On 28 May  2024, rectors of Aurora’s universities came together to sign the Common Footprint Reduction Plan during the Aurora Spring Biannual at the  University Federico II of Naples. This collective effort is a unified commitment to sustainability and sets the stage for a greener future for universities within Aurora.

The Common Footprint Reduction Plan serves as a subsequent step to the Sustainable Campus Action Plan. Lorenzo Rieg, Sustainability Coordinator at the University of Innsbruck and Lead for T6.2 on Aurora Sustainable Campus, shared: “We had the Sustainable Campus Action Plan as our first deliverable from Aurora universities, committing to being sustainable and responsible universities making positive change in our societies. This Common Footprint Reduction Plan builds on the first by adding specific actions focused on several sustainability measures.”

Aurora Common Footprint Reduction Plan

The Common Footprint Reduction Plan underscores that each university will create tailored sustainability plans to suit its unique circumstances. Universities within Aurora will determine a baseline for CO2 emissions, preferably from 2019 onwards, and commit to achieving net carbon neutrality by 2040. This includes a 50% reduction in CO2-equivalent emissions by 2030.

Furthermore, universities will also commit to:

• Net-zero emissions
• Join the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) Education Race to Zero.
• Measure the baseline for CO2 emissions and implement monitoring measures in key action areas.
• Initiate sustainability reporting by 2025 with annual updates, ideally following Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) regulations.
• Set specific targets in at least three action areas from the Sustainable Campus Action Plan.

Zuzanna Hunkova, Coordinator for Sustainable Development at Palacky University Olomouc and Co-lead for T6.2, said: “The Common Footprint Reduction Plan isn’t only about reducing air travel but encapsulates much more.” While all Aurora universities will implement the Aurora travel codex, other elements in the plan include procuring 100% certified green energy and committing to certify newly (re)constructed buildings according to a green building standard.

Through these actions, universities within Aurora reaffirm their commitment to the outlined sustainability goals, underlining the critical role in our mission to enhance sustainability on campus by setting clear, comprehensive, and measurable goals to reduce our carbon footprint.

The European Research Area Forum, in collaboration with the Commission and stakeholders, has developed guidelines to promote the responsible utilisation of generative artificial intelligence (AI) within the European research community.

These guidelines, influenced by established frameworks like the European Code of Conduct for Research Integrity and guidelines on trustworthy AI, provide crucial recommendations to researchers, research organisations, and funders across Europe. With the rapid spread of this technology’s use in all domains, including science, the guidelines address key opportunities and challenges. However, despite its benefits, the commission advises researchers to remain vigilant of potential pitfalls such as plagiarism, privacy breaches, and inherent biases. Margrethe Vestager, Executive Vice President, emphasised the importance of fostering an AI ecosystem in Europe while upholding ethical standards, urging researchers to leverage generative AI for the betterment of society.

Key highlights from the guidelines include refraining from sensitive activities like peer reviews, ensuring privacy and intellectual property rights, and fostering transparency in funding processes.

Aurora representatives played a significant role in shaping these guidelines, with contributions from experts such as Prof. Kamil Kopecky (Palacky University) and Prof. Koen Hindriks (VU Amsterdam), supported by Pim de Boer from Aurora Central Office and expertise from the University of Iceland. These guidelines mark a pivotal step towards establishing a reference for European research, with plans for continuous updates based on scientific and stakeholder feedback. Moreover, they align with Aurora networks’ involvement in the proposal for a European Research Area action plan for 2025-2027.

The Aurora board is pleased to welcome Dr Ramon Puras as its new Secretary-General, effective 1 May, 2024, marking the beginning of a new era within Aurora.    

The Secretary-General serves as chief operational officer and is the most senior appointed official within the Aurora network. Dr Ramon Puras will succeed Frans Snijders, who has been the interim Secretary-General. Ramon Puras, previously Dean of the Faculty of Education at Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences, brings a robust portfolio of achievements to Aurora. He has led educational and research initiatives that have substantially advanced the pedagogical landscape in Amsterdam. His dedication extends to employing cutting-edge research and emerging technologies to enrich and continuously innovate higher education programmes.  Apart from his managerial commitments, Dr Puras finds joy in teaching an innovative course, Gastronomy, the Art and Science of Cooking, bridging his interests in science, cooking and education. This multifaceted approach highlights his drive to explore and foster interdisciplinary connections within the academic realm.  

