Group: For students

From 17 to 28 June, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) hosted its first-ever Aurora Summer School on Futures Literacy and social foresight. The two-week course focused on training students from Aurora universities to reframe today’s challenges to better anticipate the impact of decisions taken for the future.

Held at AEI International School in UPEC, the Aurora Summer School welcomed 26 students from UPEC, University of Iceland, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Università Federico II of Naples and Copenhagen Business School. Over a fortnight, our students were exposed to an immersive educational and intercultural experience.

Anticipating Tomorrow Today  

The Aurora Summer School in UPEC introduced our students to the disciplines in social entrepreneurship, prospective studies and social innovation. Its objective is to encourage them to master the skills to prepare for the future by addressing today’s complex societal challenges.

The programme included courses that were designed to enable our students to understand how actions and decisions can have a real impact on society. By learning the fundamentals of Futures Literacy, they looked at issues touching social, societal, economic and entrepreneurial aspects.

Led by professor Felipe Koch, Vice-Dean of AEI International School at UPEC, the first week of the summer school began with comprehensive lectures and practical sessions on the topic of Futures Studies. These sessions took place in the Futures Literacy Laboratory, where our students experimented with innovative methods to drive transformative change.

Week two of the summer school further broadened perspectives and provided our students exposure to a wide range of expertise. Renowned speakers included:

• Philippe Frouté, Dean of AEI International School, UPEC, lectured on data analysis and forecasting.
• Fabio Scarano, UNESCO Chair on Futures Literacy: Planetary Wellbeing and Regenerative Anticipation, spoke on regenerative futures.
• Rocco Scolozzi, professional futurist, trainer and facilitator, explained the implementation of systems thinking.
• Dr Fernando Bozza, lead researcher at the World Health Organization (WHO), exchanged on social innovation, entrepreneurship and managing decision-making under deep uncertainty.

Intercultural Exchange in the Heart of Paris 

One of the benefits of student mobility between Aurora universities is the possibility for a rich intercultural exchange. Incoming students get to learn more about the French culture while also being introduced to other European cultures, thanks to the diversity of the students coming from different universities within Aurora.

The Office of International Affairs at UPEC organised two cultural visits in the heart of Paris:

• Opéra Garnier on the theme Intermezzo: Our students discovered the history of Palais Garnier, its unique 19^th century theatre art architecture and the various artistic activities undertaken by the Parisian opera house.
• Seine river cruise: Through a guided cruise by some of the most beautiful monuments viewed from the Seine river, our students learnt more about Parisian culture and the city’s historical heritage. 

The Aurora Summer School at UPEC was a huge success for the university that officially joined Aurora as full member in 2023. Since its entry into the Aurora European university alliance, UPEC has been co-leading two strategic work packages in the Aurora 2030 project: Enhancing Quality of Research through an Aurora Research and Innovation Community, and Impact and Dissemination.

During the Aurora Spring Biannual 2024 in Naples, the Aurora team for Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation unveiled seizmic, its freshly rebranded online platform.

Launched during the first phase of the Aurora European university alliance, this platform was previously known as SEISMIC (Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation Scales to Measure Impact Competence). SEISMIC referred only to the survey tool that provides quantitative measures for the twelve competencies needed to achieve societal impact.

Following the rebranding, the social entrepreneurship online platform today goes by the name seizmic. It consolidates diverse tools and elements that equip students with the competencies required to drive impactful societal change.

One Platform, Multiple Applications for Social Entrepreneurship

Led by Professor Kai Hockerts and Aurora Institutional Coordinator Anne-Karen Hüske of Copenhagen Business School (CBS), the development of teaching and learning activities related to social entrepreneurship and innovation has grown in strength within Aurora universities. Further boosted by the Aurora 2030 project, there is continuous effort to unify all such activities under one seizmic identity:

• seizmic Courses: These learning modules present the latest research and tools on how social entrepreneurship can address current societal challenges.

• seizmic APP: This free web-based digital platform guides learners through the social business development process. It focuses on identifying solutions against issues related to different Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

• seizmic BUSINESS MODEL: This tool covers each step in the social entrepreneurship development process: from problem identification to growth and replication, and beyond.

• seizmic Awards: An annual award ceremony celebrating the creativity and innovation of students and early-stage social entrepreneurs.

