Education in Aurora

Education in Aurora

Aurora is defined by both the shared values of its members and by the activities they undertake. Aurora started with the launch of the network in 2016. In the first phase of our collaboration, Aurora strategically prioritised maximising societal impact of research, strengthening diversity and inclusion, and using student engagement to drive innovation in teaching and learning.

Aurora received a significant boost in 2020 when it became one of the 41 European University alliances. As such, we receive financial support from the European Commission through the Erasmus+ and the Horizon2020 Programme. The Aurora European University programme is the result of the shared ambition and endeavour of our students, academics, university leaders, and administrators.

Our educational endeavours are currently being implemented through the Aurora 2030 programme. Through various education-focused Work Packages, Aurora is developing joint educational initiatives such as Blended Intensive Programmes (BIPs), Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), micro-credentials, Community Service Learning (CSL) and other innovative formats. These initiatives have contributed to a consistent increase in student and staff mobility between Aurora partners and strengthen long-term structural cooperation in education across the alliance and increased levels of research-based collaboration between members.

The main goal of Aurora is to support our teachers in equipping their students with the skills and mindset needed for our graduates to thrive in a rapidly changing society and labour market and to turn them into social entrepreneurs and innovators, willing and able to contribute to solving the major challenges of our societies. At the same time, Aurora aims to contribute to the transformation of European higher education through deeper integration and collaboration. We believe that, as an alliance, Aurora can help break through existing structural and institutional boundaries to create a more connected and future-oriented European higher education landscape.

To achieve this, Aurora develops shared education principles and frameworks that enable deeper cooperation between Aurora universities. This includes, but is not limited to, an Aurora “inter-university campus” where students and staff can move between the universities, physically or virtually, to learn, teach, train, research, cooperate and facilitate the delivery of joint courses and degrees that support the Aurora vision. We are currently developing the creation of a real Aurora Virtual Campus (AVC), together with all of our partners. Within this AVC, the Aurora inter-university campus will come together in one shared virtual space.

Aurora education targets both students and staff. We not only support students in developing competences for societal impact and actively engage them in shaping their learning experiences, but we also support academic and professional staff. This includes training educators in innovative pedagogical methods and approaches to teaching for societal impact.

Through the programme, we will help students develop the competences that allow them to make an impact and a difference in the world. The Aurora vision is reflected in the educational hubs of the programme:

Sustainability & Climate Change

Digital Society & Global Citizenship

Health & Well-being

Culture: Identities and Diversities

Social Entrepreneurship & Innovation

Peace Education

This hub structure enables us to combine innovative and impactful, joint European education with highly relevant societal themes such as sustainability and peace. We believe that this combination helps us educate future-proof European students who are prepared to create meaningful societal impact and drive positive change.

Lastly, we want our student population to reflect as much as possible our rich and diverse societies. We aim to offer each student, regardless of background, a meaningful international experience. In all the different work areas of the Aurora European University programme, we aim to enhance the student experience.

For a brief overview of the different educational aspects of the Aurora European University programme, see below:

Aurora Competences Framework

Aurora Competence Framework (ACF) helps academic teachers articulate learning outcomes, assess competencies, and is aligned with Aurora Education Vision. The ACF includes LOUIS, a tool to strengthen the general academic and personal learning outcomes in subject-oriented courses and programmes; SEISMIC, a tool for social entrepreneurship skills; and BEVI, a tool for measuring the development of intercultural competence and emotional resilience.

Aurora International Internship Programme

Improve and extend the use of service-learning and international internships as specific Aurora pedagogical methods contributing to skills/values development.

Aurora Service Learning Programme

Train academics and support staff in the use of service-learning and internships to enhance the development of students’ skills, attitudes, and behavioural intentions.

Aurora Social Transformation

Make our student population reflect the talent in the communities we serve, without under-representation of any groups in our population.

Aurora Borderless Learning

Create an Aurora Education Area with ease of mobility for all.

IT supported Student Services

Set up the Aurora Open Educational Resources platform.

Recognition & Mobility

To understand and overcome mobility and recognition obstacles students may encounter in their mobility across Aurora.

Aurora Educational Hubs

Test and implement our innovations in competences, mobility opportunities, and addressing the SDG perspective in all programmes in the four domains: Sustainability & Climate Change; Digital Society & Global Citizenship; Health & Well-being; and Cultures: Identities & Diversities.

Aurora Teaching for Societal Impact

Systematically equip and support academics in teaching for societal impact in areas such as skills & mindset, international experience, diverse classrooms and addressing the SDGs.