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How can an initial meeting turn into a joint course, an international summer school or even a research collaboration? Around 60 academics from Aurora partner universities and associated partners gathered gathered at Pevnost poznání (Fort Science), Palacký University Olomouc, on 3 and 4 November 2026 to explore exactly these possibilities at the Aurora Academic Matchmaking Event.
The two-day event was designed to turn shared academic interests into concrete opportunities for cooperation.
Connecting People And Ideas
On the first day, participants worked in pre-assigned thematic clusters, bringing together colleagues with shared or complementary academic interests. The discussions covered a broad range of topics, including health and wellbeing, chemistry, artificial intelligence and responsible technology, digital transformation, cultures and identities, global citizenship, media and inclusivity, peace education, institutional resilience, social entrepreneurship and educational innovation.
Through clustered speed networking, everyone had the opportunity to meet and exchange ideas with other members of their group, exploring potential connections across disciplines and institutions.
The discussions continued during a World Café session, where participants explored the different joint teaching opportunities offered by Aurora, including Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs), Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), micro-credentials and other forms of international educational cooperation.
Turning Ideas Into Action
The second day introduced participants to Aurora’s thematic hubs – interdisciplinary communities that bring together academics and other stakeholders from across the alliance to address shared societal challenges through education, research and collaboration.
The six hubs focus on Sustainability and Climate Change, Digital Society and Global Citizenship, Health and Wellbeing, Culture: Identities and Diversities, Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation, and Peace Education. They provide a framework for connecting expertise across disciplines and developing joint educational and research activities.
Following the presentations, participants had dedicated time to develop concrete ideas and potential collaborations within their respective fields, exploring how their interests and expertise could contribute to existing hub activities and new initiatives.
The event has already opened up promising opportunities for new BIPs, COIL courses, micro-credentials and even potential research collaborations.
“Aurora is ultimately about creating meaningful connections between people. By bringing academics together and giving them the space to develop their ideas, we want to turn the potential of our alliance into real opportunities for collaboration, benefiting both our universities and our students,” says Niels Hexspoor, Aurora Institutional Coordinator at Palacký University Olomouc.
The Academic Matchmaking Event marked an important step towards strengthening the academic community within Aurora – and turning first contacts into lasting partnerships.
