Aurora’s MoU on Sharing Infrastructure and Resources paves the way for research collaboration

Written by Niels Hexspoor on . Posted in Calls, News.

Aurora Fall Biannual 2023 witnessed a momentous occasion on October 17th, with the Aurora Research Infrastructure and Resources Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing. This event marked a significant commitment to research collaboration among thirteen esteemed Aurora universities, including the Aurora Associate partners and Université Paris-Est Créteil.

The purpose of the MoU is twofold. Firstly, it serves as a definitive statement of intent from partner universities to engage in research cooperation, with a specific focus on Aurora’s mission and pilot domains. By doing so, it aims to facilitate seamless access to shared resources for researchers within the alliance. Secondly, these universities aim to fortify their global research standing by working closely together. By promoting international cooperation across a diverse range of research areas, they aspire to exchange research resources and data with fellow research groups.

This collaborative endeavour not only underscores the commitment of Aurora Universities to advance research but also showcases their determination to foster a richer culture of global research collaboration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those interested in exploring the MoU in detail, a publicly accessible version is available here. This document showcases the commitment of universities to research collaboration and global knowledge sharing. Access the MoU

Aurora welcomes its universities to contribute their research infrastructure resources. By sharing resources and knowledge, you enrich your institution and engage with a global community of research excellence. Ready to join this collaborative effort? Add your research infrastructure resources here.

Aurora Student Schemes

Written by Niels Hexspoor on . Posted in Calls, News.

We are pleased to announce that you can now apply for the Aurora Student Schemes for the upcoming Academic year 2022/2023. Become part of an international community of students by taking on one of the following two roles:

Student Ambassador

If you want to be a part of an international community of students, the role of Aurora Student Ambassador will be perfect for you.

In this role, you will be given the opportunity to take part in a variety of online and in-person events, together with students from across all Aurora Universities.

You can participate in several international workshops that will boost you personal and professional development. At the end of the year, we will invite you to participate in the Aurora Student Conference, where you will meet your fellow ambassadors.

Student Champion

This role is created specifically for students that want to go the extra mile.  You will directly work on the key Aurora topics, in addition to the joint activities provided to Aurora Student Ambassadors.

If you get at least 15 hours of combined participation in the program and the working groups, you will receive the certificate of Aurora Student Champion.

Program

The program for the student ambassadors and champions will take place between October 2022 to July 2023. In October, a first joint online session will serve as an introduction to the scheme and Aurora in general and you will be given information on the various working groups and activities you could join.

More detailed information on the program for the academic year 2022/2023 will be announced soon!

Application

The application is open from July 1st to September 18th, 2022.

Applying is simple, just sign up through the application form below.

Aurora Student Schemes – Application Form

If you have any questions, you can contact your local Aurora Office, or aurora.up@upol.cz.

 

Student Schemes – Workshops Concept Program

Aurora Student Schemes 22-23 – Flyer

Aurora Student Schemes 22-23 – Poster

The Martí i Franquès Call 2021

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in Calls.

Applications from master’s graduates (or equivalent) who would like to pursue a doctoral degree at Universitat Rovira i Virgili are welcome. In this call, we will be offering PhD positions under two different editions: STANDARD and MSCA-COFUND.

In 2021, the PhD selected candidates (one position reserved for a researcher with disabilities, under the MSCA-COFUND Edition) will be the beneficiaries of a 3-year employment contract and all the advantages of the Martí i Franquès Programme:

  • Highly competitive and attractive salaries
  • The chance to participate in co-tutorship; that is, in a cotutelle agreement between other universities and the URV
  • An international environment, supported by the endorsement to the European Charter & Code
  • Enrolment in excellent doctoral programmes
  • Access to a comprehensive research training package, together with an attractive transversal skills programme
  • The opportunity to undertake research in one of the top 600 universities in the world (101-150th THE Young Universities Ranking)
  • Access to high-quality facilities and infrastructure for research & innovation
  • Open, Transparent and Merit-based Recruitment
  • Equal opportunities for all

The positions are based on individual projects encompassing all areas of research: Sciences, Health Sciences, Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Architecture, Social and Legal Sciences.

