LOUIS is a tool that supports academic teachers in articulating learning outcomes for general academic and personal competencies. You can read more about the LOUIS tool by clicking here.
This BIP aims not only to strengthen the pedagogical competencies of the participants but also to create a community of trained professionals who can disseminate the knowledge from the workshop at their home institutions. It will consist of two virtual components (October 18 and November 18) and physical participation (November 4–8, 2024).
A maximum of 20 participants have been enrolled for the BIP, coming from 6 countries (Netherlands, Iceland, Austria, Spain, Italy, Ukraine) joining together Aurora educational developers, academics and Lifelong learning experts, and Euridice project educational staff and Microcredential board members. There will be also participants from Portugal and the USA (Minnesota) connected to the BIP online for the whole duration.
Under the auspices of the European universities united in the Aurora Alliance, the University of Innsbruck organised a completely unique Erasmus double BIP (Blended Intensive Programme) from 20 to 25 October 2024. More than 40 educators, scientists and administrative staff from Palacký University, the University of Innsbruck, the University of Duisburg-Essen, the Université Paris-Est Créteil, the University of Iceland and, last but not least, the Universitat Rovira i Virgili combined the two areas of the project. It became clear that the natural sciences, mainly represented in the Sustainable Development and Climate Change working group, and the humanities and social sciences, represented in the Culture: Diversity and Identity working group, have many common topics. Although it might seem that organic farming and manure management are not of interest to literary scholars, the opposite was the case. The point of contact in this case was ecocriticism and natural resources, both from the point of view of conservation and their embedding in literature and culture.
During the first four days, the scholars worked on multidisciplinary research projects and joint teaching activities (such as COIL – cooperative international learning), distance learning programmes or bilateral cooperation. As Dean Janette Walde noted, ‘It’s incredible how many ideas and possibilities for implementation can arise in such a short time!’ Added one of the main organisers, Prof. Barbara Buchenau from the University of Duisburg: ‘The beautiful backdrop of the Austrian mountains and the seclusion of the venue are balm for the soul, which uses the power of nature to fully develop scientific ideas.’
During the first part, students from various fields of study, from chemistry to medicine to literary history, had the opportunity to learn about the methodology of scientific work. The main focus, however, was on getting to know the so-called 3MT presentations. This is a format that was originally developed at the University of Queensland in Australia and enables a very compact presentation of scientific work, including the results. Handouts are not allowed. The authors can only modulate their voices and have only one static PowerPoint slide. Ask yourself if you could present your research in this limited space in three minutes. Isn’t that impossible? No. After a few hours of proper coaching by Suzanne Whitby and Toby Wikström, tentative first attempts turned out to be top performances in scientific mini-stories.
The absolute highlight of the entire week of events was the competition on Friday, in which the international jury evaluated the already outstanding performances of all the finalists. The evaluation was not easy, because all the participants showed enormous courage in performing in front of a multidisciplinary audience that was eagerly awaiting their presentations. In the end, the competition had three winners! The first, Marharyta Hodeieva, represented Palacky University with her lecture ‘How to heal with stories’. Another colleague, Stéphanie Chedid from the Université Paris-Est Créteil, won the audience award and impressed the jury with her lecture ‘Travel: from plants to airplanes’. The third gold medal went to Juliette Direur from the University of Paris, who talked about ‘The dangers of breathing’.
The organisation of the meeting, led by Christina Raab and Katerina Hochstaffl-Nazarova, ran like a well-oiled machine, for which they deserve a big thank you, because without their enthusiasm and patience, this successful double BIP would not have been possible. See you next year at another Aurora University.
There is an increasing interest in UP education from across eight Aurora partner universities. A record 20 students registered for the courses offered by UP (8 courses in total, 3 of which require physical attendance, 5 are in a hybrid format).
The most popular courses were those taught by Dr. Ankush from the Faculty of Science (Free radicals in Biology and Biomedicine) and Dr. Voráč from the Faculty of Education (Media Education). Students also further registered for the courses taught by Dr. Dušková from the Faculty of Science (Political-geographical processes in the developing world), Dr. Měšt’áková from the Faculty of Law (History of EU integration) and Dr. Mašát from the Faculty of Education (Contemporary literature for children and youth).
