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Governing Urban Metabolism Spring Workshop at UNINA

Written by Benedetta Toledo on . Posted in News.

From April 7 to 11, Anna Attademo and Marina Rigillo from the Department of Architecture, DiARC at Università Federico II of Naples (UNINA) hosted the second edition of the “Governing Urban Metabolism” Spring Workshop.

The event brought together students from the Bachelor Degree programme in Sustainable Development and Territorial Networks at UNINA, and participants from Aurora partner universities, including the Universität Innsbruck, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the University of Iceland, and Palacký University Olomouc.

Facilitators and participants of the Governing Urban Metabolism spring workshop at Università Federico II of Naples

Held in-person at the Department of Architecture (DiARC) at UNINA, the workshop was preceded by two online preparatory sessions. The overarching aim was to equip students with the skills needed to turn waste management challenges into opportunities for urban regeneration. The programme focused on designing circular supply chains that enhance and preserve the value of spatial and material resources, aligning with strategies outlined by the European Union.

Addressing Urban Challenges Through Sustainable Solutions

Throughout the week, students co-designed and tested circular solutions for the neighborhood of San Giovanni a Teduccio, a densely populated district on the eastern edge of Naples. During a dedicated field trip, they explored the area and engaged with local stakeholders and community initiatives such as the NEST Theatre and San Carlo Officine.

In-person classroom sessions and field trips during the Governing Urban Metabolism spring workshop

The recently inaugurated Transitional Lab Research Centre (DiARC, UNINA) served as the main venue for the five-day workshop. The final session took place at Palazzo Gravina in the form of a public jury, where local stakeholders and representatives from ASIA Spa, the Neapolitan waste management company, evaluated the students’ work, presented as both digital and printed fanzines.

The workshop concluded with a closing aperitif in the stunning cloister of Palazzo Gravina, offered by the Lazzarelle Cooperative, providing a warm farewell to the international participants by their Neapolitan peers and researchers.

Exploring Aurora Students’ Values with the BEVI Test 

Written by Niels Hexspoor on . Posted in News.

Aurora Student Ambassador Ari Ljunggren, a student at Copenhagen Business School and a participant in the Aurora Student Conference held at Palacký University Olomouc, shares his experience with the BEVI (Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory) test, a key part of the conference aimed at fostering deeper self-awareness and intercultural understanding among students. Through his lens, we gain insight into the value of the BEVI as both a tool for individual reflection and a catalyst for meaningful dialogue within the Aurora student community. 

One of the most memorable highlights from our recent Aurora Student Conference at Palacký University Olomouc was taking the BEVI test. Introduced to us by professor John Style from Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), the BEVI is a 185-question assessment designed to get at the core of who we are: our values, our sense of identity, and how life experiences shape our worldview. After completing the test, each participant receives a personal report offering insights into how they think and feel, a unique opportunity for self-reflection that we don’t often get in everyday life. 

What Exactly Is the BEVI? 

The BEVI is rooted in the idea that our upbringing, cultural background, and personal experiences profoundly influence how we view the world. It presents a wide range of statements, on everything from daily habits to broader societal issues, and asks you to agree or disagree, with no middle option. That alone can feel a bit uncomfortable, but it forces you to confront what you really believe, rather than what you might wish you believed.  By capturing your responses on topics like environmentalism, relationships, core needs, and global engagement, the BEVI paints a picture of your inner self. In a diverse group like ours, this offered a rare glimpse into how similar (or different) our core values truly are. 

Reflections from Aurora students during the BEVI workshop at the Aurora Student Conference in Olomouc

Taking the Test and Getting the Results 

On the first day, we spent about 40 minutes quietly clicking through the questions on our devices. Some were straightforward, about personal responsibility or self-perception, while others touched on more sensitive areas like religion, gender roles, or how we handle ambiguity and change. We then carried on with our day, curious to hear about the group outcomes, which we learnt about the following afternoon. Equipped with the data, Professor Style led the discussion on the group findings.  

Many participants reported moderate levels of negative life events, combined with relatively high scores on fulfilling core emotional needs. This suggests that even those who had faced adversity typically felt well-supported overall. When it came to identity diffusion, the results were spread evenly across the group. Some students felt a strong sense of self, while others expressed more uncertainty or a flexible approach to their identity. 

A common trend also emerged in the area of openness versus certitude. As a group, we scored high on sociocultural openness and ecological resonance, but lower on self-certitude and absolutist beliefs. This indicated a general tendency toward exploration and adaptation, rather than holding rigid personal convictions. 

In terms of gender and religious traditionalism, the results varied widely. Some participants expressed very non-traditional beliefs, while others embraced more traditional frameworks. This diversity of perspectives led to some of the most eye-opening discussions we had during the conference. 

Lastly, a substantial number of participants scored very high on the “meaning quest” dimension. It became clear that many of us are driven by a desire to ask “Why?” – whether about big-picture issues or everyday experiences—reflecting an intrinsic motivation among Aurora students to seek deeper understanding. 

