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Looking Back: Aurora Research and Innovation Conference

Written by Anna Klas on . Posted in News.

The Aurora Research and Innovation (RI) Conference occurred on Friday, 20 September, at the Muntpunt Library in Brussels. The event brought together 40 experts from the Aurora RI community and external stakeholders across Europe. It highlighted Aurora RI’s achievements and explored future opportunities for European University Alliances within the broader European Research and Innovation agenda.

The conference followed an Aurora RI working meeting held on Thursday, September 19, at the Czech Liaison Office in Brussels. As a result, this meeting set the stage for the discussions during the conference.

Morning Highlights: Celebrating Aurora RI Achievements

The day began with introductory speeches by Ramon Puras, Aurora Secretary-General, and Freyja Oddsdottir, Aurora RI Project Manager. Next, Svandís Halldorsdottir, Head of the Grants Office at the University of Iceland, followed with a presentation on the “Roadmap for Convergence of Research Support Schemes,” which highlighted Aurora’s long-term vision and support for the Aurora RI Project’s outcomes.

One of the morning’s key sessions was titled “Highlights – Aurora Research and Innovation.” It focused on Aurora’s achievements in three key areas:

Afternoon Highlights: Looking to the Future

In the afternoon, the focus gradually shifted to future prospects, beginning with a master class from Doris Alexander, Executive Board Member at Charm-EU, which notably outlined strategic funding avenues for European universities. In addition, Doris stated: “Alliances could serve as ‘testbeds’ for future EU policy, which would consequently require a more proactive approach, for example, through networks like ForEU4all.” Therefore, this presentation effectively set the tone for the afternoon’s exploration of new opportunities.

Next, these insights were followed by a panel discussion on the prospects for research and innovation within European Universities. The session covered several key topics:

  • The need to build and maintain research infrastructures across alliances.
  • Better integration of research and education, advocating for integrated funding schemes and long-term commitment.

Moderated by Helena Acheson, Europe Director at University Innovations Global (UI Global), the panel included expert insights from Olga Wessels (Head of the ECIU Brussels office and Coordinator FOR-EU and FOR-EU4ALL), Ludovic Thilly (Coordinator General of EC2U, Coordinator FOR-EU2), and Jorge Molina Martinez (Project Adviser at European Commission, Research Executive Agency (REA). The speakers provided valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Closing and Networking

The conference ended with insightful remarks from Aurora Secretary-General Ramon Puras and Halldor Jonsson, Director of Science & Innovation at the University of Iceland. They acknowledged the strong performance of the R&I project, emphasised the importance of maintaining and expanding the research infrastructures established, and stressed Aurora’s proactive role, along with its sister alliances, in advocating for better integration of research and education. The conference concluded with a networking reception, fostering ongoing dialogue and building new connections.

This successful event reinforced the importance of collaboration within the Aurora network and the broader European Research and Innovation community, laying the groundwork for future endeavours in university alliances.

Martin Procházka Elected as New Aurora President

Written by Niels Hexspoor on . Posted in News.

Martin Procházka, Rector of Palacký University Olomouc, has been elected to be the new Aurora president by the Aurora General Council during the Aurora Spring Biannual 2024. He takes over from Jón Atli Benediktsson, Rector of the University of Iceland, who has held the position of Aurora President for the past four years.

Following the general council’s decision, Jón Atli Benediktsson passed on the torch in the public handover ceremony during the Biannual.  During this ceremony, Rector Procházka presented his predecessor with a vase made of Bohemian crystal to thank him for his service. “Jón Atli, this gift is not only a token of our friendship, but also a symbol of your excellent work for Aurora. Bohemian crystal, renowned for its exquisite craftsmanship, shines with the combination of tradition and innovation that we strive for at Aurora and reflects our commitment to excellence in education and research,” said Procházka.

