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Aurora Students’ Round Table Highlights Student Participation in Aurora  

Written by Niels Hexspoor on . Posted in News.

During the Aurora Spring Biannual hosted by the University Federico II of Naples, the Aurora Student Council (ASC) organised the Aurora Students’ Round Table plenary session, an opportunity for the ASC members to review the major projects of their year within the council and discuss the status of student participation in Aurora.  

The plenary session was chaired by Hanuš Patera, former President of the ASC, accompanied by two members of the Council Nana-Kirstine Bruhn Rasmussen and Sören Daehn, as well as Alma Ágústsdóttir and Niels Hexspoor, who leads the activities on Aurora Student Support and Engagement, and the Aurora Student Community (Work Package 7). Part of the Aurora Students’ Round Table session focused on the students’ work in 2023-2024.

Panelists reminded the audience that the ASC members are only present for one year, which is not enough time to realise all their projects. Thus, the ASC members presented a strategic document containing several goals to be achieved for future members of the council. These goals include:

  • Creation of a social media communication plan.
  • Presence of members of the council at all Aurora events.
  • Increase in the number of in-person meetings.
Sören Daehn, Copenhagen Business School
Alma Ágústsdóttir, University of Iceland
Niels Hexspoor, Palacký University Olomouc
Nana Bruhn Rasmussen, University of Iceland

Diversity and Inclusion Moving Forward

Hanuš further addressed the topic of diversity and inclusion. Indeed, the ASC chooses a topic on which it proposes that Aurora universities could improve by the year end. The council highlighted four areas for improvement:  

  • Collaborating closer with institutional student parliaments, to strengthen the presence of Aurora students in the university’s decision-making process.  
  • Establishing the position of equality officer, or thematic equality days, that would result in a concrete equality plan to follow, beyond just recommendations.  
  • Responding to the problems of people with disabilities by providing easier information, or the creation of a support checklist. 
  • Offering diversity education for new staff so that they know the support available to respond to these problems. 

The Aurora Student Ambassador Programme

Subsequently, the panel discussed the participation of students in Aurora, based on the existing Student Ambassador programme that allows them to participate in Aurora’s various task teams. The first three questions focused on how to include students in task teams. They also addressed the biggest obstacles to developing the Student Ambassador programme properly. Most participants emphasised that student participation should be implemented better and more broadly.  

Sören Daehn explained that, the ambassador programme allows for a win-win situation where students can develop international skills and task team leaders benefit from a different viewpoint within their team. He stressed that students do not participate in the programme to join inactive task teams. Therefore, the biggest obstacles in setting up the programme are finding the right way to include students in task teams. The panelists also touched on the fact that students feel overworked, as they must attend classes, work, have a social life, and get involved in associations at their universities, leaving little time for participation in Aurora. 

The last two questions posed the problem of recognition and rewards for the student’s work. The topic of financial compensation to student ambassadors was challenging due to strict budgetary constraints within Aurora universities. Despite this fact, the panel agreed that fair recognition should be in place for all students’ activities, in order to promote student participation in Aurora more seriously.  

The panel concluded that currently the Student Ambassador programme is not sufficiently developed to allow student participation in all task teams. However, in the long term, it would be ideal to have meaningful student representation across all task teams to ensure Aurora’s activities also meet the expectations of its students. 

Shaping the Path Forward at the Aurora Spring Biannual 2024

Written by Niels Hexspoor on . Posted in News.

Between the 27th and 30th of May, the Aurora community gathered in the historic city of Naples for the Aurora Spring Biannual, hosted by the University Federico II of Naples (UNINA). This biannual combined a historic perspective with Aurora’s transition into its exciting new phase. 

This year’s biannual event offered the Aurora community a chance to celebrate the 800th anniversary of UNINA, placing Aurora’s ambitions in a grand historical context. The 800th anniversary of UNINA served as a powerful reminder of the importance and transformative potential of our universities. By situating Aurora’s contemporary aims within this historical framework, the biannual meeting in Naples not only celebrated the past but also inspired the Aurora community to continue shaping a better society through collaboration in education and research.

The event covered a range of thought-provoking topics. The plenary sessions featured panels on Joint Education Programs, Stakeholder Engagement, and Student Matters. These were complemented by inspiring talks on Citizen Science and Participatory Democracy that sparked new thoughts and initiatives. Aurora also reaffirmed its commitment to sustainable development, with Aurora’s universities signing a Common Footprint Reduction Plan. This joint commitment is key to making our universities greener and more environmentally sustainable. 

