stellar Astrophysics Konstanze Zwintz is professor for stellar astrophysics at the Institute for Astro- and Particle Physics of Universität Innsbruck. Her research focuses on the topics of early stellar evolution and stellar oscillations and in the combination of both. She has expertise in working with data obtained from ground- and space-based telescopes, in the scientific development of international satellite missions, in chairing international consortia, in teaching and supervising students at all levels (from Bachelor to PhD) and in science communication. Since many years, Konstanze Zwintz is a mentor for students at all levels and for pupils interested in STEM fields. 

Professor Sigrid Neuhauser

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Academic discipline: Microbiology Dr. Sigrid Neuhauser is a scientist and deputy head of the Institute of Microbiology at the University of Innsbruck. Her current research focuses on understanding Phytomyxean plant parasites and their interactions with the environment, plants, marine algae and the role of phytomyxea and other protists involved in soil processes. Her current research is also including the abundance and prevalence of azole resistant fungi in the environement with a focus on human and plant pathogens, as well as more generally topics on fungal plant and algal pathogens and their disease mechanisms and control. She is also studying the interactions between the dry rot fungus Serpula lacrymans and its microbiota and the fate of microbes in antropogenically influenced habitats. Since 2020, Sigrid Neuhauser holds a endowed professorship through the Ingeborg Hochmair Professorship program. She has received several fellowships and awards, including the FWF START Prize and is currently part of an EU Marie Curie Doctoral Network PHABB, the Jena Experiment and the MYCOS programme. Prof. Neuhauser has also worked at the Natural History Museum London and as a researcher outside of academia for MYKON OG. 

Professor Morten Irgens

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Academic discipline: Computer Science/AI Dr Irgens is the Vice Dean of Innovation and Impact at Copenhagen Business School, an advisor to the senior management of Kristiania, and board member of CLAIRE (the Confederation of Laboratories of Artificial Intelligence Research in Europe), Adra (The Artificial Intelligence, Data and Robotics Association) and NORA (The Norwegian Artificial Intelligence Consortium), and sits on the Digital Advisory Board of Abelia, the Steering Board of National Defense Innovation Center, and Danish Universities’  Dr Irgens has a Computer Science MSc and PhD in Artificial Intelligence. He has served in a number of senior management positions in universities and university colleges in Norway, including three times as Vice-Rector and twice as Faculty Dean, where he has been responsible for establishing or acquiring a number of research labs, research centres, and research institutions. He has also been a CEO, CTO, and Research Scientist. He founded Actenum Corporation, a Canadian AI-based company with global sales, and has served on several boards in the technology and research sectors.   He is a co-founder of CLAIRE, Adra,  NORA, Simula Metropolitan Center for Digital Engineering, Center for Cyber and Information Technology, and has also been involved in establishing HousingLab (the Norwegian Center for Housing Market Economics), KAI (The Work Inclusion Competency Center). 

Associate Professor Sarju Sing Rai

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Academic discipline: Health

Dr. Sarju Sing Rai is an Assistant Professor in “Competencies Development for Societal Transformation through Public Engagement in Transdisciplinary Research and Education” with focus on the themes – Global Health, and Health and Wellbeing (SDG 3). He is member of the Broader mind – Community Service Learning (CSL) project of VU Amsterdam, wherein he is involved in teaching and designing transdisciplinary and transformative education with multistakeholder involvement to jointly address complex (global) health issues. He is also involved in local knowledge alliances with community-based organizations, citizen groups, and educational institutions operating within the city of Amsterdam, viz. Knowledge alliance – Loneliness & Mental Wellbeing, and Knowledge Alliance – Inclusive and accessible City.

Within the Netherlands, he is involved in NRO’s CONNECT project with other 10 Dutch Universities, where he is co-leading activities to elucidate design elements and develop framework(s) for Transdisciplinary Learning in Higher Education. Internationally, he is co-leading the AURORA European Universities Alliance project – workpackage focusing on Teaching and Learning for Societal Impact & Transformation. Sarju is involved in research on Education (competencies development through transdisciplinary education, critical service learning, internationalization and global citizenship) and Global Health topics (health-related stigma reduction and healing; intersectionality, health equity, social justice; loneliness and mental wellbeing; Inclusive living, access and mobility; and systemic transformations).