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Who We Are


General Council & Board

Aurora has a General Council which consists of the rectors/presidents of the Aurora universities – or their formal representatives and two members of the Aurora Student Council. The General Council meets twice a year.

Veronika Sexl

Aurora President & Rector of Universität Innsbruck

Barbara Albert

Rector of the University of Duisburg-Essen

Matteo Lorito

Rector of the University Federico II of Naples

Jean-Luc Dubois-Randé

President of Université Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne

Wilbert van der Meer

International Office Director

Karen Brown

University of Minnesota

Mathilde Chaumont

Aurora Student Council President,
Student at Université Paris-Est Créteil Val de Marne

In addition to the General Council, Aurora has a board of four rectors/presidents and the president of the Aurora Student Council who are charged with the management of the association. As of May 2025, the board composition is:

Michael Kohajda

Aurora Board Member,
Rector of Palacký University Olomouc

Josep Pallarès Marzal

Aurora Board Member,
Rector of Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Margrethe Jonkman

Aurora Board Member,
President of Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Jón Atli Benediktsson

Aurora Board Member,
Rector and President of the University of Iceland

Vice-rectors of Research

Gregor Halff

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Karen Shire

University of Duisburg-Essen

Carole Hénique

Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)

Morten Irgens

Copenhagen Business School

Urbano Lorenzo Seva

Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Lorenzo Marrucci

Università Federico II of Naples

Gregor Weihs

Universität Innsbruck

Ingibjörg Gunnarsdóttir

University of Iceland

Vice-rectors of Education

Jacqueline van Muijlwijk-Koezen

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Karen Shire

University of Duisburg-Essen

Francesco Palumbo

Università Federico II of Naples

Arnaud Thauvron

Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)

Steinunn Gestsdóttir

University of Iceland

Wilbert van der Meer

Copenhagen Business School

Montserrat Pinent Armengol

Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Janette Walde

Universität Innsbruck

Aurora Institutional Coordinators

Each Aurora university has an institutional coordinator who monitors the Aurora activities in their own institution as well as in the network. Below you will find an overview of the institutional coordinators per university. 

Esmee Paques

Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Fanney Karlsdóttir

University of Iceland

Thomas Baumgartner

University of Innsbruck

Alessandro Arienzo

University of Naples Federico II

Petra Günther

University of Duisburg-Essen

Joan Miquel Canals

Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Selma Porobic

Palacky University Olomouc

Martin Schwell

Université Paris Est-Creteil

Anne-Karen Hüske

Copenhagen Business School

Aurora Central Office

Aurora is supported by a small central office consisting of eight team members:

Ramon Puras

Secretary-General

Maria José Montaña Correa

Programme Manager

Pim de Boer

EU Liaison – Policy Advisor

Anna Klas

Communications Officer

Chiara Cardigliano

Administrative Officer

Aurora Student Council

Aurora Student Council (ASC) consists of two elected student representatives from each university, who collectively decide on student priorities within Aurora. The council is led by the elected president and vice-president. 

Mathilde Chaumont

ASC President – Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)

Sören Daehn

ASC Vice-President – Copenhagen Business School

Andréa Gaucher

ASC Secretary – Université Paris-Est Créteil (UPEC)

Paula Mora

ASC Communications Officer – Universtat Rovira i Virgili

Snæfríður Blær Tindsdóttir

ASC International Officer – University of Iceland

Lukas Einkemmer

Member – Universität Innsbruck

Morgan Deneubourg

ASC Member – Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Eliška Karasová

ASC member – Palacký University in Olomouc

Kristýna Raimerová

ASC member – Palacký University in Olomouc

Alexandra Mihaela Valsan

ASC Member – Universitat Rovira i Virgili

Benedetta Toledo

ASC Member – Università Federico II of Naples

Gabriel Vernacchia

ASC Member – Università Federico II of Naples

Marco Zanoni

ASC Member – Copenhagen Business School

Simona Gibalová

ASC Member – Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice

Michaela Lukačínová

ASC Member – Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice

Petya Hadzhieva

ASC Member – South-West University “Neofit Rilski”

Radina Karamfilova

ASC Member – South-West University “Neofit Rilski”