The Aurora board believes Ramon will bring great expertise to Aurora as Secretary-General, focusing on engagement with Aurora’s member and partner universities. Aurora’s President, Jón Atli Benediktsson, expressed: “Dr Puras is an outstanding fit for Aurora. His lifelong background in higher education, international experience, and prior leadership positions are particularly relevant to Aurora. Furthermore, his perspective that students must be engaged with research from the very beginning of their undergraduate studies is nothing short of inspiring. Dr Puras has all the makings of a successful Secretary-General for the international network that Aurora is, and I welcome him warmly.” 

With Ramon at the helm, Aurora anticipates a strategic leap towards matching academic excellence with societal relevance. Ramon notes: “The combination of excellence in academia to create positive societal impact speaks to my heart. I’m excited to be part of Aurora and lead its future development towards achieving this objective.”  

As Aurora embraces this new chapter in its leadership, its community welcomes Ramon on board and supports the innovative directions he envisions to drive profound and impactful change.  

Aurora Student Council (ASC) members and students Sören Daehn from Copenhagen Business School and Suvarn Nagan from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam represented Aurora universities’ student voice at the 3^rd edition of the European Student Assembly- ESA 24, hosted by the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Over three days, Sören and Suvarn gathered with 250 students from 59 nationalities, 41 European university alliances and 170 universities. They discussed, debated, collaborated and voted on a collection of over 80 policy recommendations on 11 political topics. The European Student Assembly generally aims to:

• Provide a platform to voice the opinion of students from European universities of different countries, backgrounds, fields and levels of study, all recruited for their engagement and motivation;
• Foster the participation of students, strengthen collaboration between them and increase the impact and visibility of European university alliances;
• Advocate for deliberative processes to reinforce European democracy and to reduce the gap between citizens and decision makers; and
• Encourage students to be involved in European democratic processes, and European politics at local, national and European levels.

Debating Issues at the Heart of Europe

During the ESA 24, 11 panels drafted several recommendations on different political issues. These included the Green Transformation, AI guidelines, public health, Euroscepticism, higher education or cultural heritage. Combined, the panels produced over 80 policy recommendations. Over 90% were then – with a majority vote – adopted by the whole assembly of 250 participants.

Alongside his panel, Sören worked on recommendations regarding reforms and changes to the current EU-Enlargement process. They highlighted that the current accession guidelines have not undergone critical reforms in many years. They further suggested that the EU-Enlargement process should not simply bring in candidate countries quickly. It should do so while protecting EU institutions and its current member states by setting realistic standards.

ESA 24 Panel with Aurora Student Council member and student Sören Daehn of Copenhagen Business School

European Student Assembly 2024

The panel developed eight meaningful and crucial recommendations, which were democratically adopted by the whole assembly. Part of their recommendations included:

• Increased and equalized economic support and investment opportunities;
• Transformation to a gradual accession process and qualified majority voting;
• Support for securing territorial integrity and deterring third-party influence; and
• Support for free media, civil society organizations and against misinformation.

Creating Impact for the Future of Europe

The ESA 24 was a great example of the importance of student involvement in European politics. Specific outcomes of the Assembly, including political recommendations, will be disseminated among relevant stakeholders, policymakers, and educational institutions.

The European Student Assembly continues to be an invaluable experience for Aurora universities students to get to know other engaged and politically interested students from all over Europe. They also learn more on how policy making in the European Union works. Most importantly, the ESA 24 provided a platform to formulate an opinion and raise the voice for European students on the most pressing current political matters.

Leading academic institutions within Aurora universities, and associated partners from diverse sectors, were recently successful in their grant application to the European Commission’s Call for MSCA Doctoral Networks 2023.

Led by Professor Kai Hockerts at the Copenhagen Business School (CBS), the seizmic doctoral network (seizmic DN) is a collaborative effort that aims to research the scaling of social enterprises. Despite the recognized potential of social enterprises to drive significant societal change, their scaling processes – critical for broadening their impact – remain poorly understood. The seizmic DN addresses this gap by developing a coherent interdisciplinary theoretical framework that studies how social entrepreneurship ideas are replicated and imitated.

“As we launch the seizmic doctoral network, our aim is not only to fill a critical gap in our understanding of how social enterprises scale but to fundamentally reshape the landscape of social entrepreneurship education,” says Dr. Kai Hockerts, Professor of Social Entrepreneurship at CBS and academic lead of the seizmic doctoral network. “This grant from the European Commission empowers us to pioneer a model that brings robust academic rigor and practical insights together, setting a new standard for doctoral training in Europe.”

seizmic Doctoral Network for Social Entrepreneurship

Central to the mission of seizmic DN is a robust doctoral training programme, designed around three doctoral summer universities. These will be hosted by members of Aurora universities the University Federico II of Naples, Copenhagen Business School, and the University of Iceland, to prepare candidates for leading roles in both academia and practice. The programme offers a dynamic research environment where doctoral candidates study complex real-world examples of social entrepreneurship cases under the guidance of 22 experienced supervisors. The seizmic doctoral trainings span interdisciplinary research methodologies and include significant exposure to the non-academic sector, facilitating a practical understanding of social entrepreneurship.