Another highlight of the event was the Presidency Handover. This was an opportunity to thank the University of Iceland Rector Jón Atli Benediktsson, for his tenure as Aurora President. Jón Atli proceeded to pass the torch to the Rector of Palacký University Olomouc, Martin Procházka. Martin wants to continue working closely with our students during his time at the helm: “It will be my goal to continue working on creating a student-centred and inclusive environment within Aurora, where students are truly heard.” 

Work packages and task teams also had time to convene. In these in-depth meetings, our task teams could discuss all our specific activities and develop them further. In addition, the biannual featured workshops on topics such as seizmic, Peer-Learning and Vulnerability.  

As the biannual came to a close, we looked forward to next year’s biannual, which will be organised by the Université Paris Est Créteil (UPEC). We also looked back at a great Spring Biannual that allowed us to appreciate all that Aurora has achieved so far, as well as the exciting journey ahead.

Relive the biannual below:

Photo Gallery:

      

     

 

Join the First Series of Aurora Peace Talks

Written by Niels Hexspoor on . Posted in Events, News.

Join us from September for the first series of Aurora Peace Talks. This lecture series will feature talks by our colleagues from Kharkiv and beyond, and allows them to share their experiences and expertise.

Kharkiv city is one of Ukraine’s most important economic and industrial centres and the second biggest educational center in Ukraine,  known as the city of students and youth.  About 300 000 students (12 000 foreign ones) found their home in one of the Kharkiv’s 11 universities and 38 higher educational institutions, including both public and private universities, academies and specialized institutes.

The city and the region have since 2022 come under heavy attack as one of the initial targets of Russia’s invasion. The city and the region have been bravely fighting off the aggression.

In the last month the city has been experiencing yet another wave of  heavy attacks, with random bombardments of civilian object causing civilian casualties, evacuations and displacements of several thousand of its residents.

Given the location of the city and Khakriv region, the situation for its citizens will remain precarious for a long time ahead. In Aurora, we have been working dedicatedly to provide much needed support, especially to our partners at Karazin Khakriv National University.

The speakers in this lecture series come from Karazin University, but also other universities in Khakriv, as we want  to provide platform for their voices to be heard in these most challenging of times. This first series in particular features talks from Kharkiv Scholars at Risk at Copenhagen Business School.

The Peace Talks lecture series allows our colleagues to speak out, share their experiences but also their expertise as academics in addressing the devastation and future post-war recovery and peace building needs.

Support them by joining the following inspiring Talks, starting form September this year:

  • Between Copenhagen and Kharkiv researching resilience
    • 26th of September 2024, 15.00 CET | Serhii Prokopenko, MSc
    • Zoom Link
  • Energy communities as the key for Ukraine’s energy security
    • 17th of October 2024, 15.00 CET | Albina Dioba, Ph.D.
    • Zoom Link
  • Becoming Part of a Community: The Process of Ukraine’s Accession to the European Union
    • 4th of November 2024, 15.00 CET | Assoc. Prof. Manuele Citi
    • Zoom Link
  • Public Discourse and Academic Research in Representing People Under Occupation: Are war-caused conflicts transformable?
    • 16th of December 2024, 15.00 CET | Prof. Yuliia Soroka, Ph.D.
    • Zoom Link

Aurora Peace Talks – Programme

This lecture series is organized by the Aurora Karazin Peace Education Hub of Work Package 7. For more information on the Aurora Peace Talks lecture series, contact Selma Porobic.

Aurora Staff Training in Ohrid Equips Academics for International Teaching

Written by Niels Hexspoor on . Posted in Events, News, Trainings.

On 18 April, the first Aurora Capacity Development Staff Training took place in Ohrid, North Macedonia. In a bid to enhance global learning opportunities, the COIL Staff Training aimed to empower educators with the necessary tools and knowledge to implement Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL).

This event is the first in a series of trainings, organised within the framework of Aurora’s Capacity Development Programme. These are organized by Palacky University Olomouc and VU Amsterdam, together with Aurora associate partners. The aim of these training events is twofold. First, we aim to strengthen the capacity of the Aurora associate partner universities for academic excellence and societal relevance. Second, we support them in establishing themselves as regional hubs for sharing best practices.