In his acceptance speech, he emphasised that in his role as President, he wants to give the universities and all members of the community space for expression and the opportunity to shape the future Aurora and highlighted students as a key element in his vision of Aurora. “The students’ enthusiasm and their ideas are a great inspiration to us all. As President, I will aim to continue working to create a student-oriented and inclusive environment,” underlined Procházka.

Martin Procházka is the first Aurora President elected under a new system of rotating Aurora presidency. By unanimous decision of the Aurora General Council, the Aurora Presidency will rotate between the member universities. This system, inspired by the rotating EU-presidency, will allow all Aurora universities to leave their mark on Aurora’s policy and strategic decision-making.

In this system, the general council elects a rector  to serve on the Aurora board as  president-elect one year prior to them taking the mantle of Aurora President for a one-year tenure. After this year, they stay on the Aurora Board for one more year as Past President, to ensure continuity of governance.

Sustainability & Climate Change Hub Advances Micro-credentials Initiative

Written by Niels Hexspoor on . Posted in News.

At the Aurora Spring Biannual 2024 hosted by University Federico II in Naples, involving task teams 2.1 “Establishing the Hub for Sustainability & Climate Change” and 2.5 “Coordination of joint education and joint accreditation”, marked a significant step forward to discuss micro-credentials, and make flexible and individual learning paths a reality within Aurora.

A major highlight was the near-finalisation of the much-anticipated document, “Guidelines for Setting Up Aurora Micro-credentials.” During the collaborative discussion on the guidelines draft, several key points were highlighted: 

  • Further Modifications and Provisional Decisions: Members discussed potential changes and provisional decisions, planning to forward these to other task teams and the Vice-Rectors of Education (VRE). 
  • Quality Assurance and Implementation: Each institution is responsible for quality assurance, teaching, and assessment of the micro-credentials, but institutions must agree upon joint implementation, coordinated processes and issuance. 
  • Innovative Methods: The importance of innovative teaching methods that guarantee active student participation and are recognized by employers and society was highlighted. 
  • Learning outcomes: The relevance of learning outcomes and their valid verification was reaffirmed, as was the use of the different Aurora Competence Framework tools. 
  • Branding Strategy: A strong branding strategy is needed to make micro-credentials attractive and popular among students. 

The quote “To achieve great things, two things are needed: a plan, and not quite enough time” by Leonard Bernstein resonates profoundly. Thus, following the discussion on the draft document and potential future issues, both task teams established a timeline for final feedback and approval.

Members of  task teams 2.1 and 2.5 agreed to respond to the draft within two months. The final version will then be sent to the board of Vice-Rectors for Education. Additionally, the “Guidelines for Setting Up Aurora Micro-credentials” have been sent to task team 6.1 Aurora IT Development & Services to discuss IT processes for shared student data and future perspectives on digital issuing. 

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:

      

     

 

Aurora Digital Campus: Laying the Foundations for a Joint Digital Campus

Written by UIBK on . Posted in News.

Over the course of four intensive days, IT experts and administrative staff gathered at Universität Innsbruck to set the course for a joint digital campus.

Part of the Aurora 2030 project includes enabling seamless access to educational and training activities for students and staff from Aurora universities. Set under Task 6.1. Aurora IT Development & Services of work package 6 for Green and Digital Campus, this task further aims to deliver shared interoperability, in line with the expansion of EU standards for online authentication and authorization to access digital services.

The starting point of these discussions was to develop a common understanding of the digital campus. Three key building blocks were identified. The first building block is a common central course catalogue that collects information on courses from each individual university system. From this foundational block come procedures for automated enrolment and course registration processes in the local systems. This includes access to the local teaching management systems. Finally, the last building block constitutes the issuance, exchange and archive of digital credentials, for which new IT solutions will need to be developed.

For the joint course catalogue, a pilot that has already been developed will be expanded to include Aurora universities the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and the Universität Rovira i Virgili (URV). The functionality of this joint course catalogue will be further tested. The University of Duisburg-Essen and the URV will also develop a proof of concept for automated enrolment and course registration within the local university systems. In the meantime, the Universität Innsbruck and the University Federico II of Naples will be responsible for developing a concept for digital credentials.

