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Critical Perspectives on Governance Conferenc

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in Events.

The Conference on Critical Perspectives on Governance by Sustainable Development Goals is a biannual event organised by the Centre for Sustainable Development Studies (CSDS) of the University of Amsterdam (UvA).

The focus of the conference will be SDG4: “ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.” It aims to mobilize scholars young and old, policymakers, and civil society to share perspectives on the various roles education can play in relation to inclusive development.

During this conference, you will have the opportunity to assess the relevance of the goal, and its related targets and indicators, as well as develop a better understanding of the toolbox that is used to further its achievement.

More information about the program, different forms of participation and registration can be found below.

REGISTER HERE

MORE INFORMATION

Aurora COVID Student Conference

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in Events.

The Aurora COVID Student Conference, which took place on  19th January from 14:00-17:00 (GMT), is an initiative by the University of East Anglia (UEA) and the Aurora Vice-Rectors Education.

This was a free virtual conference for students from across all Aurora Universities to hear from and with experts working at Aurora partner institutions who have been active in responding to and researching the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The program included:

14:00 GMT Opening Remarks Prof Neil Ward (UEA, Norwich)
14:10 COVID and The Netherlands Dr Xander Koolman (VU, Amsterdam)
14:50 COVID and student well-being – The Caring Universities project Dr Sascha Struijs (VU, Amsterdam)
15:30 Break
15:45 COVID and the UK Prof Paul Hunter (UEA, Norwich)
16:25 Conference Discussion / Questions from attendees Chaired Prof Neil Ward
17:00 Conference Close

 

The conference closed with a discussion of the key themes that emerge during the plenary sessions. This conference was organized with the student in mind. Students who are considering a project or dissertation related to COVID, those studying or preparing to study topics related to COVID-19, such as dissertations or other project work, are more than welcome to watch the conference again.

Elísabet Brynjarsdóttir is Outstanding Young Icelander 2020

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in News.

Elísabet Brynjarsdóttir, former President of the University of Iceland Student Council and the Aurora Student Council, was recently selected as Outstanding Young Icelander of 2020 for her contributions in the area of philanthropy and volunteering.

The award is presented by JCI Iceland, who recognises people as part of an international programme that JCI organises all over the world to honour success and motivate other young people to succeed.

This was the nineteenth time the award has been presented in Iceland. As previously, the evaluation committee nominated ten people, all of whom were recognised as an Outstanding Young Icelanders for their contributions to Icelandic society. The group includes several current and former University of Iceland students.

The award itself is then presented to one person who stood out in particular, and the honour this year went to Elísabet Brynjarsdóttir. Elísabet received the award from Guðlaug Birna Björnsdóttir, National President of JCI Iceland, on 18 November.

Elísabet graduated from the University of Iceland with a degree in nursing in 2017. During her time as a student, she was involved in establishing the mental health education association Hugrún, working together with other University of Iceland students in nursing, psychology and medicine. The association educates young people about mental health and the resources available. Elísabet served as director of the association for the winter 2017-2018.

In the winter 2018-2019, Elísabet was President of the Student Council at the University of Iceland. During her term she organised the climate strike here in Iceland. She was also elected President of the Aurora Student Council 2018-2020, Aurora being a collaborative network of 9 prestigious European universities, including the University of Iceland. As President, Elísabet represented a total of 230,000 students within the network; this is probably the largest group that any Icelandic student leader has ever led in an international context.

Incredible achievement in raising awareness of drug abuse

Elísabet now works as a project manager at Frú Ragnheiður, a harm reduction service from the Red Cross in Iceland, having previously worked as a nurse for Frú Ragnheiður for two years. Before that, she worked on the project as a volunteer.

“As project manager, she has achieved incredible things in organising our work and raising awareness of the causes, nature and consequences of drug abuse for the individual as well as society as a whole, such as conditions for the homeless and the less able. She is a tireless advocate for marginalised groups, for example the homeless and intravenous drug users. She educates the public about people with drug abuse problems and is passionate about the subject. She has taken on the role of trying to show the nation that people are people, no matter what circumstances they find themselves in, everyone deserves compassion and respect,” said the statement from the JCI evaluation committee.

Aurora, alongside the University of Iceland, congratulates Elísabet on her recognition as an Outstanding Young Icelander.

Aurora European University Alliance Programme Accepted

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in News.

Proud and happy, we announce that the Aurora European University Alliance programme has been accepted by the European Commission. The Aurora European University Alliance programme will be one of 41 projects leading the way in helping to create a European Higher Education and Research community.