“Being part of the seizmic doctoral network is a unique opportunity to bridge theory and practice in a transformative way,” explains Dr. Anne-Karen Hüske, Aurora Institutional Coordinator at CBS. “Our interdisciplinary approach is designed to equip doctoral candidates with the skills necessary to drive and influence the future of social enterprises. Through this initiative, we are committed to developing leaders who are not only scholars but also change-makers in the social economy.”

Innovation, Social Impact and Sustainability

The doctoral network combines divergent research streams across four disciplinary areas: business model design, finance, education, and digital ecosystems. It seeks to equip a new generation of researchers and practitioners with the innovative tools needed to expand the reach and effectiveness of social enterprises. This effort is particularly pertinent as it aligns with Europe’s sustainability goals and the broader vision of the European Action Plan for the Social Economy.

As seizmic DN progresses, it encourages engagement from the academic community, industry stakeholders, and the public. For those interested in the intersection of innovation, social impact, and sustainability, the doctoral network offers numerous opportunities for collaboration and professional development. The seizmic DN is more than just a research initiative: it is a vibrant community of scholars and practitioners dedicated to a better understanding of social entrepreneurship scaling.

In June 2024, one month before the Summer 2024 Olympics in Paris, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) will be hosting students from Aurora universities’ member institutions for its first-ever Aurora Summer School on Emerging Futures: Societal Innovation Meets Futures Studies 

On the heels of its integration into Aurora and the Aurora 2030 European university initiative, UPEC will be introducing its first Aurora Summer School during the summer of 2024. Targeted to Bachelor students, this intensive two-week course aims to train the next generation of leaders intending to make a tangible and sustainable impact on the world.

Aligned with the Aurora Competence Framework, the course provides a world view of global challenges. It further gives students the opportunity to leverage their knowledge and work to respond to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and hence meets one of Aurora’s key objectives in the Aurora 2030 project.

“The future is not a place in some later-than-now timeframe, it is a tool that helps us to change the way we look at the present: knowing how the anticipation process takes place, helps us make use of different futures in the now,” says Felipe Koch, Vice-Dean of AEI International School at UPEC. “It makes us more confortable with the uncertainty and more prone to innovative ideas.”

Embracing Uncertainties in Emerging Futures 

At the heart of this summer school is the very real notion of addressing a VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) environment and its potential consequences on our future. With two focus areas in Futures Literacy and Social Foresight, this course empowers students to both understand possible future scenarios and anticipate eventual changes that can impact societies and communities in the longer term.

The ability to comprehend future possibilities and the social dimensions of change allows students to adopt a forward-looking mindset. It sets the stage for more informed decision making in the present, in order to better adapt to evolving uncertainties in the future.

During the course, students will learn about anticipation mechanisms, strategic foresight and systemic thinking. They will be taught to distinguish between concrete and abstract futures, to identify and analyse emerging trends, opportunities and risks, and to prepare key stakeholders in developing better strategies and action plans.

Transformation through Blended Learning 

This summer school takes place over two weeks, during which students will receive comprehensive instruction and practical experience through the Futures Literacy Lab at the AEI International School at UPEC. They will be exposed to the study of theoretical foundations and facilitation techniques to craft and lead change.

In addition, over 30 hours of autonomous class preparation, lectures, teamwork, online videos and podcasts, aim to challenge students’ perspectives and enable them to shape the future of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

This Aurora Summer School on Emerging Futures: Societal Innovation Meets Futures Studies goes beyond gaining knowledge; it transforms students by giving them the tools to catalyse real-world change.

The Aurora Executive Committee convened recently at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to discuss the strategy and critical actions moving forward in Aurora 2030, the second phase of the Aurora European university alliance.  

Following the European Universities Coordinators’ Meeting in February this year, the Aurora central office organised a three-day seminar for its Executive Committee. The seminar gathered Institutional Coordinators and experts from nine Aurora member universities, as well as representatives from the central office leadership team. On the agenda were important topics marking the way forward for Aurora universities. 

