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This 6 ECTS course provides an in-depth understanding of the dynamics of e-business and online commerce, emphasizing strategic and operational insights through structured lectures.

The course includes a virtual component beginning on 31 August 2026 and an on-site component beginning 12 October 2026. Both components finish on 16 October 2026 (thus follows a blended delivery during the final week of 12 – 16 October).

Course Content

1) Foundations of Digital Commerce:

• Core definitions: e-commerce vs. e-business
• Technological foundations: cloud computing, APIs, digital platforms, security technologies
• Market dynamics and trends: mobile commerce, social commerce, emerging tech impacts
• Challenges and opportunities in e-commerce

2) Service Design:

• Core concepts of service design
• Service blueprint methodology
• Principles of designing effective digital services

3) Digital Platforms:

• Definition and types of digital platforms (innovation, transaction, information platforms)
• Mechanisms driving platform success: network effects, scalability
• Key considerations in platform governance and monetization

4) Business Models & Revenue Models:

• Components of business models: customer segments, value propositions, revenue streams, channels
• Revenue model types: subscription, freemium, transaction-based, advertising-based
• Analyzing real-world examples (e.g., Spotify, Instagram)

5) Marketing & Gen Z:

• Key marketing concepts: digital marketing channels, consumer decision-making process
• Gen Z marketing strategies: micro-influencers, user-generated content, ethical marketing
• Creating a digital marketing strategy

6) Data, Privacy, Security & Ethics:

• Types of data used in e-commerce (behavioral, transactional, PII)
• Core concepts of data privacy and security (GDPR, CCPA)
• Ethical considerations in handling customer data and preventing breaches

7) Emerging Technologies:

• Characteristics and business impact of emerging technologies
• The Metaverse and its e-commerce implications
• Artificial Intelligence and automation in e-commerce: personalization, predictive analytics, operational efficiencies

8) Multi-Level Marketing & Influencers:

• MLM structure, benefits, risks, and ethical concerns
• Influencer marketing: roles of micro and macro-influencers, ethical implications, regulatory considerations

For full information including assessment criteria, please see the course study guide.

Dates:

• Virtual: 31 August – 16 October.
• Physical: 12 – 16 October.
• Location: VU Amsterdam School of Business and Economics.

Additional requirements:

• Students should have an affinity with Business (Administration).
• English level C1 required.

How to apply:

• This course is by nomination only.
• Please send your nominations to aurora@vu.nl. Deadline: 15 June 2026.
• After the nomination deadline, the students will receive the online application form.
• Application form deadline: 6 July 2026.
• After acceptance and registration, a passport copy is requested for the enrolment of the students.

Any questions, please email aurora@vu.nl.

Since 2015, the American Studies Departments at Radboud University (Nijmegen, NL) and the University of Duisburg-Essen have been co-organizing a yearly spring academy for Master’s students: the Radboud University Duisburg-Essen Spring Academy (RUDESA). The goal of the Spring Academy is to “ground” American studies in a European context in in a threefold manner: first regarding the premises; second, regarding the theoretical frameworks; and third, regarding geographic dispositions and opportunities for research, case studies, and valorization. This year, for the first time in its history, RUDESA will feature an online track April, 20-23, 2026 that is open to Master students of the AURORA European University Alliance.

During RUDESA, students and instructors participate in a variety of activities that illustrate the potential of “grounding” American Studies: conduct research in museums, archives and in the field, listen to guest lectures, create and give joint presentations, and exchange views and ideas. In addition, thesis consultation sessions offer students an opportunity to discuss their Master theses with fellow students and instructors from the participating institutions in a supportive and constructive atmosphere. AURORA students participating online will work on posters to be presented in person in Nijmegen in November 2026. Thanks to our generous sponsors, RUDESA is free for all participating students.