The Aurora Alliance has been selected by the European Commission as one of the now 41 European University initiatives supported through the Erasmus+ programme to lead the way to a European Higher Education and Research sector that contributes to a Europe of prosperity and well-being.

The Aurora Alliance stems from the Aurora Universities Network. Originally formed in 2016, Aurora is a network of research-intensive universities deeply committed to the social impact of our activities, and with a history of engagement with our communities.

The Aurora Alliance consists of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, University of East Anglia, University of Iceland, University Duisburg-Essen, University Rovira I Virgili, University of Naples, University of Innsbruck, Copenhagen Business School, and Palacky University in Olomouc. The Alliance has a number of associate partners, four of which are universities in Central and Eastern Europe.

Aurora President Prof David Richardson said: “I’m extremely delighted with this news. Universities are here to serve society, and therefore they have to be socially inclusive. Aurora is a socially inclusive network with exciting ideas on how to deliver relevant inclusive curricula for the future.”

Aurora Board member and Vrije Universiteit President Mirjam van Praag shares her gratitude as the Aurora Alliance receives the European Universities Alliance Grant. She says that the Aurora Alliance can now start building programs based on social entrepreneurship and apply it to societal relevant topics.

Callum Perry, President of the Aurora Student Council, finds Aurora to be remarkable and is honoured to be part of such a grand network of students and staff. The crux of Aurora lies in that Aurora doesn’t ask what society can do for universities, but what universities can do for societies. Please watch his video testimonial below:

We are looking forward to implementing and executing our strategy in the coming months to kick off the Aurora Alliance Programme.

For further information please contact Aurora Program Director Sabine Allain Sainte-Rose: s.allain-sainterose@vu.nl

The well-being of Icelanders during the COVID-19 pandemic

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in News.

Scientists at the University of Iceland, in collaboration with the Directorate of Health and the Chief Epidemiologist, have initiated a study called the COVID-19 National Resilience Cohort.

The aim of the study is to gather as much data as possible on the impact of the pandemic on the health and well-being of people in Iceland, in order to inform future responses to the impact of a societal shock such as a pandemic. All individuals aged 18 and over who have electronic ID are invited to take part in the study at lidanicovid.is/english. The University of Iceland is a member of the Aurora University Network. The study is sponsored by a presidential couple of Iceland, Guðni Th. Jóhannesson and Eliza Reid.

It is safe to say that COVID-19 pandemic is one of the biggest challenges to ever face nations across the world, having a major impact on economies and public health. Iceland has not escaped these hardships rather than other countries in the world. Scientists, therefore, believe it is important to get as clear a picture as possible of the effects of the pandemic on the Icelandic nation.

They plan to investigate the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on stress-related symptoms, psychological health and lifestyles among people in Iceland, but also to explore whether a history of a disease or other risk factors or potential or confirmed COVID-19 infection, are linked to poorer well-being and lower quality of life. It is important to map which factors have supported good health and well-being in individuals and families during these uncertain times. The research team also hopes to shed light on whether strong stress responses during the COVID-19 pandemic have a wider impact on long-term health. All this knowledge will be important to the authorities and can be used to better organise healthcare services and civil protection during times of societal shock such as the COVID-19 pandemic. An experienced team of scientists are involved in the study, led by Unnur Anna Valdimarsdóttir, professor at the University of Iceland Faculty of Medicine.

The study is part of an international research project in this field and is, as previously stated, open to all individuals aged 18 and over with electronic ID.

“Icelanders generally have a positive attitude toward taking part in research and the nation has probably never been more aware of the importance of science than just now. The COVID-19 pandemic has caused societal shock across the world, but we Icelanders have a unique opportunity to better understand the factors that are beneficial and detrimental in these unusual circumstances,” says Unnur.

“We can tell there are higher levels of stress in the population. The number of people contacting the health clinics has gone up, for example, due to anxiety and fear of infection, but there has also been an increase in people calling the Red Cross helpline due to loneliness. There is a danger, too, that alcohol consumption will rise and according to the police, there are indications that domestic violence is increasing as well. It is likely that the effects of the pandemic on society could be protracted. It is thus very important to explore what these effects are and research these things carefully so that we can respond correctly,” says Alma D. Möller, the Director of Health.

The research has already been approved by the National Bioethics Committee and the Data Protection Authority and has received a grant from the government of ISK 1.5 million.

On the photo, Arna Hauksdottir and Unnur Anna Valdimarsdottir, both professors at the University of Iceland are playing a leading role in the new research. Photo: Kristinn Ingvarsson.

Study Together Online | StudeerSamen

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To help support our students and teachers during these difficult times, StudeerSamen seeks to bring online educational support to the foreground.