Managing Expectations for the Future 

Recommendations from the DG EAC (Directorate-General for Education, Youth, Sport and Culture)

Sabine Sainte-Rose, Aurora Programme Director, shared key recommendations from the DG EAC. These include a focus on the evolution of a blueprint for a European Degree and the conclusions following six experimentation projects with 90 higher education institutions. She also highlighted the Council’s recommendation on the development of a quality assurance and recognition system for European university alliances that can be adapted to countries with a more institutional approach in this matter. The Executive Committee further exchanged on the Council’s advice to develop incentives for higher education institutions. Among these incentives is to create transnational initiatives to promote attractive and sustainable careers within this sector.

Expectations from the EACEA (European Education and Culture Executive Agency)

The expectations from the EACEA was one of the major takeaways from the European Coordinators’ Meeting in Brussels. Impact measurement is a key denominator of success for European university alliances. The methodology used and the metrics required to measure impact are non-negligible. Both must take into consideration the actual impact of alliances’ activities on the lives of students, staff and academics, beyond just mobility statistics. Markers of success integrate best practices for educational offers and the European inter-university campus experiences that demonstrate embeddedness, seamless mobility and recognition, all of which highlight the European values of inclusion and plurilingualism.

In addition, Sabine highlighted the rich and thought-provoking exchanges shared with colleagues from other European university alliances in the following areas:

• National developments and progress in higher education, such as the recognition of microcredentials offered through a course by a partner institution.
• The perception and acceptance of the joint European Degree by the ministries and institutions of higher education.
• The foundational elements that contribute to a better structure and visibility of our course offerings.

Alessandro Arienzo, Aurora Institutional Coordinator at University Federico II of Naples, moderates discussion on Aurora governance

Aurora Executive Committee and Central Office representatives

Structuring a European University Alliance 

Clémentine Perdriau from the Aurora central office, delivered her findings from the study that she had carried out on the governance models in European universities. She underlined that there was no “one size fits all” model: each European university alliance has specificities that result in a diverse set of governance models.

Following this presentation, the Executive Committee discussed possible scenarios that could be developed as the governance structure for Aurora in this second phase between the years 2023 to 2027. They further established an initial base for a more long-term structure to ensure the sustainability of Aurora universities beyond the year 2027.

Moving Forward in Aurora 2030 

The Executive Committee seminar continued with updates in the development of the following Aurora 2030 work packages (WP) and task teams (TT):

TT10.1 on Communication and Dissemination 

Building a solid foundation is part of TT10.1 strategy for communication and dissemination in the Aurora 2030 project. Two fundamental elements supporting this objective are the development of the official Aurora Brand and Design Guidelines and the Institutional Trusted Local Communicator (TLC) role standardisation for communication representatives of each institution within Aurora. These were presented by Aniza Pourtauborde, Aurora Communications Manager and Anna Klas, Aurora Communications Officer, both of whom are part of the TT10.1 leadership team.

Aurora Executive Committee and Central Office Representatives

Aurora Executive Committee workshop on communications

TT10.3 on Holistic and Strategic Approach for Impact 

Ilyas Kenadid, Head of Strategic Projects at Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) and TT10.3 Lead, reported on the different methodologies in managing, monitoring and measuring the impact of Aurora within the nine member institutions, their immediate stakeholders and the wider ecosystem.

TT6.1 on Aurora IT Development and Services 

Thomas Baumgartner, Institutional Coordinator for Universität Innsbruck, spoke about the progress of the Aurora Virtual Campus, led by his university under Work Package 6 for Green and Digital Campus. He focused in particular on the Course Catalogue as a one-stop shop for all opportunities for students from Aurora universities. Topics covered consisted of the definition of an Aurora course, the digitalisation of credentials and the creation of a committee of transversal expertise in education, mobility and communications.

WP8 on Enabling Mobility and Exchange 

Joan-Miquel Canals, Institutional Coordinator for Universität Rovira i Virgili (URV), shared initiatives encouraging international learning experiences among students, staff and academics. Through increased joint mobility opportunities between Aurora member institutions, demand is high for short-term courses.

TT5.2 on Academic Collaboration and Community Building 

Martin Schwell, Institutional Coordinator for UPEC, outlined recent advances following the Call for Incentive Research Collaboration launched in mid-February this year. He spoke on developments in the creation of the Aurora Research Council (ARC) comprised of cross-institutional and cross-disciplinary representatives from all Aurora member universities.

Building on the foundation created during the first phase of Aurora, and leveraging on this experience, have enabled the Executive Committee and the Aurora central office to offer a holistic and visionary approach to the Aurora 2030 project.