The Martí i Franquès research grants programme, a public-private cooperation designed to attract highly talented doctoral researchers to work on exciting research projects. This programme honours the scientist Antoni Martí i Franquès (Altafulla, 1750 – Tarragona, 1832), who made remarkable contributions not only to the fields of biology, physics and chemistry but also to the economic development of Southern Catalonia. He was the first scientist to accurately establish the composition of air.

The Universitat Rovira i Virgili, in Spain, is a modern public higher education institution, internationally recognised for providing high-quality teaching and top-of-the-line research, as shown in the international rankings.

Applications are open from July 1st, to September 6th. More information on the programme and how to apply here.

Aurora Summer School 2022: Borders and Places. The Spatial Dimension of Culture

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in Calls.

Call for Papers

The interdisciplinary Aurora summer school is a joint project of the following three doctoral programs (DP) located at the University of Innsbruck: “DP Austrian Studies”, “DP Borders, Border Shifts and Border Crossings in Language, Literature, Media”, and “DP Dynamics of Inequality and Difference in the Age of Globalization”. It will focus on the spatial dimension of culture in a wide range of disciplines, such as literature and cultural studies, history, anthropology, or linguistics. The students will discuss theoretical perspectives as well as different methodological approaches to the concept of space and place, including new sub-disciplines, as, for instance, Border Studies.

Furthermore, a part of the Aurora summer school will be dedicated to the research projects of the participants, which will be presented and discussed in small working groups and poster sessions. By creating such a collaborative environment, this summer school’s main objective is to establish networks between early career researchers and give them the opportunity to be part of the development of institutional collaborations between the Aurora partner universities.

Location: The university conference centre Obergurgl in Oetztal (Tyrol) is an ideal location for such an event. Situated in the historical landscape of the Oetztal valley, the venue represents the cultural construction of space in situ on many levels. Different excursions in this unique region (e.g. Oetztaler museums) will be part of the agenda. The centre also allows for a productive atmosphere in which students can network and exchange ideas.

Finances: There is no fee for this Aurora summer school. Organizers will try to find financial support for accommodation and travel costs.

The organizers invite PhD students in the humanities from the Aurora European universities alliance to join the Aurora summer school and to present their research projects in an international and interdisciplinary setting.

Application: Please apply with a cv and a short abstract (max. 2.000 characters) of your doctoral project, outlining its potential for interdisciplinary discussions on the cultural dimension of space. The number of students participating in the summer school is limited. In the case of more students applying than spots available, priority will be given to excellent projects whose research focus is clearly situated within the school’s thematic field. Applications are to be sent to the consultant of the summer school’s organizing team, Sarah Agath: sarah.agath@uibk.ac.at.

The deadline will be on 31 October 2021

Aurora Student Champions and Ambassador End of the Year Event

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in Calls, Trainings.

As you know, the Aurora Student Champions and Ambassadors Scheme has finished for 2020/2021, and we are already looking forward to welcoming returning and new Champions and Ambassadors for the next academic year.

A celebratory event was held on the evening of 16 June and was well attended by Aurora Students, Aurora Staff and the Aurora and University of Iceland President, Jon Atli Benediktsson.

A number of Champions and Ambassadors shared personal reflections of their Aurora journey representing their own Universities on areas of importance to the Network and Alliance.

For those of you that were unable to attend, please view the recording of the evenings’ event here:

17 grants for the María Zambrano international talent recruitment programme

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in Calls.

The Universitat Rovira i Virgili has opened the call for 17 postdoctoral grants on the María Zambrano international talent recruitment programme. The application period is between today and September 15th.

