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Society

The Aurora universities have a history of engaging with their local communities. Working with and for our internal and external communities is crucial to the way Aurora operates. From developing platforms for our academics to collaborate and co-creating with experts and stakeholders, to sharing our expertise with universities in Central, Eastern and Neighbouring Countries. These are defining elements of Aurora.

We Engage in Communities

Working in co-creation with students, private organisations and companies, public and citizen organisations is second nature for Aurora academics and support staff. Experts in our four pilot domains and in social entrepreneurship & innovations will create and strengthen local innovation ecosystems and facilitate access to their European counterparts.

Aurora will actively contribute to creating more balance in the European landscape for education, research and innovation. A network of associate universities in Central and Eastern Europe will work closely with Aurora to strengthen regional knowledge infrastructure.

Aurora Co-Creation Practice

At the heart of all Aurora initiatives lies the eagerness of its members to learn from and with each other.  Co-creation – the collaborative development by experts and stakeholders – forms a crucial part of our long-term commitment.

Aurora Research Platforms

Aurora Research Platforms aim to develop academic collaboration within Aurora, improve research support, and enhance cross-fertilisation between education and research.

Aurora Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation

To ensure that our students become social entrepreneurs and innovators, all Aurora universities will aim to become leading experts in this field.

Aurora Capacity Development Support

Narrow the quality gap in higher education and research for different parts of Europe by supporting universities in Central and Eastern Europe and neighbouring countries in strengthening their capacity for academic excellence and societal relevance.

Aurora Institute

Express and enhance the identity of the Aurora European University as a European institution in its own right, beyond the identity of its individual members.

    We engage in Brussels

    Aurora is actively engaged with policymakers and stakeholders in Brussels. The developments in European policies in the fields of higher education, research and innovation are crucial to Aurora and its members. That is why we regularly meet with representatives of the European Commission, the European Parliament, European university membership organisations and other societal stakeholders in Brussels. Through this engagement, we are actively involved in discussions about, e.g. the European Research Area, the European Education Area, international collaboration, the future of European universities, European research and innovation agendas, citizen engagement, and budgeting. In addition, we are part of the network of European University Alliances, in which we share the hurdles we encounter and how to address them.

    We are Sustanability Pioneers

    At the heart of the Aurora vision and strategy are sustainability and the commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals. Building on existing strengths in Aurora member universities and in the programme as a whole, our mission is to move beyond explaining how our teaching and research relate to the SDGs towards demonstrating how our teaching and research actually contribute to the achievement of those goals.

    Aurora SDG research dashboard

    The SDG research dashboard demonstrates the societal relevance and impact of research in the Aurora Universities. The dashboard visualizes the research contributions made to societal challenges and how they have been used by policymakers.

    Aurora SDG education dashboard

    As part of the virtual campus, the educational dashboard will allow students to see at a glance how each Aurora university’s educational programmes address the SDGs.

    Aurora SDG education offer

    Create a common course available to all Aurora students and include SDGs in regular courses.

    Aurora Sustainable Campus Action Plan

    We aspire for all Aurora campuses to be leading examples in sustainability among the
    universities in their countries.