The Aurora Student Conference is an annual event for students to exchange ideas and collaborate on improving student experiences across Aurora universities. Together, the Aurora Student Council and Aurora Student Ambassador programme support student engagement by increasing awareness, sharing opportunities and fostering connection within the alliance. Andy Li, student from the first cohort of European Joint Master Degree DIGISOC, shares his experience during the Aurora Student Conference hosted by University of Iceland.

Aurora, viewed from the sky. Photo credit: Klaudie Simeckova (fellow Aurora Student Ambassador)

As our plane drifted toward Reykjavík, a pale movement outside the window caught the corner of my eye. At first, it looked like the sky was breathing. A moment later, lights unfolded beyond the glass. Aurora had greeted us midair.

I first heard about Aurora through my study program DIGISOC. It is a joint master program made possible by Aurora, carrying Aurora values of innovation, inclusion, and societal impact. Enthusiasm led me to explore further and applied for an Aurora Student Ambassador role. What began as a simple interest turned into a meaningful journey, taking me beyond the classroom to a wider community built on openness, trust, and shared purpose.

Learning to Unlearn: From the Classroom toward a Living, Collaborative Space

At the Aurora Student Conference, the idea of learning to unlearn became reality. Students from across Aurora universities came together to represent their peers, share concerns, and support each other. Despite our different backgrounds, there was a shared enthusiasm and more importantly, a shared respect. What stood out was not just the diversity of voices, but the way each one was genuinely heard. At my first Aurora event, I realized that this was more than an international gathering, it was a space for stories, perspectives, and genuine listening.

Through discussions, intercultural workshops, and social activities, I learned to step back from my carried perspective and engage to listen openly, as every moment offers a chance to see the world through someone else’s eyes. There was no pressure to be the loudest voice or to give the best answer, only a space to pause, listen, reflect and collaborate. Beyond the conference, Aurora has evolved into a living, collaborative space shaped by the people within it.

Moments from the DIGISOC class and Aurora Student Conference

A Community Beyond Borders

What makes Aurora special is its strong sense of community, bringing together the unique perspectives and strengths of university alliance members.

Being an Aurora Student Ambassador gave me the chance not only to increase awareness about Aurora initiatives to more students, but also to listen to what students were looking for in their learning experience. What mattered most was not just sharing information, but initiating conversations. It is the conversations that made Aurora feel approachable and open to everyone. During intercultural activities, each student brings something unique: a way of thinking, a cultural value, or a personal story which together enrich the community. Within and beyond classroom activities, stories shared during conferences find their way into conversations, and connections made during the event continue to grow at home.

In-class and beyond-class conversations that bring us together

Looking Ahead Together: Cross-University Collaboration

Looking forward, I imagine Aurora as a space where these connections that were formed continue to grow. Peer learning and joint projects build understanding across differences and strengthen a sense of belonging within the alliance. Through initiatives like Blended Intensive Programmes and hybrid classes, students remain connected across universities while pursuing their own paths. Borders may still exist, but they no longer divide. What remains is a shared journey, shaped by dialogue, respect, and the willingness to listen.

A snapshot of collaboration today, with more to come in the future

I am ready to move forward with gratitude for the people I met, the conversations we shared, and the reminder that Aurora is not just a network of universities, but a shared journey built on connection, respect, and the courage to navigate across border, together.

The Winter School ‘Generative AI in Academia’ is an Aurora winter course within the Digital Society and Global Citizenship hub at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. Open to students and faculty across all disciplines and nationalities, it focuses on integrating generative AI into academic work and research.

Hosted at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the programme teaches participants how to use models like GPT and Llama for tasks such as data analysis, hypothesis generation, and literature summarisation. The curriculum is divided into a lecture-heavy first week followed by a collaborative second week where teams design a formal scientific study. Beyond technical skills, the course emphasises ethical responsibility, addressing concerns like bias, fairness, and the transparency of AI-generated results. Students are ultimately evaluated through a project pitch and a written proposal, ensuring they can apply these transformative tools to their specific fields of study.

Bridging the Gap in the Use of Generative AI

This insightful video documents the experiences of both the participants and the teacher. This course, a collaborative effort within the Aurora network, was born out of a necessity to bridge the gap between researchers using Generative AI tools and understanding how to use them properly, systematically, and considerably.

Course coordinator Dr. Ivano Malavolta, Associate Professor in Software Engineering and Director of the Network Institute, is joined by two PhD students from the University of Iceland, and a PhD student from VU Amsterdam to discuss the transformative nature of the programme.

Key highlights of the discussion include:

• The Power of Interdisciplinary Collaboration: Xin Chen (a sociologist) and Ahmed Hamdi Abdrabou Moghazi (a geologist) moved beyond their individual “bubbles” to co-design a project exploring the link between past climate change and human migration. In addition, Niels van der Heijden expresses the value of interdisciplinary composition of the participants.
• Moving Beyond the Basics: The participants reflect on how the course shifted their perspective from randomly writing prompts to a systematic A-Z approach for gathering information, verifying data, and structuring research proposals.
• Learning by Doing: Dr. Malavolta explains the deliberate design decision to combine theoretical lectures with intensive hands-on labs. This approach allowed researchers—even those without technical backgrounds—to use AI for coding, statistical analysis, and creating complex data visualisations.
• Ethical and Technical Depth: The group discusses the intense first week of lectures, which covered everything from the technical machinery of Large Language Models (LLMs) to critical debates on the ethics and perceived risks of AI in society.