This call is for research staff who have been involved in postdoctoral for at least two years at universities or research centres outside Spain. The 17 contracts offered can have a duration of two years and the successful candidates will be paid a net salary of approximately €36,100 a year as well as a single payment of €3,500 to cover any expenses incurred.

The programme is endowed with a budget of €1,691,500 euros, from a direct subsidy provided by the Spanish Ministry of Universities thanks to the European Union and the “NextGenerationEU” funds, in the framework of the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.

This call is for people who have been involved in postdoctoral research for at least two years at universities or research centres outside Spain. Applications can be made till September 15th.

Aurora’s International online master-level course “ICT4D in the Field” in 2021

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in Calls.

The master-level “ICT4D in the Field” is the first course in the Aurora pilot “Digital Society and Global Citizenship”. Previously, this course has been carried out in a real-world environment. Students were exposed to complex contexts and real-world challenges. They design and implement practical, user-centred and sustainable socio-technological solutions for disadvantaged communities according to a Community Service Learning (CSL) approach. This year the course has been “Aurorized”,, i.e. redesigned as part of the Aurora Alliance educational pilot, into “collaborative online international learning” while maintaining its global and Community Service flavour. The course’s central theme this year will be: “Artificial Intelligence in and for the Global South”

Currently, AI is at the centre of attention as an innovative ICT technology with a wide range of beneficial application opportunities. However, others express doubts and concerns about various developments as undesirable or dangerous. Heavy investments to boost AI and Data Science are taking place in the Global North, particularly in the big power blocks of the US, Europe and China. The course ICT4D in the Field undertakes to investigate these matters in and for the Global South, thereby giving due attention to the specific contexts of people’s needs and the different geographic, economic, cultural and socio-political contexts.

Students will work in groups focused on different geographies (countries/regions) in the South seeking to answer a number of key questions:

  • What is the state-of-play regarding AI applications for the Social Good relevant to people in the Global South? Here, one may think of a reference point of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), such as combating hunger, ensuring food security, reducing inequalities, etc.
  • What is associated with foreseeable negative or adverse consequences, risks, and social impacts related to the application of AIs, and how may they be mitigated?
  • In consequence, what are the implications to be drawn for the application of AI specifically in the context of the respective Global South countries or regions, in terms of policies, regulation, investment, education, civil/civic debate?

The course will take place in June 2021. It will involve lectures and workshop talks, informed argument writing, reviewing and discussion, collaborative project group work, and presentation. This full-time course is concentrated on four weeks. Master students are invited to apply by sending a motivation letter. However, the course can host a limited number of participants only. A visual preview of the course:

The course targets students doing masters in information sciences, artificial intelligence, computer science, digital humanities, computational social science, but other digital multidisciplinary domains are welcome to apply.

For more information, please contact Dr Anna Bon (a.bon@vu.nl). Please access the flyer of this course here

Join a short course in Europe this summer

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in Calls, Events.

Ready to make the most of your summer? Want to study in another part of Europe?

Learn a new skill, develop new knowledge to enhance your degree studies and graduate prospects?

All Aurora university students have the benefit of learning what’s on offer this summer at other Aurora universities, through this one-stop-shop of your Aurora options this summer*. From Global Health to International Criminal Justice and from Central Europe and European Integration to Global Transitional Sociology, there’s a range of subjects to suit everyone, and in many cases, special discounts are provided for students from other Aurora universities.

So what are you waiting for?

Click the button below to access the summer school courses, find out more, check dates and deadlines, and find out how to apply.

Summer schools

Each Aurora Alliance university has an allocation of Aurora Alliance funding to support outward mobility and this may be available for short courses in Europe this summer. Please check with your home university’s study abroad office for details on how to access relevant funding.

Would you like to be kept updated with Aurora university short courses and summer schools and associated funding opportunities? Please register your interest by completing this short form. You can also use the form to ask questions that we can direct to the appropriate Aurora university.

We hope you will be able to take the opportunity to study abroad at another Aurora university during your degree!