Aurora students taking the BEVI test

Reflections from the Group 

Hearing one another’s thoughts on the BEVI results added another layer of depth to the experience. Here’s what a few fellow Aurora students had to say:

Mathilde (Université Paris-Est Créteil): “For me BEVI is at this time a fundamental tool that should be used way more often. Even more for assessing how an exchange can impact students’ perception of life in general and how their critical thinking has changed during this experience.”  

Warren (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam): “The BEVI test was an interesting test because it was able to look at one’s life experiences and formulate a pretty accurate representation of outlooks on general categories using otherwise random questions. While I had some questions with the final reflection, I would say, overall, it is a great start to really analyse certain dynamics when it comes to self reflection on various adverse exposures throughout one’s life.”

Marlis (Universität Innsbruck): “Taking the BEVI test during the Aurora Student Conference was an insightful experience, as it made me reflect on where I hold strong opinions and where I am more neutral, revealing personal tendencies I hadn’t fully recognized before. More importantly, it highlighted that even in an international and highly educated setting, traditional gender norms still persist among many participants, emphasizing the chance for universities to educate students and staff, to foster an environment where everyone feels free to be themselves rather than conforming to traditional stereotypes—making the test a powerful tool to spark meaningful conversations that might not have happened otherwise.” 

Aurora Student Council members and Aurora Student Ambassadors

My Personal Take 

Reading my own BEVI summary felt validating. It confirmed that I’ve typically felt well-supported in personal growth, and that I’m comfortable taking a balanced stance on complex topics. What stood out most was my high emphasis on the “meaning quest,” factor, aligning with my tendency to ask “Why?” about just about everything. This conference, and the BEVI exercise, underscored that university is meant to expand our worldview, and sometimes that starts with recognizing our current beliefs. 

Aurora thrives on bringing students together across Europe to address real-world problems. The BEVI test aligned well with that mission by highlighting how our backgrounds and values shape our approaches to collaboration. Recognising why we differ, or why we agree, can foster more empathetic discussions and richer collective insights. By the end of the session, I felt an even deeper appreciation for our group’s complexity and for Aurora’s open-minded environment. The BEVI didn’t just confirm we’re all unique; it hinted at how we came to be that way, which is exactly the sort of self-awareness that fuels cross-cultural cooperation. 

I’m looking forward to seeing how these insights shape our next Aurora projects, workshops, and day-to-day conversations. After all, truly knowing ourselves and one another is what transforms international experiences from interesting to life-changing. And if there’s one lasting lesson from the BEVI session, it’s that understanding our differences is the first step toward finding common ground. 

Science and Society: Open Science and Citizen Science in Aurora

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on . Posted in News.

Aurora recognizes the transformative power of science to address societal challenges through openness and collaboration. Through the Aurora 2030 programme, a dedicated task team on  Science and Society focuses on  advancing both Open Science and Citizen Science, two interconnected approaches that together foster a more inclusive, sustainable, and impactful research ecosystem.

A recent survey launched by the task team yielded comprehensive results from 250 respondents across Aurora universities. Representing a broad spectrum of roles within the academic community, the survey results showed that Open Science and Citizen Science initiatives are currently gaining momentum within each institution.

Despite different levels of institutional engagement, the survey highlighted the potential for continuing growth in Open Science and Citizen Science practices. Key development areas include increasing financial and infrastructural support, ensuring formal recognition of contributions, and providing training to overcome technical and time-related barriers.

Addressing the above challenges can help universities to further enhance the role of Open Science and Citizen Science in solving societal problems, fostering innovation, and promoting public engagement with science.

“Overcoming barriers to participation requires a comprehensive approach,” says Roberto Delle Donne, Professor at University Federico II of Naples and lead for the Aurora  Science and Society task team. “Universities must invest in robust training programs, streamline infrastructure for accessibility, and formalize recognition of contributions to Open Science and Citizen Science. Equally important is fostering partnerships between researchers and communities, empowering citizens to co-create knowledge and address shared challenges.”

Open Science and Citizen Science: A Synergistic Relationship

Open Science and Citizen Science are deeply associated with one another. Open Science promotes transparency, accessibility, and collaboration by ensuring that research outputs—data, publications, and methods—are openly shared. Citizen Science complements this by actively involving the public in the research process, from defining problems to collecting data and disseminating results. Together, Open Science and Citizen Science  democratize knowledge creation, breaking down barriers between researchers and society.

Citizen Science thrives in the Open Science ecosystem, which provides the tools, data, and frameworks necessary for effective public participation. Conversely, Citizen Science enriches Open Science by incorporating diverse perspectives, fostering innovation, and addressing real-world problems that resonate with communities. Many of these problems, such as environmental challenges, align with broader goals of sustainable development.

“Sharing scientific knowledge with the general public in creative ways, for instance through Art and Science exhibitions and hands-on demonstrations, creates a strong and lasting sense of awareness and curiosity that can have a major impact on how society responds to the environmental challenges we face,” says Helena Cruz de Carvalho, Associate Professor at Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) and Institut de Biologie de l’Ecole Normale Supérieure (IBENS). 

Towards a Science for Society

By intertwining Open Science and Citizen Science, Aurora is building a research culture that is green, transparent, inclusive, and ethically conscious. The focus on sustainability is reflected in the methods employed and in the topics that are addressed, such as climate change, resource management, and societal well-being.