The four-day meeting and workshop culminated in setting up additional working groups to tackle the various topics and to further realise the plans for a joint digital campus for Aurora universities.

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.

 

Fostering Community Building through Blended Intensive Programme at Universität Innsbruck

Written by UIBK on . Posted in Events, News, Trainings.

Foster community building: This was the overarching theme of the first Aurora BIP Staff Week, which took place at Universität Innsbruck from October 2-6, 2023. Participants from almost all Aurora partners – coming from both academia and administration – exchanged manifold ideas with colleagues from Universität Innsbruck to develop new activities and projects.

With more than 50 members of staff, the first Aurora Staff Week at Universität Innsbruck was a great success. In different formats and settings, the main topics of Transformative Education, Innovation Management, Societal Engagement, and Internationalization were explored in depth over several days. Best practices from Universität Innsbruck and the Aurora partner universities served as the basis for the exchange, stimulating a mutual dialogue in the sense of peer learning and opening space for creativity and new ideas.

“Personal encounters are incredibly important for a network like Aurora to be filled with life,” emphasises Rector Veronika Sexl, who is responsible for international affairs at Universität Innsbruck. “I am very pleased that so many colleagues, both in-house and from the Aurora partner universities, have actively taken up the invitation to exchange ideas and that new projects are already in the pipeline.” The “matchmaking sessions” were particularly fruitful, where concrete new activities, such as the development of joint courses, could be discussed in individual smaller settings.

First Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP) hosted by Universität Innsbruck

The Aurora Staff Week, which was funded and organised as an Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), took place in Innsbruck after a virtual exchange of participants in September. For the first time, the Universität Innsbruck served as a hosting institution for the event. The Aurora Staff Week will conclude with a virtual follow-up meeting at the end of October.

BIPs are teaching/learning formats jointly run by several universities and combine virtual components with physical short-term mobility (“blended”). BIPs are a new mobility format embedded in the Erasmus program, implemented as part of the Erasmus program generation 2021-2027. Within Aurora, the general goal is to develop more joint BIPs between Aurora partners in the coming years. These can be used for training as well as teaching purposes.

Digital Nomads Workshop Sparks Collaborative Action

Written by Anna Klas on . Posted in News.

In June 2022, a workshop focused on the growing phenomenon of Digital Nomads within the digital workforce was organised. This collaborative effort between Aurora Universities and the Network Institute at VU Amsterdam served as a forum for European Commission policymakers and early career researchers to discuss how society, employers, and employees can adapt to this new way of working.

The workshop highlighted four key objectives: firstly, to identify the necessary actions from policy-makers and scientists; secondly, to foster connections between researchers and European Commission policy-makers; thirdly, to catalyse research collaborations; and finally, to generate a publicly accessible written report encapsulating the discussions and findings.

The comprehensive white paper titled “Digital Nomads: Opportunities and Challenges for the Future of Work in the Post-Covid Society” emerged as the tangible outcome. This document will inform policy and strategy-making efforts, potentially influencing regulations and Research & Innovation (R&I) calls. It has been shared with policy officers in DG Employment and DG RTD for input and consideration and is scheduled for publication in a semi-scientific journal.

The lessons learnt from this whitepaper underscore the value of engaging early career researchers in EU policymaking related to R&I, given the tangible results that can be derived. However, executing such workshops requires a long-term commitment from organisers and participants alike. While the discussion topic needs to resonate with policymakers to ensure early engagement from the European Commission, the autonomy to choose the topic should lie with the organisers, upholding the principle of academic freedom.

To ensure the participation of early career researchers, a limited travel budget is crucial. In this case, the Network Institute commendably provided about 300 euros per person upon request, facilitating their attendance. This act of generosity highlights the importance of funding in enabling such workshops. As such, a heartfelt appreciation goes out to the Network Institute for their invaluable support and sustained enthusiasm, as well as to all the participants who played a pivotal role in the workshop’s success.