*Please note that some dates are to be confirmed and delivery modes may change due to unforeseen circumstances. Please get in touch directly with the hosting university for final details.

Aurora Alliance Mini-Grant Programme 2021

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in Calls.

The International Division of Palacky University Olomouc (UP) is launching Aurora Alliance Mini-Grant Programme to further support the development of the European Universities strategic partnership goals of the Aurora Alliance. This scheme aims to strengthen the cooperation of Palacky University Olomouc with other eight Aurora Alliance university partners beyond the current project activity scope.

It primarily offers an opportunity to UP Faculties, Education and Research Centres to engage in academic and professional cooperation across the disciplines within the Aurora Alliance. The scheme supports the bottom-up approach and invites academicians and professional staff to build the working teams with Aurora partners by prioritizing their own international academic collaboration ambitions.

Duration and length

The mini-grants programme aims to have three calls – February 2021, January 2022, January 2023. The first call in February 2021, is aimed as initial support of project start and will allow the successful projects to commence in April 2021. The following two calls will be open to supporting both continuation of the commenced projects and the new mini-projects each year.

Procedure and Selection Criteria

The project application form is to be submitted by 29th March (First Call Opening on 16th of February 2021). Aurora Central Team with a Selection Committee consisting of Vice-Dean for Internationalization will announce the successfully awarded projects by April 14th 2021.

Interested? Apply before March 29th, 2021. For more information, please view the document .

Join Aurora Alliance CDS Network of Universities

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in Calls, News.

The Capacity Development Support Programme (CDS) of the Aurora European Universities Alliance is looking for universities to collaborate with.

The CDS programme is designed to help reduce the disparities between the research-leading and research-emerging countries in Europe by assisting universities in Central-Eastern Europe and Neighboring Countries to develop their institutional capacity for academic excellence and societal relevance. The expected outcomes are to spread the Aurora Alliance principles, values, skills, working processes and practical learnings to some 30 target universities in Europe and beyond.

To this end, Aurora Capacity Development Support Network of Universities (CDS Network of Universities) is being set up, with the purpose to articulate and strengthen the collaboration in supporting universities that are interested in the same objectives as Aurora Alliance member universities: in equipping diverse student populations with the skills and mind-set to address societal challenges as social entrepreneurs and innovators; in engaging with students and stakeholders at regional, national, European and global level; and in making our universities sustainable organisations.

The Aurora CDS Network of Universities is an inclusive platform for universities that want to work with Aurora’s common objectives. Applicant universities should freely express interest in the Aurora Alliance CDS mission as described in the Introduction section of this document by submitting a Letter of Intent and a University Fact Sheet to Tereza Kalousková via email at

The criteria for joining us is the following:

  • Applicant universities understand the key objectives of the Aurora Alliance programme and are interested in furthering in at least some of these objectives at their institutions.
  • Applicant universities express willingness to invest time and bring their resources and expertise to the collaboration.
  • Applicants are made aware of external funding needed for collaboration activities developing in the Network.

Applicants will be assessed on a rolling basis 2021-2022 by the CDS Task Team, led by Palacky University Olomouc with Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam as co-lead. In the assessment, the opinion of the Associate Partners will be sought.

What We Offer – Network Programme

During the 2021-2023 period of collaboration, we focus our exchanges on awareness-raising training events and projects developed together, focusing:

  • Virtual Mobility/Internationalization at home
  • Co-creation and Service Learning
  • Inclusive, Equal and Diverse Education
  • Academic Competence Skill in Social Entrepreneurship.

The continued programme and activates of the Network will be a subject of evolving collaboration and co-sharing of interests in the internationalisation of higher education.

Cooperation Arrangement

There will be no legally binding duties between the members as a result of entering into the Network collaboration. Any bilateral agreements between the Network universities are subject to the inter-institutional arrangements and internal institutional regulations and policy in international cooperation.

For more information, please access the information sheet .