Bringing together a group of 30 participants, mainly from the University of Tetova and South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, the Aurora Ohrid Staff Training marks a significant step towards fostering cross-cultural educational collaboration. Led by COIL expert Marina Vives from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, the workshop offered participating academics a deep dive into the utilisation of COIL, opening the doors to internationalise their curriculum together with other Aurora universities.

The training started with an icebreaker exercise, an important best practice when setting up a COIL. Then, Marina introduced the participants to the concept of COIL, and shared more best practices. The participants were then divided into groups and encouraged to start building a COIL course on their own. In a short time, the participants created promising, interdisciplinary COIL course concepts. The participants were excited to develop these concepts further and put them into practice.

Preceded by meetings between Aurora representatives and the management of the University of Tetova, the event set the stage for future collaborations. The staff training event empowered our associate partners to unlock their international potential through COIL. Through this initial step, they will be able to further develop the internationalisation of their institutions.

European Commission Awards Grant for seizmic Doctoral Network

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on . Posted in News.

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.

Aurora Welcomes Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) As New Member

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on . Posted in News.

Aurora Associate Partner since May 2022, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) officially joins as Aurora Full Member and becomes part of the Aurora 2030 project within the framework of the European Universities Initiative launched by the European Commission.   

The Aurora 2030 project brings together nine research-intensive higher education institutions and five associated academic partners across 13 countries, working towards a common strategic vision: Matching academic excellence with societal relevance. UPEC’s entry into this alliance of European universities, further contributes to the collective commitment in achieving sustainable impact through education, research and innovation.  

“We are very pleased and proud to welcome UPEC as a full member of Aurora Universities Network,” says Jon Atli Benediktsson, President of Aurora and Rector of the University of Iceland. “The emphasis at UPEC on high-quality education and research for societal impact makes UPEC an excellent and important partner of Aurora.” 

As a university engaged in being a service to its region, UPEC aims to redefine its university model and strengthen its actions to address key societal and environmental challenges. This also includes supporting further European integration in higher education and research through collaboration with other member institutions within Aurora. 

Shared Coordination and Expertise 

The Aurora 2030 project consists of ten work packages and 33 task teams, coordinating collaborative actions in identifying and tackling common goals in the fields of diversity, sustainability, research, innovation, education and student engagement. These actions include, but are not limited to, green and digital campus initiatives, research assessment, inclusion and student mobility.  

“UPEC’s institutional strategy is well-aligned to Aurora’s five hubs: Sustainability & Climate Change, Digital Society & Global Citizenship, Health & Well-being, Cultures: Diversities & Identities, and Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation,” says Martin Schwell, Vice President, European Affairs and Aurora Institutional Coordinator at UPEC. “Furthermore, UPEC’s integration into Aurora enables opportunities for our students, staff and academics that go beyond international borders and disciplines.” 

As a new member integrated into this programme, UPEC will be playing an active role in Aurora’s  work for the next four years by co-leading two strategic work packages, on the one hand Enhancing Quality of Research through an Aurora Research and Innovation Community, and on the other hand Impact and Dissemination. 

Dedicated Representation  

Being part of Aurora  goes beyond cooperating within the work packages and task teams of the Aurora 2030 project. UPEC’s commitment to this alliance is also demonstrated by the representation of its community of students, academics and administrative staff in opportunities aligned with the university’s mission: sustainable campus, student life, and science with and for society.  

 

 

 

 

Aurora Launches Call for Incentive Research Collaboration

Written by Aniza Pourtauborde on . Posted in News.

In the wake of the Aurora 2030 Kick-off in November 2023, the Aurora European university alliance further consolidates its scientific and academic collaboration among member institutions by building an Aurora Research and Innovation community.  

Building on the progress from the first phase of Aurora, this Call for Incentive Research Projects, Thematic Summer Schools and Early-stage Researcher Mobilities is part of Aurora 2030 Work Package 5: Enhancing Quality of Research through an Aurora Research and Innovation (R&I) Community, and therefore aims to foster a fertile environment for the excellent quality of research and research collaboration through shared values and practices within Aurora. 

“During its first phase, Aurora universities have successfully set up an inventory of research infrastructures that they are ready to share for common research,” says Matthias Beekmann, Director of Observatoire des Sciences de l’univers at Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) and Task Team 5.2 Leader on Academic Collaboration and Community Building. “With the incentive call launched today, we want to go a big step forward in bringing researchers from Aurora together.” 

Indeed, through common research activities and mobility actions, the present Call will continue to strengthen the relationships among researchers and scientific communities within member institutions and raise awareness about R&I activities and Aurora on a much broader academic level.  