StudeerSamen (Study Together) started as an initiative at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam to address the increasing study pressure and burnout rate among students. In the academic journey, it is essential to make study support more accessible and flexible for students. In doing so, they create an environment whereby students at the university can more easily share their acquired knowledge and experience with other students.

By making online educational support more accessible, StudeerSamen helps universities to facilitate education during these challenging times. The platform helps students to get in touch with each other to make educational support possible. Students are able to use StudeerSamen to find a study buddy and contact them to arrange a buddy session online. The platform of StudeerSamen is now also available to all universities of the Aurora network. University students can sign up free of charge by clicking the button below to support a fellow student.

StudeerSamen aspires to expand its contribution to education at universities further. Therefore, they look forward to working more closely with partner universities. Interested? You may reach out at partner@studeersamen.nl.

Impact of COVID-19 on Erasmus+ Webinar

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in News.

The current pandemic COVID-19 poses severe implications on worldwide student mobility, especially for Erasmus+ students.

The Erasmus Student Network and European Students’ Union hosted a Q&A Webinar to discuss the implications of COVID-19 for international students. Both organizations had a chance to address questions to the European Commission regarding the challenges international students are facing due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Guests of the webinar included Oana Dumitrescu and Elena Tegovska from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Education and Culture (DG EAC), as well as representatives from the Erasmus+ National Agencies of Italy and Germany.

The recording of the webinar, as well as the transcription, are available by clicking here.

Aurora becomes Endorsing Partner Network of the SDG Accord

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in News.

The Aurora Sustainability Group has identified the SDG Accord, an initiative of the Global Alliance, as a light-touch way for Aurora members to show their commitment to the SDGs and report on their work regarding the SDGs.

The SDG Accord is administered by the Environmental Association for Universities & Colleges [EAUC] and endorsed by the UN’s HE Sustainability Initiative.

The SDG Accord invites institutions to sign up (at the most senior level) to a series of commitments around the SDGs and, as part of those commitments, to compile a light touch report. Those reports are aggregated annually across the global HE/FE sector and presented to the UN. They demonstrate the scale of the impact of tertiary education against the SDGs. As of May 2019, over 110 institutions from 80+ countries had officially signed. The Board acknowledges that Aurora institutions are all at different places in their SDG journey.

We believe that signing the SDG Accord provides a clear, unambiguous baseline commitment that we should all be able to support. Therefore, we invite you to sign the Accord as a shared, collective and demonstrable public commitment to the SDGs. Meanwhile, as a sign of support, we have become an Endorsing Partner Network.  The University of Aberdeen, the University of East Anglia, the University of Naples Federico II, the University of  Rovira i Virgili, University of Innsbruck and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam have all signed the Accord.

Simultaneously, the Aurora Student Council has requested the Aurora Board that the member universities of the Aurora Universities Network declare a climate emergency.

Amsterdam Aurora Biannual 2019

Written by rostanetek on . Posted in News.

On October 27th -29th, the 7th Biannual of the Aurora Universities Network was organized by the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam at the Griffioen and the university campus. The nine Aurora universities discussed the future of the Aurora Network and specifically the proposed Aurora European Universities Alliance.

This Aurora European Universities programme will be part of the EU funded European Universities initiative which aims to revolutionize the quality and competitiveness of European Higher Education. The biannual consisted of a plenary, a general council meeting, 11 parallel Aurora working groups spread across two days; and also a social program.

During the plenary session, VU associate professor Nana de Graaf interviewed some leaders of key groups in Aurora: on the students’ activities (Elisabet Brynjarsdottir), the Sustainability group (Tavis Potts) and the Diversity group (Karen van Oudenhoven-van der Zee) as well as the groups of vice-rectors for education (Neil Ward), and research (Jon Atli Benediktsson).

At the second part of the plenary session, some tips of the veil of the Aurora Alliance proposal were unveiled and discussed, yielding relevant input on what is currently lacking within the network and how the Aurora Alliance can create an environment including a study experience, career opportunities that Aurora might bring and that is not presently there.

The Biannual saw the third Diversity and Equality award being won by Inserlab during an informal reception at the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.

The working groups continued on the second day of the biannual. The students, as well as the Aurora communications officers, spread out over the working groups to learn and experience the intergroup dynamics. The day ended with a lunch and an inspiring farewell speech from Aurora Board member and VU Amsterdam President Mirjam van Praag at the new homely and green study space on the second floor of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. This study space is a co-created by the University Library (UBVU) and students to experiment with furniture, decoration, and furnishing.

Next Aurora Biannual: Reykjavik, May 2020 (dates to be announced).

Please view the video and pictures below to re-experience the Amsterdam Aurora Biannual.