To this end, the Aurora Science and Society task team focuses on four key objectives:

  • Building Knowledge: Developing a repository of best practices for Open Science and Citizen Science, drawing from diverse disciplines and experiences across  Aurora universities.
  • Empowering Researchers and Students: Creating training modules to equip researchers and students with the skills to engage in open, participatory, and FAIR ((Findable – Accessible – Interoperable – Reusable)-aligned research.
  • Connecting Communities: Establishing inclusive networks that unite Aurora institutions with local and international communities, fostering collaboration and mutual learning.
  • Engaging Citizens: Encouraging public involvement in addressing societal and environmental challenges through workshops, events, and the creation of communities ofpractice.

The goals above catalyse the efforts undertaken by Aurora universities to ensure that science is not only conducted for society, but also with society, creating a shared path toward sustainable development and innovation.

Aurora Meetings Highlight Strategic Development in Education and Training

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on . Posted in News.

International relations and mobility experts, and Aurora Institutional Coordinators, gathered to exchange views on the strategy for Aurora, and the development of Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs) and the digital campus.

 Hosted by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) and the Aurora Central Office, close to thirty participants from across Aurora universities met over the week for two major events: Workshop on BIPs and the Aurora Executive Committee Seminar. The objective of these meetings was to move further in the work initiated by the Aurora 2030 Work Package 8 Enabling Mobility and Exchange, and to discuss the future of Aurora and its impact.

Aurora Executive Committee and experts on education and training gather at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV)

Leveraging BIPs for Mobility and Exchange in Aurora

Opened by the Rector of URV Josep Pallarès, the programme began with the Workshop on BIPs led by Marina Vives from the URV International Centre and Nanna Teitsdóttir from the University of Iceland. Blended Intensive Programmes are short-term intensive programmes that use innovative learning and teaching methods.

Part of the training includes a virtual component that requires online cooperation between educators and participants. By enabling new and more flexible mobility formats that combine physical mobility with a virtual component, BIPs aim to reach students from all backgrounds, fields of study and study cycles.

BIPs may include challenge-based learning, in which transnational and transdisciplinary teams collaborate to address issues in society. These issues could be linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), or other societal problems identified by companies, cities or regions.

URV Rector Josep Pallarès Marzal opens the Workshop on BIPs to a full room of participants, including Aurora Institutional Coordinators from all member universities

The workshop included sessions on the long-term strategy for BIPs within Aurora universities, a critical audit of the current and future challenges, and a thorough review of the manual for mobility and communication of Aurora opportunities. Further discussions allowed participants to reflect upon the key aspects of blended intensive programmes, such as the type of collaborations involved, skills the BIPs are intended to improve, and values like diversity and inclusion that must be considered.

“The organisers are very satisfied with the agreements reached in a very collaborative and almost unanimous spirit,” said Marina Vives, Lead for Aurora 2030 Work Package 8 at URV.

Aurora Institutional Coordinators and participants of the Workshop on BIP work hand-in-hand during brainstorm sessions on Blended Intensive Programmes in Aurora

Moving Forward in Aurora

The Workshop on BIPs was followed by the Executive Committee Seminar, a strategic meeting of Aurora Institutional Coordinators representing their universities. The seminar opened with an introduction by Ramon Puras, Aurora Secretary General, about milestone developments in Aurora and on the Aurora 2030 European university alliance programme.

During the meeting, Institutional Coordinators also weighed in on the future of Aurora and its impact. Intensive work sessions were organised around the strategic planning for the alliance, as well as the progress of the Aurora digital campus services.

Full member of Aurora, the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) has been an integral partner since 2019. Together with other universities within the network, URV is aligned with Aurora’s vision of influencing societal transformation through academic excellence and research.

Aurora Communication and Dissemination Team Explores Impactful Communication

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on . Posted in News.

Aurora Communication and Dissemination team recently gathered at Universität Innsbruck for an intensive two-day workshop entitled “Impactful Communication”. Led by experts in the field, the team gained knowledge on communicating with impact, further focused on science communication and citizen science engagement.  

This workshop was part of the activities for Aurora 2030 Work Package 10 on Impact and Dissemination, and more specifically Task 10.1 on Communication and Dissemination. It offered a broad overview of communication best practices – with specific case study examples backed by research – in the areas of science communication and citizen science.  

Aurora Communication and Dissemination team with Universität Innsbruck Aurora Institutional Coordinator Thomas Baumgartner and science communication experts Melanie Bartos and Markus Weiskopf

Communicating with Impact 

Building on the initial phase of the Aurora European university alliance, and in line with the Aurora Communication and Dissemination strategy launched in July 2024, the Aurora Communications team is composed of at least one communication representative from each university in Aurora, called the Trusted Local Communicator (TLC).  

To ensure impactful communications, these TLCs have the responsibility to inform, exchange with, and engage target audiences at their universities and beyond. In addition, TLCs form an advisory committee to the larger Aurora community, and work as key reference persons on all topics related to communication and dissemination.  

The “Impactful Communication” workshop had a two-fold objective: 

  • To learn more about guidelines for effective communication, especially when disseminating information and engaging the general public about research and science 
  • To brainstorm ways to collectively undertake joint communication actions that, overall, will have an impact on the strategic positioning of Aurora within each member university.  

