Meeting fellow students from other European countries, experiencing study at a university abroad, or broadening their horizons through courses outside their own field. These are some of the opportunities available to Palacký University Olomouc (UP) students from the very start of their studies, thanks to UP’s membership in the Aurora European University Alliance. Aurora representatives and student ambassadors at UP introduced these opportunities at two September events: Seznamovák UP and MEET UP.
Both events provided an opportunity to meet students in person and introduce Aurora to those unfamiliar with its activities. Students beginning their university journey could discover how to enrich their studies through international experiences and collaboration with peers from other countries.
Meeting First-Year Students at Seznamovák UP
Seznamovák UP, an orientation event for incoming students, helps participants get to know their future classmates and find their feet at university before the semester begins. Its programme included an afternoon showcasing student clubs and organisations active at UP. Aurora was represented by Hanuš Patera from the Aurora office at UP, together with student ambassadors. They introduced opportunities to visit partner universities, take courses abroad and join the Aurora Student Ambassadors programme.
More than 500 students attended Seznamovák UP, and the Aurora stand attracted considerable interest. Alongside opportunities to study abroad, students were also keen to explore subjects beyond their own field of study.
“It was great to see so many students interested in Aurora activities. I was pleasantly surprised by participants’ interest in taking courses that do not necessarily fall within their own field of study. I think interdisciplinary courses are a great benefit of Aurora, and I’m delighted to see growing interest in them,” said Hanuš Patera, who leads Aurora’s Capacity Building & Community Engagement work package and whose responsibilities include student engagement.
Connecting at MEET UP
Another opportunity to introduce Aurora to students came at the MEET UP – Experience the University City festival, held on 22 September at Olomouc’s Letňák open-air cinema venue. The traditional celebration marking the start of the academic year combined presentations by university departments and student clubs with concerts, workshops and competitions. It brought together first-year students getting to know the university and students further along in their studies.
Aurora took part as a member of the university community, opening up opportunities for students to learn and collaborate across European universities. Participation in both September events helped introduce these opportunities at the start of the academic year and build on the interest students had shown at Seznamovák UP.
Students can find current courses, study abroad opportunities and other ways to get involved on the Aurora website at UP. They can also apply to the Aurora Student Ambassadors programme by 30 October 2026 to meet fellow students from across Europe and contribute to joint activities. Further details and the application form are available in the current call on the Aurora website.
