Students

Aurora attaches great weight to student involvement, both within universities and as a consortium. That is why student engagement encompasses one of the four key themes of Aurora.

Students Key contacts

Hanuš Patera
Hanus.patera(at)gmail.com

Students are excited to be an integral part of the network and aim to be a driving force in shaping and achieving its ambitions. Aurora Student Council consists of two elected student representatives from each university, who collectively decide on student priorities for their own Aurora activities and student priorities for the network. The Aurora Universities Network offers a unique opportunity for students to exchange experiences and improve the quality of student representation at each university. The elected chair of the Aurora student council participates as an observer in the General Council and Board meetings. They are actively involved in the network’s activities and ensure Aurora’s continued student focus.

Student engagement is a broad concept which may cover i.a.

  • Ideas initiated by the student representatives in Aurora for joint Aurora activities.
  • Views of student representatives on the overall vision & mission, strategy, and operations of Aurora.
  • Active participation in the various thematic and project groups by students with a particular engagement with that topic.
  • Activities to strengthen the profile and practice of Aurora universities as institutions that offer their students an engaging education with a lasting impact on their personal development.
  • Independent student projects in accordance with student priority.

Furthermore, they’re vouching for – and working on the following projects:

Aurora Student Statutes

Aurora Statutes – At the Amsterdam Biannual in 2019, the Student Council reviewed and updated their statutes. Aurora Student Council Statutes to oversee the running of the Student Council and ensure that we are running a democratic and fair council, that represents all students and ensures successful engagement with the network.

Aurora Student Missions and Values
Aurora Student Handbook

In 2017, the Student Council decided to write a handbook, which serves as a manual and introduction to the network, for all new student representatives who work within Aurora. The Handbook offers information on Aurora’s fundamental character, history, governing structure, working groups, as well as student involvement. 

Mental Health Video

Summary of recent activities

The Student Council held a mental health workshop during the fifth Aurora summit. There, students discussed that the network should work on an Aurora mental health strategy that all the universities could adapt.  This was brought up in a General Council meeting where everyone agreed that this matter was indeed important. There is now a Birds of Feather project for mental health that the University of Iceland is overseeing.

Following this, the Student Council wanted to unite together to spread mental health awareness. The council produced a mental health video, where a student from each Aurora university shares a message in their native language. It was published in May 2019.

About the Mental Health Video

The Student Council finds that mental health should be one of the priorities for the network. It is something that is international, affects everyone and each university should be taking steps to support student and staff in these matters.  The video features a message from students within Aurora regarding mental health, and the objective is to raise awareness on the matter.

Open Educational Resources
Aurora Student Council Strategy

In 2019, the Aurora Student Council hosted a workshop for student representatives where the structure of Aurora Student Council and student participation within Aurora was discussed in detail. The work on this will continue in 2019 and the first draft of a policy for the Aurora Student Council presented during the summit in Amsterdam next fall.

Check Aurora Student Council Instagram

Aurora Student Champions Scheme

The Aurora Student Champions Scheme provides students from Network and Alliance institutions to reach out to the student body and offer a voluntary position to several students that can serve as channels for Aurora Student work and for the Alliance projects.

The Aurora Student Council is made up of representatives from across the Aurora members, working to support and help advise the Aurora universities’ senior management to help drive its collective ambitions forward. As a council, we are committed to the social impact of our activities, with a common interest in the SDGs, engaging our student communities in everything we do.

Becoming an Aurora Student Champion means being interested in the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), being keen on bringing internationalisation to the classroom and having an interest in representing your university. Champions will collate evidence during the academic year, reflecting on values that are important to themselves and Aurora. Students can choose how many hours they would like to complete and will receive a certificate and an Aurora Certified reference based on their chosen hours.

  • BRONZE status (12-20 hours)
  • SILVER status (21-39 hours)
  • GOLD Champion status (40+ hours)

Academic work submitted during the scheme can be in the student’s first language. In short, they will be able to:

  • Show how academic work and learning links to the values of Aurora.
  • Gain evidence from a project lead on engagement in an Aurora task team.
  • Work with a student from another institution on solutions to an Aurora topic.
  • Write a reflective piece as a learner in relation to Aurora.

We are seeking ten students from each of the partners. Could one of them be you? By participating in the Aurora Student Champions Scheme, you will not only be able to enhance their academic studies but also:

  • Give something back to your student community.
  • Help create a more sustainable future.
  • Demonstrate and increase a range of transferable skills
  • Gain evidence to show to future employers
  • Receive an Aurora certified reference upon completion

You can watch a recording of the online briefing here to find out more about the Scheme. To register your interest in becoming an Aurora Student Champion for the 2021-2022 Academic Year, please complete the form here. Students who have expressed an interest in the role will be contacted at the start of the new academic year to begin the formal application process.

Find out more about the Aurora Student Champions Scheme, the Briefing Presentation, and the Role Description by clicking the buttons below. Find out more about the work of Aurora here

Aurora Ambassadors

Are you interested in becoming an Aurora Ambassador? 

As an Aurora Ambassador, you will work with your university on projects which serve to promote the values of Aurora.

Enrolling to become an Aurora Ambassador, you will receive relevant training. Once you have completed your training, you will be able to choose the area(s) of interest where you would like to direct your support. There will be many opportunities open to you to become part of the Aurora Student Champions and Aurora Alliance, whether this is within your own institution or with Partner Institutions. Some of the ways you could be involved may include;

  • creation of blog
  • social media activity
  • support for the Aurora community
  • organising/poster promotion for Aurora events within your own institution
  • working with students/staff from the other Aurora Partners

You will be guided by your institution, with the opportunity to meet other Aurora Ambassadors on a bi-monthly basis, these will be “drop-in” style sessions to share your achievements, thoughts and ideas. You may also have the opportunity to attend Alliance work package meetings, led by Task Team leaders and members, again this will be an opportunity for you to share your opinions, ideas and gain transferable skills.

If you would like to register your interest in becoming an Aurora Ambassador for the 2021-2022 Academic Year, please complete the form here. Students who have expressed an interest in the role will be contacted at the beginning of the new academic year to arrange their training.

If you have any questions regarding the role, please send an email to aurora.champions@uea.ac.uk or contact the Institutional Coordinator at your university for further information.

Aurora Student Champions Scheme
Role Description
Briefing PowerPoint
Aurora Student Champions