Strengthening the Foundation for Communication 

The workshop kicked off with Markus Weiskopf, science journalist and editor at Research.Table, who gave an interactive talk on “Science, Media and the Public: Current Trends, Challenges and Opportunities for Universities”. He provided an overview of the current state of science communication, and shared resounding research about the public’s declining trust in science.  

Weiskopf further underlined two key aspects in which impactful science communication can help influence: the polarisation on trust in science and the role of (new) media. He explained how trust in science has been slowly chipped away since the coronavirus pandemic in 2020. The increased proliferation and use of new channels of communication such as social media, also exacerbated the spread of distrust in science.  

At a time when virtual communication continues to rise, science communication professionals are constantly seeking ways to keep abreast, hop on the bandwagon, and attempt to counter misinformation, disinformation and fake news related to research and science.  

From left to right: Uwe Steger, Head of Communications and Melanie Bartos, science communicator at Universität Innsbruck, and Markus Weiskopf, science journalist and editor at Research.Table

Speaker Melanie Bartos, science communicator in the Public Relations Office at the Universität Innsbruck offered some insights on this topic through her talk “Behind the Scenes: Exploring Science Communication at the University of Innsbruck”. Specialist in developing multimedia formats like podcasts, online and social media communication, Bartos touched upon the generational gaps on how people perceive and receive information, bearing in mind the different (virtual) channels through which they are exposed to the information.   

Above all, both Weiskopf and Bartos stressed upon science communication as being a solid bridge between science and society. Science communication, in and by itself, is also a research-based field of communication studies, and is especially critical for difficult topics like climate change, or the coronavirus pandemic.  

Science Communication and Citizen Engagement 

Science communication is a strong lever to make science and scientific findings visible and comprehensible to the public. As part of the “Impactful Communication” workshop, Universität Innsbruck science education specialist Florian Westreicher and doctoral student Friederike Barkmann organised an interactive workshop on Citizen Science. Using the Viel-Falter Butterfly Monitoring Austria project, they exposed the challenges scientists face to communicate about their research and its impact, and to engage citizens in their research projects. 

The Aurora Communications team experienced firsthand the preparatory work behind involving (non-scientific) citizens in research, such as accurate field data collection. Guided by Westreicher and Barkmann, the team underwent a crash training course on identifying diverse species of butterflies before proceeding to count mock butterflies hidden on the walls and windows indoors.   

This experience enabled the Communications team to understand the complexities of participatory research projects involving citizens, especially when considering the communication and dissemination actions prior, during and after experiments are conducted. A debriefing session concluded areas of improvement, such as having sufficient training, adequate equipment and tools, and being informed of research results. 

Florian Westreicher, science education specialist, and Friederike Bartmann, doctoral student at Universität Innsbruck, holding an interactive workshop based on the Viel-Falter Butterfly Monitoring Austria project

Collaboration to Catalyse Impact 

Fresh with the conclusions from expert talks and workshops, the Communications team set to work on creating concrete joint actions, in accordance with the strategy to further strengthen communication and dissemination within Aurora universities.  

Breaking out in smaller groups, each team was given the task to identify at least one achievable communication action that could be undertaken collectively. The objective was to raise the visibility of Aurora and its positioning within each university, and to encourage its communities to engage in Aurora activities.  

The Communications team came up with a list of ten joint actions, categorised by priority and ease of implementation, and a timeline of when these actions should be launched. Some examples include: 

  • Social media takeovers by students and staff to share Aurora mobility experiences of learning, training and research across universities 
  • Durable Aurora branded items to instil a sense of belonging 
  • Aurora chat groups to build communities. 

TLC Workshop 2025 on Impactful Communication at the Universität Innsbruck, Austria

The two-day workshop on “Impactful Communication” left the Aurora Communications team with a deeper knowledge of general communication and dissemination practices, science communication and citizen science. It also reinforced the fact that cooperation and intercultural understanding are essential values to ensure success in an alliance such as Aurora. 

Invest in Research, Innovation and Higher Education to Fully Realise the Potential of Europe’s Global Gateway

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on . Posted in News.

Aurora is among prominent universities, associations and research institutions from Africa and Europe to call upon the EU to enhance its strategic commitments to Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs).

We emphasize the importance of more European and national funding as part of the Global Gateway’s fifth investment priority to advance competitive European connections to knowledge societies in the LMICs and address shared challenges in research, innovation, and higher education (e.g. health, climate and digital challenges).

Our recommendations:

  • Increased investment by the European Commission, national authorities and the private sector, in research, innovation and higher education – in line with Global Gateway priorities – to strengthen Europe’s competitiveness, resilience and preparedness.
  • Europe’s 360-degree approach across all Global Gateway priorities to better integrate research, innovation and higher education to ensure the competitiveness, effectiveness and sustainability of our international partnerships.
  • International research collaborations with LMICs to be funded through an excellence-based self-standing successor to Horizon Europe (FP10).
  • Establishment of a research-focused advisory group including research-performing organisations and universities, to complement the business, civil society and local authorities advisory groups to the Global Gateway. This will further enhance the scale up of the Global Gateway over the coming years with valuable experience, expertise, coordination and readiness to act.

