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Eco-systems disruption by IT

An ecosystem is a collection of parties who work cooperatively and competitively to satisfy customer needs. Well-known examples are Google, Facebook, and Netflix, but there are many other eco-systems in the field, e.g. in Fintech, energy, and automotive industry. In this course, we focus on digital ecosystems which are enabled by Internet- and related technologies. Frequently, these ecosystems are disrupted by innovative information technologies, such as machine learning, blockchain, and 5G mobile. The overall goal of this course is to analyze disruptive opportunities for an eco-system given a particular emerging technology. This year, that technology is blockchain.

Course content

The course comprises the following topics:

  • Eco-systems and platforms
  • Introduction in the selected technology of this year
  • Business models and value proposition design
  • The e3value method for understanding business networks
  • The Business Process Modelling Notation for analysing cross-organizational networks
  • The Unified Modelling Language – class modelling
  • Transaction modelling
  • Technological design issues

Additional information on teaching methods

The following methods are used:

  • Lectures twice a week. These lectures include in-class workshops to practice the various methods used in this course
  • Group work: teams of about 2/3 students design an eco-system. At the beginning of the course a number of eco- systems are offered as inspiration
  • Group feedback sessions: Each week, students will get personal feedback in face-to-face feedback sessions. Moreover, groups will receive feedback on their submitted reports by email.

In order to be successful, the student should have sufficient knowledge about Requirements Engineering and/or Conceptual Modelling and should master such a modelling method (for example UML class or activity diagrams). 

Registration

Interested students can send an e-mail to shortmobility@vu.nl and will then receive the online application form. Please make sure to finalise your registration before 15 January 2025. Please reach out to the Aurora representatives at your home university to discuss the possibilities for funding.

Orbis Pictus: Visual Culture of Early Modern Europe (KHI/XOPS)

The starting point will be the book Orbis sensualium pictus by Jan Amos Comenius, which will serve as a basic guide to early modern culture and at the same time enable the selection and formulation of individual topics. Each student will choose one of the topics and, in consultation with the instructor, prepare a presentation along with supplementary material (readings for other students, list of recommended readings, etc.).

This course requires physical attendance throughout the whole semester.

Digital Citizenship (KMS/DEDCT)

This course focuses on creating awareness about digital rights, responsibilities, and ethics, aiming to equip students for the digital environment to become informed and safe participants in the online community. This course is to explore the theoretical foundations of digital communication and understand how digital and hybrid media theories interpret the historical and current roles of user-centric media. Moreover the course provides essential knowledge about the digital world and the consequences of the development of internet users’ daily lives.
This course aims to develop critical thinking and self-reflection skills among students in the digital environment, enabling them to become active, informed, and responsible participants in the online community.

Content of the course:
1. Digital world sensitizing concepts.
2. Digital public sphere – online privacy and security.
3. Deep mediatization (changes in the dynamics of online world).
4. Digital identity (from “qualified self” to digital narcissism) – online footprint.
5. Digital citizenship
6. Digital Rights and Responsibilities
7. Big Data Sciencea.
8. Digital Religion.
9. Human-machine communication.
10. Research findings in the area of the digital world (netnography).
11. Algorythms and iterations.
12. Information literacy.
13. AI and its consequences

 

This course will be held fully on-line.

Governing Urban Metabolism

Governing Urban Metabolism

We are pleased to announce a workshop at the University of Naples Federico II for Aurora students of any background in Spring 2025. The course, organised by Anna Attademo and Marina Rigillo (Department of Architecture), includes two online lectures (25/02/2025; 11/03/2025) and a five-day Workshop in Naples (07/04/2025 – 11/04/2025).

The course focuses on developing critical capacity and specialised skills related to the intersection of environmental sustainability and design, emphasising the creation of eco-socio-technical environments that address the finite nature of natural resources. Given the challenges of climate change and resource depletion, the workshop highlights the need for inclusive, circular, and sustainable models for cities.

The workshop will study product life cycles and sectorial planning tools, exploring opportunities to include abandoned areas (waste scapes) in urban circular waste management. Participants will develop a systemic design proposal for a short paper waste supply chain, using reduce, reuse, and redesign principles, focusing on waste hubs and markets. Moreover, they will co-design and apply circular solutions in the Bagnoli neighbourhood of Naples, including a field trip and meetings with local stakeholders.

There are eight open positions open to Aurora Students of any background. To participate, you need a B.A. (or equivalent course at any Aurora University) and English proficiency.

For the application, you have to send an expression of interest and CV to anna.attademo@unina.it and marina.rigillo@unina.it.