Teachers can also offer their courses in hybrid or online format taught in English
As a teacher, you now have the opportunity to offer other interested students from different parts of Europe the courses you will teach in the summer term.
The courses offered can be for Bachelor, Master and PhD students. The condition is that they must be taught in English and in an online or hybrid/blended format. They should also be thematically related to one of Aurora’s five priority areas of focus: 1. sustainability and climate change, 2. digitalisation and global citizenship, 3. health and wellbeing, 4. culture: identity and diversity, 5. social entrepreneurship.
You can offer your courses until 15 November 2024 via this form. After that, Aurora staff at UP will contact you to fine-tune the details. They will also then ensure that students who choose your course are enrolled in STAG for your course. It will be up to you to arrange with the students to complete the course (especially if you require their personal presence for a credit, project presentation, or other activity) and then enter their grades into STAG so they can receive credit.
On September 24, the second Aurora Capacity Development Training Event of this year was held in Kosice, Slovakia, titled “Diversity and Inclusion – Ways Forward in Fostering Inclusive and Enriching Practices and Policies at the Aurora Universities.”
The event gathered 65 participants, including senior management, academics, administrative staff and international and domestic students from Pavol Jozef Šafárik University (UPJS). Representatives from South-West University “Neofit Rilski” also joined in person with their extended Aurora team.
Together, the participants engaged in an interesting and interactive training programme jointly designed and led by colleagues from UPOL, UPEC and VU with the UPJS local experts and students. Its main aim was to open a wider dialogue on fostering inclusive and enriching practices and policies at Aurora higher education institutions and in a broader societal context where universities act as role models.
The full-day event was opened by welcome words from Vice-rector Silvia Rucinska and an introduction to Aurora 2030 ambitions, CDP programme and Aurora values of Inclusion and Diversity by Dr. Selma Porobic and Dr. Oleksandr Khyzhniak. It was followed by positioning the diversity and inclusion topic within the UPJS context and sharing the UPJS’s perspective, presented by Vice-rector Silvia Rucinska, who also highlighted current achievements, challenges and opportunities for improvement at UPJS.
The full day programme proceeded with an opening expert panel discussion ‘Diversity and Inclusion at Aurora Universities – Trend or Transformation?’ that brought together senior leadership and academics of three Aurora universities including Ludmila Elbert (Vice-Rector for Education, (UPJS), Zelmira Macejova (Vice-Dean, Faculty of Medicine, UPJS), Jozef Benka (Vice-Dean, Faculty of Arts, UPJS), Pavlina Flajsarova (Vice-Dean, Faculty of Arts, UPOL), and Puneet Bindlish (Professor, Faculty of Religion and Theology, VU Amsterdam). They discussed both whose responsibility and how it is to foster more inclusive and equitable learning environments across our universities as well as highlighting both challenges and positive developments and practices from their home institutions.
It was followed by two interactive workshops for staff and students in the afternoon:
a student peer learning event ‘Student Peer Learning on Diversity and Intercultural Competencies’, led by Mathilde Chaumont (UPEC) and Simona Gibalova (UPJS), and an academic interactive session ‘Educational Practices and Mixed Classroom Approach for Academic Staff’ moderated by Pavlina Flajsarova (UPOL) and Ingrid Madárová (UPJS).
While the student peer learning workshop focused on developing intercultural competencies and sharing ideas on how to contribute towards a more diverse learning environment by improving personal attitudes and beliefs, the staff workshop focused on techniques for fostering inclusive educational practices in the classroom.
The eventful day concluded with a wrap-up session and follow-up initiatives as opportunities for new peer exchanges towards the joint efforts to further implement diverse and inclusive policies at Aurora universities.