Read the full statement supported by ARUA, Bavarian Research Alliance, CRUE, ERAsud, EUTOPIA,  DAAD, DSW, The Guild, Slovenská rektorská konferencia, VU Amsterdam, Udice, University of Pretoria and University of Ostrava.

Aurora Universities Celebrate Equity and Empowerment for Women on International Days in 2025

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on . Posted in News.

This year, universities in Aurora embarked on initiatives that promote equity, equality and empowerment for women on two major international days: the International Day of Women and Girls in Science on 11 February and International Women’s Day on 8 March.

These initiatives aim to increase awareness on gender inequality, drive inclusion and inspire action by:

  • Enabling access to equal rights for women in science
  • Highlighting excellence in academia
  • Supporting women’s advancement
  • Celebrating women whose leadership has left a lasting impact.


University of Iceland (UI)

To celebrate the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, the University of Iceland organised a panel session featuring women researchers and scientists from Iceland, Sweden and Finland, as part of the larger IUPAC Global Women’s Breakfast (GWB) initiative. This year’s GWB theme is “Accelerating Equity in Science”. The IUPAC GWB initiative unites scientists from around the globe in more than 500 locations to foster collaboration and discuss ways to advance diversity and inclusion in science.

More about the event: IUPAC Global Women’s Breakfast 2025 – Reykjavík

 


Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam)

From the fundraising initiative launched by women in 1932 until today, women have been catalysing positive impact at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. For International Women’s Day 2025, discover the five women showcased this year and learn how their contributions continue to leave a mark on the university.

Read further: Five important women in the history of VU Amsterdam

 

 

University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE)

Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Anke Hinney held a talk on International Women’s Day as part of a larger awareness and empowerment event hosted in Limbecker Platz, Essen. Anke Hinney is a professor at the University Clinic Essen, in the Department of Clinic for Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy. An active champion in raising awareness on gender and medicine, Prof. Hinney is a founding member and acting director of the Institute of Gender-Sensitive Medicine.

 

 


Università Federico II of Naples (UNINA)

On International Women’s Day, Città della Scienza, in collaboration with Università Federico II of Naples, held the event “Women in Science: Inspiration and Challenges for the Future”. The initiative honored the contributions of women to science, inspired future generations, and promoted gender equality in research and innovation. Distinguished female scientists and experts shared their experiences, highlighting the role of women in shaping scientific progress and addressing the challenges they still face. Special contributions came from UNINA scholars, including experts in mathematics, geophysics, and astrophysics. The event concluded with an open discussion, fostering dialogue on strategies for greater inclusion in science and technology.

 


Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV)

To celebrate International Women’s Day 2025, SER Tarragona and the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) organised an event called “Amb veu de dona: la perspectiva de gènere a la Universitat” (“With a Woman’s Voice: The Gender Perspective at the University”). This event reflected on the role and empowerment of women at the university. Over the course of two hours, prominent and influential women from the university community shared their experiences and discussed topics such as the Equality Unit, the new Anti-Harassment Protocol, the feminist perspective on architecture, and women’s presence in the STEM field, among others.

 


Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)

March is the perfect month to discuss issues of equality, discrimination and the promotion of an inclusive culture within the university community. The programme includes: a roundtable on women’s rights, the celebration of women writers with FEU Festival, and the screening of the documentary “Les filles de Birkenau”. Also on the agenda is a high-level conference on “Supporting Young Women In, And Toward, Scientific Careers” with Anne Potter, President of the Anne and Frédéric Potter Endowment Fund, and Sylvie Retailleau, former Minister for Higher Education and Research.

Find out more: Mois Égalité et Inclusion à l’UPEC

 


Palacký University Olomouc (UP)

For the International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2025, Palacký University Olomouc held the Breakfast with Science event featuring researcher Michaela Šaradín Lebedíková, recipient of the Masaryk University Rector’s Award for Excellence in Doctoral Studies. Breakfast with Science is an opportunity for researchers to share experiences on how to progress and succeed in the scientific environment.

Learn more: Women’s Science Breakfast

 


Copenhagen Business School (CBS)

Female entrepreneurs already face more discrimination against their male counterparts when it comes to securing external funding from banks and investors. This research from CBS professor Vera Rocha shows that women entrepreneurs also face challenges from their own internal employees. Entrepreneurial success does not eliminate gender bias.

Read the research: Female Entrepreneurs Face Discrimination From Their Own Employees

 

 


Karazin Kharkiv National University (KKNU)

Since the 19th century, Karazin University has played a leading role in expanding women’s access to education, science, and professional activities. To honour the International Day of Women and Girls in Science, KKNU’s Central Scientific Library produced a video highlighting women’s contribution to academic excellence at the university.

Watch the video: Intelligence, Grace and Greatness

Read the article on International Women’s Day.

 


Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice (UPJS)

The International Day of Women and Girls in Science was the occasion for a panel discussion on “Women in Science: Stories, Challenges, Visions”. This exchange between the university management and speakers from research, PhD students, female staff, and employees, covered topics such as stereotypes and gender prejudices in science, work-life balance for women scientists, gender equality in science and the mental health of women researchers. To further honour women on International Women’s Day, two initiatives were organised on “Equality in Diversity” and “Discussions on Women, Men, Sex and Gender”.