• seizmic Survey (former SEISMIC): A tool to assess how study programmes or courses contribute to enhancing students’ social entrepreneurship competencies.

• seizmic Community: seizmic gathers students and budding social entrepreneurs under one space. They collaborate on entrepreneurial projects with a common vision to make positive societal impact.

Educating the Next Generation of Social Entrepreneurs

seizmic enables Aurora students to engage in social entrepreneurship and innovation in multiple ways. They learn through seizmic Courses and use the seizmic APP to build business models. In addition, they participate in seizmic Awards and further assess their competencies with the seizmic Survey.

With the recent addition of the MSCA-funded seizmic Doctoral Network, seizmic offers new doctoral positions across Aurora partner universities in Europe. The Doctoral Network aims to develop an interdisciplinary theoretical framework for studying the replication and imitation of social entrepreneurship ideas. It will also set new benchmarks for doctoral training.

As part of the work undertaken in Aurora, seizmic aspires to cultivate a community of educators dedicated to advancing the discussion and research around social entrepreneurship and innovation.

Aurora Student Council (ASC) members and students Sören Daehn from Copenhagen Business School and Suvarn Nagan from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam represented Aurora universities’ student voice at the 3^rd edition of the European Student Assembly- ESA 24, hosted by the European Parliament in Strasbourg.

Over three days, Sören and Suvarn gathered with 250 students from 59 nationalities, 41 European university alliances and 170 universities. They discussed, debated, collaborated and voted on a collection of over 80 policy recommendations on 11 political topics. The European Student Assembly generally aims to:

• Provide a platform to voice the opinion of students from European universities of different countries, backgrounds, fields and levels of study, all recruited for their engagement and motivation;
• Foster the participation of students, strengthen collaboration between them and increase the impact and visibility of European university alliances;
• Advocate for deliberative processes to reinforce European democracy and to reduce the gap between citizens and decision makers; and
• Encourage students to be involved in European democratic processes, and European politics at local, national and European levels.

Debating Issues at the Heart of Europe

During the ESA 24, 11 panels drafted several recommendations on different political issues. These included the Green Transformation, AI guidelines, public health, Euroscepticism, higher education or cultural heritage. Combined, the panels produced over 80 policy recommendations. Over 90% were then – with a majority vote – adopted by the whole assembly of 250 participants.

Alongside his panel, Sören worked on recommendations regarding reforms and changes to the current EU-Enlargement process. They highlighted that the current accession guidelines have not undergone critical reforms in many years. They further suggested that the EU-Enlargement process should not simply bring in candidate countries quickly. It should do so while protecting EU institutions and its current member states by setting realistic standards.

ESA 24 Panel with Aurora Student Council member and student Sören Daehn of Copenhagen Business School

European Student Assembly 2024

The panel developed eight meaningful and crucial recommendations, which were democratically adopted by the whole assembly. Part of their recommendations included:

• Increased and equalized economic support and investment opportunities;
• Transformation to a gradual accession process and qualified majority voting;
• Support for securing territorial integrity and deterring third-party influence; and
• Support for free media, civil society organizations and against misinformation.

Creating Impact for the Future of Europe

The ESA 24 was a great example of the importance of student involvement in European politics. Specific outcomes of the Assembly, including political recommendations, will be disseminated among relevant stakeholders, policymakers, and educational institutions.

The European Student Assembly continues to be an invaluable experience for Aurora universities students to get to know other engaged and politically interested students from all over Europe. They also learn more on how policy making in the European Union works. Most importantly, the ESA 24 provided a platform to formulate an opinion and raise the voice for European students on the most pressing current political matters.

In June 2024, one month before the Summer 2024 Olympics in Paris, Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC) will be hosting students from Aurora universities’ member institutions for its first-ever Aurora Summer School on Emerging Futures: Societal Innovation Meets Futures Studies 

On the heels of its integration into Aurora and the Aurora 2030 European university initiative, UPEC will be introducing its first Aurora Summer School during the summer of 2024. Targeted to Bachelor students, this intensive two-week course aims to train the next generation of leaders intending to make a tangible and sustainable impact on the world.

Aligned with the Aurora Competence Framework, the course provides a world view of global challenges. It further gives students the opportunity to leverage their knowledge and work to respond to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and hence meets one of Aurora’s key objectives in the Aurora 2030 project.