You can apply from December 1st to December 15th, 2024 (deadline).

You will receive the notification of acceptance by December 20th.

 

Download the flyer for more info:

Flyer_Aurora_SRT_v02

Structure and Activation Mechanisms of Cellular Receptors

The course aims to provide the student with the key to understanding (tools, techniques, methods) the functioning of the main classes of cellular receptors, studying the structure and mechanisms of activation of the main classes of receptors at the molecular level. The course will held in hybrid session, with Aurora students allowed to follow on-line. The student will learn the molecular basis of the intrinsic activity of drugs, with particular reference to biotechnological drugs through a challenge-based approach, which, through the active involvement of the student in the analysis of the 3D structures of receptors, will stimulate critical learning in which the student will be confronted independently with the analysis of structures of drug-receptor complexes as well as the effects of changes in the structure of a drug on the biological activity of a receptor.
The course takes a challenge-based approach, based on the analysis of 3D receptors and ligand/receptors complexes. The students, in working groups using MS Teams, will have to tackle the analysis following the guidelines of the challenge. Through the flipped classroom approach, the working groups will have to present the results of the analyses to the class, effectively and using appropriate language.This approach will therefore not only provide an understanding of the structure-function relationships of receptors and the different approaches used to modulate their activity, but will also provide the student with tools and methods for analyzing protein structure. The student should be able to apply the methods of analysis to receptors not specifically addressed, and in general to the study of any protein structure.
For registration, please send an expression of interest to the professor.

Spark Social (BIP course)

The University of Iceland is partnering with CBS and UNINA to offer this transdisciplinary course for senior graduate students registered in all schools and disciplines across all Aurora universities. The course combines online content, virtual sessions that take place over the semester, and a five-day capstone experience on-site at the University of Iceland.

Participants will gain insights into current and future challenges and learn about how these are being addressed. Participants will work in collaborative interdisciplinary teams under the guidance of experienced industry and academic leaders to apply their new knowledge toward developing their own recommendations for tackling immediate and foreseeable challenges. Students will gain a deeper understanding of their own strengths as well as developing methods and approaches for innovative thinking under the guidance of experienced teachers.

The course incorporates the approach of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, which is part of the Aurora Competency Framework. This concept includes both social entrepreneurship, a way to achieve social change by employing entrepreneurial principles with or without the formation of new organizations, and social innovation, a process of developing and deploying effective solutions to challenging and often systemic social and environmental issues in support of social progress.

Virtual sessions: 23 January-11 April 2025
On-site stay in Iceland: 12-16 May 2025

See further information on course here.

Students must be nominated by their home institution to take part in this course, please contact your local Aurora office for information on the nomination process.
Nomination deadline: 18 December, 2024

Nominated students will receive information on application procedure at the University of Iceland
Application deadline: 5 January, 2025

Sustainability education and learning

The purpose of this course is to provide participants with opportunities to focus on learning, teaching and leisure activities for sustainability. The on-line and campus sessions will be built on informed debate. Three major assignments will be expected together with student participation in organising classes, leading discussions plus a final assignment. The course is taught online and it is obligatory to attend 80% of classes during according to the course plan.

Assignments include discussion papers, oral presentations in class and a final paper.

Examples of issues to be dealt with:

Activism in learning and teaching
Place-based and experiential education
Behavioural change
Science learning, technology and sustainability
Creativity, creation of knowledge and social sustainability
University education, adult learning
Formal, informal and non-formal learning
Sustainability as an emerging curriculum area

See further information on course

Apply via Edugain here

Trauma and its impact on health

Distance learning with real -time participation in online meetings. Lectures/online meeting will be held on Teams.

This course describes trauma in childhood and adulthood, including violence, accidents, disasters and life-threatening illness and their association with mental and physical health. Emphasis will be placed on introducing the scientific foundation of the trauma field and understanding scientific articles in this area. The main topics of the course include:

  • Prevalence of traumatic events and acute stress reactions.
  • Mental health problems following trauma, such as posttraumatic stress disorder, anxiety, depression, sleep disturbances, substance abuse and prolonged grief.
  • The disease burden of trauma, due to e.g., cardiovascular diseases, cancers, autoimmune diseases, and suicide.
  • The influence of environmental and genetic factors in the development of psychological and physical diseases following trauma.
  • Factors that promote recovery post-trauma and reduce the risk of long-term health problems.
  • Evidence-based treatment options for PTSD.

The course is intended for students who want to increase their scientific knowledge of the relationship between trauma and health. It is only intended for postgraduate students. The course consists of lectures by the main supervisor and selected guest speakers who are experts in the field of trauma. Emphasis will be placed on discussions and active participation of students.