 


South-West University “Neofit Rilksi” (SWUNR)

At SWUNR, the university held a “Martenitsa workshop”with its Erasmus+ students. The Martenitsa is a Bulgarian tradition symbolising health, renewal, and the arrival of spring. It consists of red and white threads woven together, representing life, vitality (red), and purity, new beginnings (white). Martenitsa is also a symbol honouring the female beginning and embodies femininity. A perfect event to celebrate women on International Women’s Day 2025.

Education for Peace: Highlights from the Aurora International Peace Conference

Written by Niels Hexspoor on . Posted in News.

From February 17 to 21, Aurora hosted its first international scientific conference. The “Aurora International Peace Conference: The Role of Higher Education in Peacebuilding” gathered academics, professionals and students from across the globe to explore one important question: How can education contribute to lasting peace?

Aurora International Peace Conference on The Role of Higher Education in Peacebuilding gathering international experts, scholars, practitioners, policymakers, staff and students from Aurora universities

The Aurora International Peace Conference: The Role of Higher Education in Peacebuilding served as a dynamic platform for discussion, innovation, and collaboration. Against the backdrop of rising global conflicts, threats to academic freedom, and increasing societal distrust in science, the conference aimed to foster new strategies for universities to play an active role in peacebuilding.

With a diverse lineup of speakers, engaging discussions, and participants from over 20 countries, the event not only strengthened academic collaboration but also underscored the urgency of integrating peace education into higher learning institutions.

Aurora Karazin University Peace Education Hub

The “Aurora International Peace Conference: The Role of Higher Education in Peacebuilding” was a joint effort of the Karazin University Peace Education Hub, led by Palacký University Olomouc and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU Amsterdam), Karazin Kharkiv University, the Unit for Peace and Conflict Studies of the Universität Innsbruck, and the Berghof Foundation, a key player in peace education.

Globally, higher education institutions face challenges from conflicts, human rights abuses, and restrictions on academic freedom. Engaged students and faculty demand their university management responds to their calls for solidarity. There is also growing societal distrust in science, just five years before the 2030 UN Sustainable Development Goals deadline. The 2022 Sustainable Development Goals Report showed concerning progress, indicating that interconnected crises threaten the Agenda and humanity’s survival.

Through the Aurora Karazin University Peace Education Hub, Aurora organized this conference to foster discussions on the global situation and enhance collaborative peacebuilding.

Plenary session on “Universities’ Peacebuilding Practices and Knowledge Diplomacy” with conference participants at the Agnes Heller Haus of the Universität Innsbruck

 

At the conference, we continued our ongoing support of Karazin University, a key institution on the front lines in Ukraine. Together with our partners, we granted 18 scholars Aurora scholarships to attend the conference. Additionally, Aurora universities assisted Rector Tetyana Kaganovska and her team of Vice Rectors in participating in the conference.

“Reflecting on the conference, we are pleased that it has connected our efforts to establish the Peace Education Hub and support Karazin University with a diverse community of practitioners and policy experts in humanitarian, development, and peace studies. This is vital for our future support to partners in Ukraine and Aurora universities, focusing on academic collaborations while also engaging all stakeholders beyond academia,” said Selma Porobić, Aurora Institutional Coordinator at Palacký University Olomouc.

A Crucial Gathering for Peace and Education

The urgency of the conference was demonstrated by the overwhelming response and attendance of over 300 participants. The conference received over 200 papers submissions, and 147 speakers from more than 20 countries participated in the conference. They ranged from international experts, scholars, practitioners, and policymakers, to students from Aurora universities. The event brought together both longstanding partners and many new and potential collaborators.

The programme featured 10 keynote speakers, 3 plenary sessions, 22 academic panels, 8 roundtables, 18 workshops, and numerous exhibitions and films.

Keynote speakers included Madeleine Rees (former Secretary-General Women’s International League), Beatrix Austin (Berghof Foundation), Frank Geary (Scholars at Risk Europe), Oleksandra Matviichuk (Center for Civil Liberties Ukraine), Ian S. Manzi (Global Children’s Issues), Marko Lehti (Tampere Peace Research Institute), Savo Heleta (South African Peacebuilding scholar), and Norbert Koppensteiner (Kroc Institute).

Opening keynote address by Ian Manzi from Global Children’s Issues at Georgetown University on “Redefining Expertise for Sustainable Peacebuilding”

 

The conference topics encompassed peace agendas in the most urgent humanitarian contexts, including Ukraine, Palestine, Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and the realities of education following global atrocities. Participants examined critical lessons learned and strategies for managing collective trauma and long-term societal recovery from contemporary and historical perspectives.

“The Aurora Peace Conference is a good start showcasing the high importance and emergency of global strategies for peacebuilding initiatives in higher education. We can’t simply “build” peace, but rather need to implement a “culture of peace” as a value through education,” said Oleksandr Khyzhniak, Project Manager at VU Amsterdam.