Driving Research for Education and Societal Impact 

Harnessing collective knowledge from the Aurora scientific community enhances the quality of research and, thus, increases its ability to address key world challenges and make a positive and sustainable societal impact in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). With this vision in mind, the present Call welcomes applications in research disciplines and topics that fall within the five Aurora 2030 educational hubs: Sustainability & Climate Change, Digital Society & Global Citizenship, Health & Wellbeing, Culture: Diversities & Identities, and Social Entrepreneurship. Going further than this, the Call is open to all research disciplines as long as the proposed project fosters real new collaboration.  

 To continue growing the next generation of Aurora academics prepared to conduct research, impart knowledge and catalyze change in a meaningful and durable way, this Call intends to create opportunities and incentives for both early-stage and established academics by supporting three types of key actions:  

  • Incentive and Collaborative Research Projects
    This action supports concrete exploratory research activities that emphasise the complementarity of competencies and approaches gained from the expected collaboration between researchers of different Aurora member institutions. 
  • Thematic Summer Schools
    This action comprises opportunities for career development, knowledge-sharing and network/community-building through thematic disciplinary training for early-stage researchers. 
  • Short-term Research Secondments for Early-stage Researchers
    This action boosts researchers’ skill set by supporting short-term mobility of up to three months in a research laboratory or unit of an Aurora 2030 full-member institution. 

The Building Blocks of the Aurora Research and Innovation Community  

Raised on the foundation of collaboration between nine higher education institutions in Europe, today Aurora officially releases its Call for Incentive Research Projects, Thematic Summer Schools and Early-stage Researcher Mobilities, one of the building blocks towards an Aurora R&I Community. The deadline for submission runs until 12 pm (CET) on April 30, 2024.  

Looking Back at the Aurora Fall Biannual 2023

Written by Niels Hexspoor on . Posted in News.

On October 17th and 18th, Palacký University Olomouc, located in Olomouc, Czechia, hosted the Aurora Fall Biannual 2023. The event served as a unifying platform, bringing together more than 200 participants from 18 universities within the Aurora community and beyond.

The Fall Biannual event centred around reflecting on Aurora’s notable accomplishments as a part of the European Universities initiative. These European developments took centre stage in the plenary sessions and panels:

  1. Aurora Pilot Phase: Aurora Model Alliance?
  2. The impact and role of European Universities on the future of Higher Education in Europe
  3. Alliance Exchange – Balancing Education, Research Innovation and Social Responsibility
  4. Toward student-centred European University Alliances

Rector Tetyana Kaganovska, who was a panel member during the Aurora Model Alliance plenary session, underscored the belief of the Aurora community in Karazin Kharkiv University. This confidence breathed new life into their commitment to advancing online education. The message “our colleagues believe in us” ignites a glimmer of hope, inspiring their community to persevere and celebrate even the smallest triumphs.

Aurora’s commitment to sustainability was also highlighted during the event, with an opening presentation and plenary session dedicated to Aurora’s work on making our community greener and more sustainable.

Collaboration within Aurora was further strengthened by the momentous signing of a Memorandum of understanding on the sharing of research infrastructure, as well as the signing of the second version of the Multilateral Aurora Mobility Agreement (MAMA).

 

 

 

 

 

 

Next to the retrospective of Aurora’s remarkable accomplishments, the Aurora community came together to look forward to the exciting prospects that lie ahead. Participants also engaged in thought-provoking Thematic sessions on prominent Aurora topics such as COIL, the Aurora Competence Framework, and Technology Transfer.  

Want to relive the biannual or catch up on any sessions you missed? You can watch the recordings of the plenary sessions below:

🎥 17/10/2023 –  Day 1

🎥 18/10/2023 –  Day 2

The full photo gallery of the biannual can be downloaded here.

Aurora’s MoU on Sharing Infrastructure and Resources paves the way for research collaboration

Written by Niels Hexspoor on . Posted in Calls, News.

Aurora Fall Biannual 2023 witnessed a momentous occasion on October 17th, with the Aurora Research Infrastructure and Resources Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing. This event marked a significant commitment to research collaboration among thirteen esteemed Aurora universities, including the Aurora Associate partners and Université Paris-Est Créteil.