In 2026, RUDESA will explore the path from freedom to democratization to democracy under pressure. Students taking part physically will first travel to Nijmegen to visit the Freedom Museum and the Canadian War Cemetery, where Canadian soldiers who helped to free the Netherlands and Germany during the Second World War are buried. In Essen, students will visit the city archives to discover the contribution of the Amerikahaus Ruhr to the democratization of Germany after the war. Meanwhile, Aurora students taking part online will dive into online archives and sources to investigate the Battle of the Ruhr Pocket, where American and Canadian liberation forces ended organized resistance against Allied forces on the Western Front in April 1945. RUDESA’s online component will run from April 20 until April 24. The course will meet for approximately two hours every day.

Both student groups will prepare poster presentations that profile American and Canadian liberators to document the role of North America in the liberation and democratization of Europe. These posters will then be exhibited at the annual conference of the Netherlands American Studies Association from November 4-6. Focusing on American Protest Cultures, the conference, in turn, will also discuss contemporary mobilizations against democratic backsliding.

Learning outcomes include the ability to design focused research questions, perform digital literature searches, analyze and syntthesize historical material, and present findings in front of international audience.

Learning outcomes:

The student will acquire KNOWLEDGE related to: Writing research projects and CVs; Dealing with a job interview in the best way possible; The steps needed to achieve an academic position; Team management; Communication

Content:

Our 2-day online Spring School is designed to support your professional development by enhancing key skills in academic writing, grant applications, and CV preparation. The program will provide insights into the range of interview formats you may encounter throughout your career journey, along with opportunities to practice interview questions in a supportive environment. We will also explore important topics such as gender equality, effective communication, and navigating the academic research landscape.

Assessment:

The student is expected to participate in at least 75% of the activities, contribute to the interactive activities, and complete the feedback questionnaire.

Teaching Methods:

Lectures, interviews

Venue: Zoom

Previous:

2025 Spring School on Transferable Skills

Previous Requirements:

B.A, M.A, PhD or equivalent course at any Aurora university

Learning Outcomes:

The aim of the hackathon is to offer participants a design-based learning experience that addresses some of the most pressing challenges of our time—climate change, the exploitation of labour and territories by global agribusiness, and growing socio-economic inequalities.

Content:

Anthropogenic climate change, species extinction, and other environmental factors associated with the
Anthropocene are poised to radically transform the conditions under which food is produced,
distributed, and consumed in the coming decades. At the same time, we are witnessing the rise of new business models in the food economy that are increasingly attentive to environmental and social concerns. While it is true that digital technologies — ranging from drones and precision agriculture to e-commerce platforms and delivery applications — are significantly reshaping food production and distribution, a parallel movement is also underway: a renewed interest in traditional foods and artisanal production methods, valued for their distinct tastes, aesthetics and cultural values. Participants will be invited to critically rethink the food economy of Naples in light of these recent developments. Working in interdisciplinary groups, they will be tasked with developing systemic project proposals that promote ecological resilience and social equity, while also ensuring economic and organizational feasibility.

Assessment:

Evaluation of teamwork oral presentation

Teaching methods:

Lectures, fieldtrips, workshops

Course materials:

Readings and presentations

Venue:

Palazzo Gravina, Department of Architecture

Requirements:

No formal prerequisites are required. However, a basic background in plant biology, genetics, and agronomy is strongly recommended.

Learning outcome:

The course provides knowledge and skills in basic genetics and crop breeding, using both traditional and innovative technologies. By the end, students will be able to discuss strategies for developing improved crop varieties and assess breeding approaches to enhance the environmental sustainability of agricultural production.

Content:

Exploitation and Enhancement of Plant Genetic Variability
Principles of meiosis and its genetic consequences; mechanisms affecting reproduction and variation (male sterility, self-incompatibility, apomixis); use of plant genetic resources; strategies to broaden variability through interspecific hybridization, in vitro culture, somatic hybridization, polyploidization, and haploidization.

Classical Crop Breeding Strategies
Genetic and statistical principles for the selection of Mendelian and quantitative traits; estimation of selection gain; breeding methods for self-pollinated, cross-pollinated, and vegetatively propagated crops; application of marker-assisted selection in breeding programs.

Innovative Plant Breeding Strategies
Modern genomic and biotechnological approaches for crop improvement, including gene cloning, vectors, genetic transformation, cisgenesis, gene silencing, and genome editing; breeding strategies for biotic and abiotic stress tolerance; improvement of crop and food quality traits.