“The future is not a place in some later-than-now timeframe, it is a tool that helps us to change the way we look at the present: knowing how the anticipation process takes place, helps us make use of different futures in the now,” says Felipe Koch, Vice-Dean of AEI International School at UPEC. “It makes us more confortable with the uncertainty and more prone to innovative ideas.”

Embracing Uncertainties in Emerging Futures 

At the heart of this summer school is the very real notion of addressing a VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity, Ambiguity) environment and its potential consequences on our future. With two focus areas in Futures Literacy and Social Foresight, this course empowers students to both understand possible future scenarios and anticipate eventual changes that can impact societies and communities in the longer term.

The ability to comprehend future possibilities and the social dimensions of change allows students to adopt a forward-looking mindset. It sets the stage for more informed decision making in the present, in order to better adapt to evolving uncertainties in the future.

During the course, students will learn about anticipation mechanisms, strategic foresight and systemic thinking. They will be taught to distinguish between concrete and abstract futures, to identify and analyse emerging trends, opportunities and risks, and to prepare key stakeholders in developing better strategies and action plans.

Transformation through Blended Learning 

This summer school takes place over two weeks, during which students will receive comprehensive instruction and practical experience through the Futures Literacy Lab at the AEI International School at UPEC. They will be exposed to the study of theoretical foundations and facilitation techniques to craft and lead change.

In addition, over 30 hours of autonomous class preparation, lectures, teamwork, online videos and podcasts, aim to challenge students’ perspectives and enable them to shape the future of Social Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

This Aurora Summer School on Emerging Futures: Societal Innovation Meets Futures Studies goes beyond gaining knowledge; it transforms students by giving them the tools to catalyse real-world change.

Hosted by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) in Tarragona, Spain, the Aurora Student Conference 2024 brought together students from across Europe for two days of immersive cultural exchange and collaborative workshops.

Open to all Aurora Student Council members and Aurora Student Ambassadors, this conference aimed specifically to promote intercultural understanding and collaboration among its participants. As such, the event featured a diverse array of activities, including cultural learning sessions, language quizzes, and workshops. Attendees had the opportunity to engage in cultural speed dating, traditional dance sessions, and peer-learning discussions. 

This annual student conference is part of the goals set within the Aurora 2030 Work Package 7 on Capacity Building and Community Engagement, to upscale the engagement of the Aurora universities’ student communities by encouraging teamwork and partnership between them. The two-day programme kicked off with a warm welcome by Josep Pallarès, Rector of the URV, and Joan-Miquel Canals, URV’s Commissioner for International Networks. Following the opening session, students were invited to participate in immersive intercultural activities that offered an eye-opening experience and a better understanding of URV’s community and the lively Catalan culture. 

Embedding Aurora Values into the Student Community

Delving deeper into the essence of Aurora, student participants explored its vision, ambitions, and achievements through a comprehensive introduction. This session provided invaluable exposure – particularly for students new to Aurora – on what Aurora represents to its internal and external stakeholders. It gave light to the Aurora vision to match academic excellence to societal relevance, and emphasised how students can play a role in contributing to the Aurora mission and in affecting positive impact. 

World Café: The Impact of Aurora

Cultural session on Catalan culture and language

Throughout the conference, participants engaged in thought-provoking discussions during the World Cafe session, where they brainstormed and shared perspectives on the Aurora values. Topics ranged from Diversity and Inclusivity to International Education, emphasizing the dedication of Aurora members to nurturing a diverse and globally-aware academic community.  

Enhancing Personal Development

Part of the Aurora Student Conference included a workshop entitled “Speak UP!”, hosted by academic Markus Öbrink from Palacky University Olomouc. Aimed at enhancing students’ communication skills, the workshop consisted of practical exercises and guidance that enabled students to learn tools and strategies for effective public speaking.

Student from Universitat Rovira i Virgili (URV) at the Speak Up! Workshop

Cultural tour of the historical city of Tarragona

During the two days, attendees had the opportunity to explore the historical city of Tarragona and discover its vibrant Catalan culture. Guided tours offered glimpses into the city’s heritage, complementing the conference’s focus on intercultural understanding and collaboration.

The Aurora Student Conference 2024 underscored the importance of cross-cultural dialogue, and fostering connections and understanding in today’s globalised world. The conference left Aurora students inspired to continue building bridges across borders, both in Europe and beyond.