How can universities effectively communicate their activities, research, societal role, and international collaboration within the Aurora university alliance? How can they craft a compelling narrative that resonates with students, the public, and partners across Europe? And how should Aurora present itself at Europe’s largest gathering of higher education institutions? These were the key questions explored at an international workshop of the Aurora Communication and Dissemination Team, hosted in March by Palacký University.
Members of the Aurora Communication and Dissemination Team—Trusted Local Communicators (TLC), communication specialists from partner universities—gathered in Olomouc for the event. The Aurora alliance brings together nine research-intensive European universities committed to strengthening the societal impact of education, research, and innovation, while addressing pressing challenges such as sustainability and digitalisation.
The two-day programme combined experience-sharing, inspiring examples, and hands-on workshops. Most sessions took place in the representative spaces of the Rotunda at the Saints Cyril and Methodius Faculty of Theology. Participants also visited UPoint, the university shop, and the Fort Science centre, and took part in a guided walk through the city.
Communication Strategy and Storytelling
The programme opened with a welcome by UP Vice-Rector for International Relations Ivona Barešová, who highlighted the importance of collaboration in shaping strong and lasting institutional narratives. In the main morning block “UP to the Future”, Palacký University presented its approach to communication – Vice-Rector Matěj Dostálek opened a discussion on communication strategy and social responsibility. He was followed by Vendula Lužná, who outlined practical approaches to science communication—from working with researchers and science communicators to organising events and producing podcasts. Ondřej Martínek from ther UP Marketing Office then demonstrated how the university promotes Olomouc as a university city through marketing and public events.
These presentations were followed by a session focused on storytelling. Michael Kozák introduced Palacký University’s ambassador programme, which engages students and alumni as representatives of the university and helps shape its image as a place where new life stories can begin. A similar model underpins the Aurora Student Ambassador Programme, which connects students across partner universities and involves them in international projects, workshops, and events. These ambassadors act as a bridge between their home institutions and the Aurora alliance—raising awareness of its activities, contributing to communication efforts, and gaining valuable experience in international collaboration and the development of key skills.
Vojtěch Kmenta then turned to social media management—not merely as a tool for sharing information, but as a platform for storytelling. He demonstrated how even complex or highly specialised topics can be translated into clear and engaging content through the right combination of format, visuals, and tone.
The afternoon case study took participants to the university shop and information centre UPoint, where the focus shifted to Aurora merch and storytelling through sustainable university products. UPoint has long emphasised high-quality materials and local producers—often students and alumni—and since 2024 has marked its most sustainable products with a special label. For the Aurora guests, this offered an inspiring example of how a university shop can connect institutional branding with a responsible approach to production, materials, and the local economy.
Reflecting on the university’s comprehensive approach, Aniza Pourtauborde, Aurora Communications Manager, emphasized: „It’s very important in Aurora for us to have a coherent storytelling and be able to transmit that message that we want to our audiences through specific items or actions, things that we want to do that will last through time. What we see here at Palacký University Olomouc, which I really admire, is the ability to tell a story from the time a student arrives right up to the time he or she graduates and even beyond – there is a story they keep carrying with them, and the university does this through something as simple as merchandising.“
Visual Identity and the “Aurora Story”
One of the workshop’s key themes was the unified visual and narrative presentation of the Aurora alliance. Participants explored how to bring together diverse national and institutional identities into a coherent and engaging whole, and how to define a clear narrative explaining what Aurora is and why it exists. This includes maintaining a consistent visual style across universities and making use of modern communication formats—from social media to event presentations. Sustainability also featured prominently, including in the production of promotional materials.
Thursday’s programme shifted from sharing experience to preparing a concrete presentation of the Aurora alliance—for example, for the EAIE (European Association for International Education) conference, the largest European gathering of professionals in higher education internationalisation. Each year, thousands of university representatives from around the world attend, and European university alliances play a key role in presenting their projects, collaborations, and impact on education.
The workshop “EAIE: Storytelling & Concept” focused on how to present Aurora clearly and attractively to visitors—what story to tell, how to highlight its added value, and how to stand out among other alliances. In the following session, participants worked together on the practical design of the on-site presentation—from the booth concept and visual materials to small promotional items. Discussions also addressed how to balance appealing design with sustainability, and how merchandising can serve as a tool for communicating the alliance’s values.
The Olomouc meeting built on last year’s workshop in Innsbruck, which focused on impactful communication and strengthening Aurora’s shared communication strategy. It also highlighted the importance of international collaboration in this field—sharing experience, co-creating solutions, and exploring new approaches help both individual universities and the alliance as a whole respond more effectively to today’s challenges. Once again, Palacký University has reaffirmed its active role within the Aurora alliance—not only as a partner, but also as an inspiring host and a driver of innovative approaches to communication and marketing.