As the Aurora International Peace Conference demonstrated, higher education has a vital role in shaping a just and lasting peace— where knowledge, collaboration, and resilience drive meaningful change beyond the walls of academia.

Aurora Signs Open Letter to EU Leadership Calling for A Strong European Research & Innovation Policy and FP10

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on . Posted in News.

Aurora is co-signatory of the Open Letter on the next research and innovation (R&I) policy and programming period to European Commission President von der Leyen, European Parliament President Metsola, European Council President Costa, and Polish Prime Minister Tusk. As such, Aurora strongly supports the call for a powerful and ambitious R&I policy and R&I programme FP10. We emphasise the critical role of scientific excellence in Europe’s future competitiveness and call for increased investments in FP10. No national R&I programme can replace or match EU’s scientific excellence that is needed for Europe’s prosperity, economic growth and competitiveness, health, addressing societal challenges and geopolitical strength.

Main points in this Open Letter include:

  1. Strengthening Europe’s capacity in complex technologies, health and life sciences, advanced materials, and democratic resilience through sustained research funding;
  2. Maintaining the excellence principle at the core of FP10, ensuring the integrity of the programme and fostering groundbreaking ideas;
  3. Expanding and safeguarding key research funding mechanisms such as the European Research Council (ERC) and Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) while reinforcing the autonomy of their governance structures;
  4. Supporting an autonomous European Innovation Council (EIC) to help translate breakthrough knowledge into innovation and valorisation;
  5. Enhancing international collaboration and science diplomacy, leveraging partnerships with closely associated countries and global allies to strengthen Europe’s research ecosystem; and
  6. To achieve this, a substantially increased and ring-fenced budget for FP10 to support scientific excellence and societal advancement is needed.

Led by LERU and The Guild, this Open Letter is signed by more than 100 Presidents of European universities, and over 20 networks and national rectors conferences. Read the full Open Letter and support the call for a strong European Research & Innovation policy and FP10.

A Conversation with Rina Alluri: Peace and Peacebuilding In An Era of Global Incertitude

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on . Posted in News.

During the Aurora International Peace Conference 2025 hosted by Universität Innsbruck, academic and researcher Rina Alluri unpacked the meaning of peace and peacebuilding in today’s global context. She further showcased how higher education institutions can play a significant role in writing the narrative in promoting the culture of peace through educational initiatives, activities and policies.

This conversation was led by Niels Hexspoor, Aurora Sustainability and Impact Leader at Palacký University Olomouc and Lead for Aurora 2030 Work Package 7 (WP7) Capacity Building and Community Engagement. He interviewed Rina Alluri, Assistant Professor in Peace and Conflict Studies at the Universität Innsbruck, and UNESCO Chair for Peace Studies. She was also part of the organising committee for the Aurora International Peace Conference 2025, an event coordinated under the Aurora Karazin University Peace Education Hub.

Setting the Stage: The Meaning of Peace

Niels: We are here today at the Aurora International Peace Conference on “The Role Of Higher Education And Peace Building” hosted by the University of Innsbruck as part of the Aurora Karazin University Peace Education Hub. Peace is a very loaded and concurrent topic. Could you give some examples of the meaning of peace, especially in the context of today’s world?

Rina:  We often think that peace is a sort of this end goal, a destination, this utopian place that we are all supposed to be somewhat striving for, or moving towards. While I do believe that there is something to strive for and move towards, we need to understand peace and peacebuilding as an ongoing lifelong learning process. As individuals, but also as societies, institutions, universities, we must think about how we’re building different forms of peace everyday.

Unfortunately, we are living in turbulent times. I try not to be a pessimist, but we need to be aware of the different realities: at the moment, there are a number of countries, contexts, and communities around the world that are facing threat, risks, insecurity, and that are fearful for their everyday lives.

So when we look at peace and peacebuilding, it’s a matter of acknowledging the reality of war, conflict, genocide, mass atrocities, and humanitarian crises, but also always keeping in mind the opportunities for building everyday forms of peace.

The Role of Higher Education in Peacebuilding

Niels: How do you think universities in higher education institutions, such as those within Aurora, play a role in creating academics and students that can positively contribute to raising this awareness and this sense of peacebuilding?

Rina: There’s an element of also being aware of the possible negative role that education has played historically in some cases. This is something that I feel is very important when we speak about our students. I co-lead a Master’s programme in Peace and Conflict Studies. Although I’m not a historian, I’m a political scientist, and I think that political histories are important to be aware of. In order to find ways for universities to contribute to peace and peacebuilding, we must also be aware of how they have contributed to conflict, and how often education has been part of colonisation, imperialism, et cetera.

Finding the way for universities is also being very aware of the potential of education, how it can be used as a tool – and is being used as a tool in some contexts today – for oppression, manipulation, indoctrination, erasure, and revisionist policies and approaches. When we begin from that starting point of how education and universities have been used as negative tools, and we come into the conversation with that absolute clear awareness, we can then begin to consider the potential opportunities.

We see examples of this all around the world. For little girls in Afghanistan and Pakistan historically, education has been a tool for resistance. We see in the cases of higher education institutions that offer scholarships to students from the global south and conflict-affected context in the global north, how these opportunities would only exist through scholarships and educational spaces.