Further information available here.

Apply via Edugain here.

Interdisciplinary Course on Healthy and Sustainable Food Systems or Mental Resilience (Blended Intensive Programme – BIP)

Are you passionate about addressing real-world challenges in food systems, sustainability, and health? Join the Interdisciplinary CSL Course at VU Amsterdam, part of the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP). Open to all Master’s students from Aurora Universities, this course brings together students from diverse disciplines to develop innovative solutions for a sustainable future.

This edition we have two main topics:  

  1. In collaboration with the European research projects CLEVERFOOD, FOSSNET, and FOSTER, focuses on health and sustainable food systems. You’ll work on practical cases, collaborating with researchers and non-academic stakeholders on food system transformation projects. 
  2. In collaboration with the Amsterdam-based Knowledge Alliance on Mental Strength, and European project – Re/Presenting Europe, focuses on mental health, resilience and healing. You’ll work on practical cases, collaborating with researchers and non-academic stakeholders on projects that focus on improving the mental wellbeing of the public. 

Why join this course? 

  • Gain a deep understanding of today’s critical food system challenges 
  • Collaborate in cross-disciplinary teams 
  • Contribute to innovative solutions for real-world problems 

Course timeline: 

  • Registration deadline: 2 December 2024 
  • Acceptance notification: 07 December 2024 

Virtual sessions (February – June 2025): 

  • Participate in 8 to 10 online sessions on interdisciplinary collaboration, system innovation, and food systems sustainability or mental health and well-being, and resilience and healing. 
  • Engage in self-study to explore theoretical and practical approaches. 

On-site Learning Week (16 – 20 June 2025)

  • Join your peers in Amsterdam for hands-on work in real-world challenges to foster practical solutions for food system transformation. 
  • Join multi-actor workshops designed to networking and soft-skills.  

Who can apply?
We encourage applications from students of any academic background. Whether you have experience in one of the topics  or expertise in other areas, your unique perspective is valuable. In your motivation letter, please state which of the two topics you want to follow and how your studies can contribute to one or more of the associated sub-themes below:

Related to Healthy and Sustainable Food System: 

  • Environment: Addressing climate change, enhancing circular economy principles in food systems, reversing biodiversity loss, and creating environmentally positive impacts. 
  • Health: Exploring solutions to combat obesity, ensuring food security and nutrition, promoting public health, and providing access to safe, nutritious, and sustainable food. 
  • Innovation & (Social) Entrepreneurship: Tackling issues such as circular economy, food affordability, promoting fair economic returns, and fostering (social) innovation.  

Related to Mental Health and Resilience:  

  • Mental health: Understanding and addressing the complexity surrounding the exponential increase in mental health issues around the world, and finding ways to make positive impacts. 
  • Resilience and Healing: Exploring solutions and strategies to improve and foster mental health resilience and personal as well as communal healing. 
  • Systems thinking: Co-ideating solutions and tackling mental health issues using a systems approach – that focus on different levels of society, systems and policies.  

There’s room for a wide range of interests, including agricultural sciences, health science, sustainability, governance, technology, business, social sciences, and beyond. Show us how your field of study can contribute to transforming food systems.

Registration procedure and information sessions

  1. Home university selects 5 students max (per course) that can apply and are eligible for Erasmus+ BIP funding.
  2. Student sends motivation letter to Eduardo Urias with the preferred topic ‘healthy and sustainable food systems’ or ‘mental resilience’ in the subject before 2 December.
  3. Student receives acceptance to the course before 6 December.
  4. Student can start registration process with the deadline 19 December.

Are you interested in joining this course? In case you have additional questions about the course we offer two Q&A sessions. The sessions take place on 12 November afternoon at 16:00 (CES) and 27 November at 10:00 (CES). Please register for these sessions via this link.

Migration in Today´s World (MRS / XMIG)

Migration in Today’s World is a one-semester course designed for students with an active interest in migration and asylum issues. The following issues are presented and analyzed in the course of each lecture: theories of international migration; the multifactorial nature of the migration process and the blurring of the boundaries between voluntary and forced displacement (with special reference to environmental migration); the changing profile of the migrant; refugeeism and asylum; the impediments to migrants’ entry into national territory; the consequences of migration for countries of origin, receiving countries and migrants themselves; and ethical dilemmas associated with migration and migration policy. The theoretical considerations are accompanied by examples or larger case studies from different parts of the world.

 

Short-term mobility will be required in April (the specific dates will be provided by the lecturer at the start of the course). Please, make sure to consult mobility coordinator at your institution to explore potential funding opportunities.