Based on very fruitful exchanges in Kosice, Selma Porobic pointed out at least 5 ways in which universities can be more inclusive and promote equitable learning environments:
Develop inclusive policies and procedures and make sure that decision-making supports the inclusion
Provide further education, development and training to faculty and staff to enhance their inclusion and support in developing inclusive curricula and pedagogies
Foster inclusive values as part of the campus culture with awareness-raising events, workshops, dedicated open days and various student activities (
Ensure university resources in support of inclusion such as spaces, technology and infrastructure
As this event is a part of the CDP series aimed at strengthening the capacity for academic excellence and societal relevance of the Aurora associate partner universities by supporting them in establishing the regional hubs for sharing Aurora best practices, the main takeaway of all participants was that diversity and inclusion topic deserves much more attention and continuation through in-depth Aurora CDP events to follow in 2025.
The official website of the event for programme details, speakers and their contributions:
The first open call aimed at fostering international scientific and academic collaboration, research mobilities, and thematic summer schools, was very much welcomed across the Aurora network. UP is the coordinator of one of the seven supported projects and participates in two others as a partner. It will also participate in the organisation of a summer school and will send two students for research mobilities at partner institutions.
“In the first year of the call, 26 eligible projects were submitted. These were subsequently evaluated by the Aurora Research Council, to which scientists from each of Aurora’s partner universities across the disciplinary spectrum were appointed. The results were then approved by the Aurora’s Vice-Rectors for Research. Based on the evaluation by both bodies, seven projects were awarded support totalling €104,000; Palacký University Olomouc is represented in three of them,” says Marie Jadrníčková, Aurora Research Officer at UP.
As the coordinator, UP was successful with the NUTRIAGE24 project. Its principal investigator, Romana Klášterecká from the UP Faculty of Science, will work with colleagues from Universitat Rovira i Virgili in Spain and the University of Iceland to address the issue of healthy ageing. They will focus on the relationship between nutrition, health, and environment in adults, taking into account their living situations and the social determinants that influence access to proper foods.
UP is also a partner in two other funded projects. The ETHICAL project, coordinated by the University of Naples, Italy, together with the University of Innsbruck, Austria, also involves Lucie Macková from the UP Faculty of Science. The main objective is to develop a comprehensive model that captures migration flows within the European Union. This study will include the broader dynamics of migration within and towards the EU and take into account the complex factors that contribute to migration trends and patterns.
The use of fertilisers and pesticides in the cultivation of medicinal plants can have adverse impacts on herbal products and extracts. The VALOR-LIGHT project will therefore seek to offer solutions through organic, self-sustaining farming methods and environmentally friendly products that protect the health of consumers. It is led by the University of Innsbruck, and brings together five partner universities, including the affiliated P.J. Šafárik University in Košice, Slovakia. Lukáš Spíchal, Head of CATRIN-CRH, will participate on behalf of UP.
Thematic Summer Schools
In the second key activity, the Department of Chemical Biology at the UP Faculty of Science succeeded as a partner in the CIRAGRO summer school. This is coordinated by the University of Naples Federico II, Italy, and together with the University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany and the University of Innsbruck, Austria, will focus on circular economy in the agro-industrial sector.
Short-term scientific research mobilities
The best evaluation among the applicants from UP was awarded by the Aurora Research Council to students Tadeáš Volný and Eliška Postavová from the Department of Optics at the UP Faculty of Science. Volný will take part in a researcher mobility in Innsbruck with Prof Tracy Northup, while Postavová will head to the Department of Physics at the University of Naples.
The international study programme Digital Society, Social Innovation, and Global Citizenship, which is being developed within the Euridiceproject, has successfully started the accreditation process. It will be implemented at UP under the auspices of the Faculty of Law and will be taught in a hybrid way in collaboration with the Universities of Innsbruck and Naples. Members of the project met in September at the Vienna University of Technology, where they also presented an online teaching platform and learning modules with microcertificates.
The joint Master’s programme, taught in English, will equip students with digital competences, legal knowledge, and related civic knowledge. Its graduates are expected to hold senior positions in business, politics, and society and have a comprehensive understanding of digital society. The Euridice project is largely due to the existing network of European universities in the Aurora alliance, specifically its Digital Society and Global Citizenship domain. Its members last met physically in April at Palacký University to discuss the curriculum and the composition of the teaching team. This time, their meeting was hosted by the Vienna University of Technology.