The purpose of the MoU is twofold. Firstly, it serves as a definitive statement of intent from partner universities to engage in research cooperation, with a specific focus on Aurora’s mission and pilot domains. By doing so, it aims to facilitate seamless access to shared resources for researchers within the alliance. Secondly, these universities aim to fortify their global research standing by working closely together. By promoting international cooperation across a diverse range of research areas, they aspire to exchange research resources and data with fellow research groups.

This collaborative endeavour not only underscores the commitment of Aurora Universities to advance research but also showcases their determination to foster a richer culture of global research collaboration.

 

 

 

 

 

 

For those interested in exploring the MoU in detail, a publicly accessible version is available here. This document showcases the commitment of universities to research collaboration and global knowledge sharing. Access the MoU

Aurora welcomes its universities to contribute their research infrastructure resources. By sharing resources and knowledge, you enrich your institution and engage with a global community of research excellence. Ready to join this collaborative effort? Add your research infrastructure resources here.

Linguistic diversity, intercultural competences & European identity: and Aurora Blended Intensive Program for Europe to come

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in Events.

25 participants from 4 European universities with over 22 languages spoken. Students, teachers, and staff were working together towards a common goal: to train and discuss European linguistic and cultural plurality and the development of intercultural skills. In the background Naples and the Mediterranean Sea, its cultures, its languages.

The Aurora Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) Erasmus+ “Linguistic diversity, intercultural competences & European identity”, was carried out in mid-September to educate teachers, students, and staff for a plurilingual and intercultural Europe. BIPs are blended intensive programs of study and research. The BIP is coordinated by the University Federico II (UNINA) in partnership with the Innsbruck Universität (UIBK), the Universitat Rovira i Virgili of Tarragona (URV), and the Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci (UPOL), was designed as part of the Aurora programme activities and financed with Erasmus+ European funds.

The four thematic sessions addressed the topics of European political identity, European multilingualism, the educational methodologies of linguistic ethnography, and the development of intercultural competencies in multilingual education and training.

The topic of European political identity was addressed in two seminars by Alessandro Arienzo (UNINA), designed to understand how our recent history and culture have shaped our ideas of Europe and how Europe as an idea is the result of stratified historical and political paths closely connected to social and individual experiences. The concept of European multilingualism was addressed in two workshops by Ulrike Jessner-Schmid (UIBK) in which the participants, working in groups, by expressing their linguistic portraits, experienced how their prior (multi)linguistic knowledge can help them in learning a new language or decoding texts in other languages. Two workshops by Lidia Gallego-Balsa (URV) dealt with the topics of pedagogical translanguaging and linguistic ethnography as a tool for developing competencies in an additional foreign language. Finally, intercultural competencies were the subject of three workshops by Markus Öbrink (UPOL) with the aim of discussing intercultural communication and conflict mediation. The group developed a common intercultural basis by practising techniques such as asking questions, listening effectively, communicating clearly, and anticipating conflicts.

Participants were engaged in the co-creation of workshop activities, as well as in small group activities and plenary discussions. All activities were based on teamwork and challenge-based: the participants, divided into groups, tried to tackle specific problems through discussion and debate. The educational experience was enriched by participating in the Erasmus Welcome Day organised by UNINA with a visit to the Paleontological University Museum, the National Archaeological Museum, and the Morra Greco Art Foundation.

With an outstanding 90% of participants responding to be “highly satisfied” with the activities, and willing to continue in some for the experience, and an overall 80% “satisfied” rate for each of the workshops, this Blended Intensive Program was a success!

 

Some comments from the participants:

“The event with the Aurora community was an unforgettable experience. I have learned a variety of new things and skills, both for my professional and my personal development”;

“I will forever be grateful for the many new things I have been able to learn, the people I have met, and all of the great moments lived in this city”;

“Participating in the Blending Intensive Program was a wonderful experience for me. The program’s discussion approach was excellent, and I learned a lot from it. I am now even more motivated to continue researching multilingualism after completing my PhD studies. The BIP program enhanced my understanding of how multilingualism can be beneficial and provide social and cognitive advantages to those who speak multiple languages”;

“This ensured that the course met my expectations of a course focused on Linguistic diversity, intercultural competencies & European identity. It also exceeded my expectations in many ways in terms of meeting new people and learning methods from other universities”;

“Meeting students and professors from different universities and getting to know their opinions on various topics has been an enrichment for me”.

 

The scientific and educative collaboration initiated in Naples will continue next year in Olomouc, with a new Blended Program dedicated to the study of European multilingualism and educational perspectives for Europe to come.