We can also see today, being together in a conference that gathers scholars, activists, practitioners, students, to talk about the role of higher education and peace building. Through this contact and meeting with each other, we speak a common language of cooperation, community, and how to find ways to work together. Developing peace hubs, Erasmus exchanges in the context of Europe, but also being aware of the challenges that students and scholars at risk face around the world and trying to identify ways to support each other through it.

Full house at the Aurora International Peace Conference 2025 for the plenary session on “Universities’ Peacebuilding Practices and Knowledge Diplomacy”

The Transformative Power of Education

Niels: You’d mentioned some of the more practical ways that were touched upon in this conference and, ways in which universities can use this transformative power for good rather than for bad. Could you perhaps give some concrete and practical examples to how this can translate to everyday life?

Rina: As I mentioned, I co-lead a Master’s programme in Peace and Conflict Studies. One of the challenges that we often face is students from conflict-affected contexts or from global south contexts, look to opportunities for education.

Here we need to be better. We need to be better at ensuring that not only are we offering scholarships for students to come here, but also how we are supporting them once they are here. How are we ensuring that they have – from a technical level – access to visas, housing, communities? How are we offering a sense of belonging?

Peacebuilding is that step: how are we offering spaces of belonging that people are not just studying in a room together or in a big institution, but that they are also having meaningful – sometimes difficult – conversations, and allowing those conversations to be had.

In the last few days, we’ve been inspired with some incredible keynote speakers. One of them spoke about bringing ourselves into the classroom. As an educator and professor, we have a responsibility to bring ourselves into the classroom. So not just expecting students to show up, with vulnerability, ideas, and questions, but also ourselves to show up with vulnerability, ideas, and questions. For us to be aware of, and aim to, dismantle power hierarchies that exist between students and professors.

We should also question our pedagogy. We speak of all different types of pedagogy, whether it’s decolonial, intersectional, anti-racist, democratic, civil-centered, global citizenship, student-focused, et cetera. All these pedagogies are great on paper, but how are we actually bringing them into the classroom and ensuring that classroom spaces can enter into dialogue with one another?

That’s just a classroom space, which is one option, but another is through meaningful exchanges. Aurora universities, and peace hub platforms, offer such exchange between students. I don’t want to diminish contact theory here, as I believe the opportunity for students to meet each other, to meet people who might actually have different backgrounds, opinions, perspectives, to allow for that pluriversal conversation, is really crucial.

Keynote speakers, from left to right: Ian Manzi, Beatrix Austin, Madeleine Rees, Frank Geary, Marko Lehti, Oleksandra Matviichuk, Savo Heleta and Norbert Koppensteiner

Adapting Knowledge Development for Sustainable Peace

Niels: You mentioned bringing oneself into the classroom, both from the perspectives of an educator and a student. Could you elaborate on what that could look like, for example, in relation to the different layers of interaction and lasting impact of peace and conflict?

Rina: One of the biggest challenges that we face in knowledge creation, knowledge development and knowledge extraction at the moment, is that very often we still fall back into that idea that knowledge is supposed to be rational. That it’s supposed to be neutral, void of voice, and void of identity.

While that may be relevant, particularly in certain disciplines, that may also require a certain type of neutrality from a technical point of view. In the social sciences and the humanities, and peace and conflict studies, we cannot pretend that this is the case. If we are engaging in conflicts – whether these might happen at a personal, internal, interpersonal or relational level, but also exposure to actual, armed conflicts and war zones – we can’t pretend that our own identities and ideas are not also entering into that space.

I’ll give you a very concrete example. I’ve been doing my PhD in postdoc research in, and on, Sri Lanka and post-war Sri Lanka, in the immediate place. As a researcher being also from the Asian continent, I have to be aware of how, if I step into a room – in the case of Sri Lanka – how that has relational impact. My identity as an Asian, but also as a woman, as someone who has been raised in the global north and the global south, has an impact on how I’m allowed to ask questions, if I even get an interview at all, and how that person responds to those questions.

We often think that, we can just create a semi-structured interview guide: you email someone, you have an interview, you ask questions, you leave, you analyse your data, you write your academic research. When we’re working in conflict-affected context, when we’re dealing with also vulnerable realities, trauma, we have to be so sensitive to how those interactions actually work, and how access to persons and stories, are also so vulnerable to change.

This is one of the aspects I want to bring in here. As researchers, pedagogues, and educators, we need to be aware of how who we are does have an impact, even if we don’t want it to, even if we would hope that someone enters a room and is neutral of identity, race, gender, class, cast, et cetera, it’s very often not the case.

So this is, for me, an invitation. An invitation to be aware of who we are and how we affect those around us. How that influences how we ask questions, how we engage in conversation, but also how we practice peace.

If we’re not aware of that reality and we assume neutrality and rationality, then we’re also not aware of the impact that that may have on persons that we’re engaging with.

This conversation is part of a series called “A Conversation With…” undertaken within the framework of the Aurora 2030 programme supported by the European Commission. It is an interview format that focuses on a specific topic and is meant to inspire its readers to reflect on and catalyse positive impact. The exchange is available in its original format on the Aurora YouTube channel.