Assessment:

Written exam consisting of multiple-choice questions and open-ended questions.

Teaching Methods:

Lectures, seminars, project-based learning

Course Materials:

– Plants, Genes, and Agriculture: Sustainability through Biotechnology. Edited by Maarten J. Chrispeels and Paul Gepts. Oxford Press (ISBN: 9781605356846)
– Lecture notes and teaching material distributed in class

Requirements:

Basic mathematical skills

Learning Outcome:

At the end of the course, the student will develop technical and transversal skills that will allow them to analyse and design pharmaceutical forms and also develop communication and teamwork skills

Content:

Training on the LOUIS tool

Assessment:

The exam consists of an oral examination aiming to assess theoretical, legislative, and technological knowledge. The ability to comment on equations, interpret graphs, and analyze system or reaction diagrams will be assessed. Consistent with the LOUIS framework, the grading will also take into account language proficiency, effective communication, and information management.

Teaching methods:

Frontal Lectures

Requirements:

Basic knowledge of the Italian Language

Learning Outcome:

The course aims to give students notions concerning governance, declined as an economic category as well as a political one. Students will be called to reflect on neoliberist issues, globalization transformations and challenges. Above all, students, at the end of the course, should be able to reflect in an original and reflexive way, on these concepts, balancing workers’ rights and economic growth.

Content:

The course will explore the category of governance, in its various and different meanings, especially those concerning economic and political issues.
Then, the category of governance will be analyzed from the specific perspective of business whose requirements need a fair balance with ethical principles.

Assessment:

The exam consists of an oral examination aiming to assess theoretical and legislative knowledge. The ability to comment and interpret practical cases (such as the Nike scandal of labour child) will be assessed. Consistent with the LOUIS framework, the grade will also take into account language proficiency, effective communication, and information management.

Teaching methods:

Lectures and seminars

Requirements:

Knowledge of the fundamental principles of tax law

Learning Outcome:

Knowledge of tax principles and instruments for environmental protection

Content:

The development of taxation as a regulatory instrument.
Environmental protection in the Italian and European legal systems – environmental taxation and the different categories of reference – environmental taxation and legal principle in the national and European legal framework – circular economy and plastic taxation in Italy and other European
countries – tax instruments to promote sustainable mobility in Italy and other European experiences – energy taxes between European harmonization and national targets – The protection of cultural heritage in the Italian and European legal system – tax incentives for the protection of the cultural heritage in Italy and in some European countries – taxes on tourism – tax payment by works of art.

Course materials:

1)R. Alfano – M. Bisogno (eds.), Insights and reflections on environmental taxation and
policy. Proceedings of the Summer School in European Environmental Taxation, ESI,
Napoli, 2024 (pp. 3 to 115; pp. 121 to 182; pp. 191 to 247);

Learning Outcome:

The course aims to provide students with the knowledge of the mechanisms underlying cancer immunotherapy and the mechanisms with which the main biotechnological drugs interact with their molecular targets in cancer. In this way, the student will be able to understand the rationale for the use of the various classes of drugs in clinical practice. Face to face lectures are integrated with the use of web technologies. The student will be asked to discuss recent findings and/or scientific papers individually and through group collaboration.

Content:

As part of the educational objectives for students of the Master Degree Course in CTF, the
teaching of Immuno-oncology intends to contribute to the formation of those scientific skills
necessary to operate in public and private research laboratories as well as in the Biotechnological,
Pharmaceutical and Biomedical industrial sector, providing knowledge of immunotherapy for
cancer. In particular, the learning objectives are aimed at acquiring in-depth knowledge of the
mechanism of action of different groups of new generation biotechnological drugs and the
rationale for their use in immunotherapy.

Course Delivery Term:

II Semester (Summer): March – May

Teaching Methods:

Frontal lectures will be integrated using web technologies as well as individual and group
exercises in which the student will be asked to study and discuss topics relating to immunotherapy
and biotechnological drugs.

Assessment:

Oral Examination

Location:

Department of Pharmacy