Representatives of the University of Naples Federico II announced the successful launch of the accreditation process of the study programme, which will be joined by the University of Innsbruck and Palacký University Olomouc. The University of Naples is also in charge of setting up the Collaboratorium – the platform on which the teaching will take place. Here, students can find a digital library and a space where they can meet and communicate with each other. At the same time, they are responsible for ensuring that students always have facilities on their campus for hybrid learning as well as for their independent work and projects.
Hybrid learning and the use of digital tools are key features of the project. “ UP students will attend lectures and seminars taught full-time at the law school, and students from Innsbruck and Naples will join these classes online. Other times, the host universities will switch, and Olomouc students will join the classes online, for example in Naples,” explains Markéta Šemberová, Euridice project coordinator, who attended the meeting in Vienna on behalf of UP.
Experts from the field as well as from other host institutions, such as Lusófona University in Portugal and Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, Slovakia, will contribute to the teaching. The study programme will also be enriched by summer schools, the first of which, the introductory one, will provide networking and familiarisation with the study programme, while the second one, after one year of study, will be dedicated to the choice of a specialisation.
Participants of the Vienna meeting also took part in a workshop on the implementation of hybrid learning organised by University of Barcelona, one of the partners of the project, and discussed the technical and organisational aspects related to the planned publication of a course catalogue, which should offer training modules for students, academics, and professionals on the official Euridice website starting in 2025. The focus will be on the development of digital competences, AI, and digital humanities, and the training will be acknowledged with microcertificates from participating partner institutions.
Michal Malacka, UP Vice-Rector for Strategy and Regional Affairs, is the main investigator of the Euridice project. “The emerging study programme is a huge opportunity for us that we would have missed without the involvement of the Aurora university network. I am delighted with how much work we have managed to do since the launch of the project earlier this year – you can see huge advancements at each of our meetings. It is through these specific results that we are fulfilling all the aims and ambitions of the European university alliance,” he concludes.
The progress of the Euridice project has been covered in the UP Journal here and here. You can also follow it on the euridice.eu website or on LinkedIn.
Join us from September for the first series of Aurora Peace Talks. This lecture series will feature talks by our colleagues from Kharkiv and beyond, and allows them to share their experiences and expertise.
Kharkiv city is one of Ukraine’s most important economic and industrial centres and the second biggest educational center in Ukraine, known as the city of students and youth. About 300 000 students (12 000 foreign ones) found their home in one of the Kharkiv’s 11 universities and 38 higher educational institutions, including both public and private universitas, academies and specialized institutes.
The city and the region have since 2022 come under heavy attacks as one of initial targets of Russia’s invasion. The city and the region have been bravely fighting off the aggression.
In the last month the town has been experiencing yet another wave of heavy attacks with random bombardments of civilian object causing civilian casualties, evacuations and displacements of several thousand of its residents.
Given the location of the city and Khakriv region, the situation for its citizens will remain precarious for long time ahead and we have in Aurora been working dedicatedly to provide the needed support, especially to our partners at Karazin Khakriv National university.
The speakers in this lecture series come from Karazin university but also other universities in Khakriv as we want to provide platform for their voices to be heard in these most challenging times for them. This first series in particularly features talks from Kharkiv Scholars at Risk at Copenhagen Business School.
The Peace Talks lecture series allows our colleagues to speak out, share their experiences but also their expertise as academics in addressing the devastation and future post-war recovery and peace building needs.
Support them by joining the following inspiring Talks, starting form September this year:
Between Copenhagen and Kharkiv researching resilience
26th of September 2024, 15.00 CET | Serhii Prokopenko, MSc
On the 18th of April, the first Aurora Capacity Development Staff Training took place in Ohrid, North Macedonia. In a bid to enhance global learning opportunities, the COIL Staff Training, the event aimed to empower educators with the necessary tools and knowledge to implement Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL).
This event the first in a series of trainings, organised in the framework of Aurora’s Capacity Development Programme. These are organized by Palacky University Olomouc and VU Amsterdam, together with the associate partners. The aim of these training events is twofold. Firstly, we aim to strengthen the capacity of the Aurora associate partner universities for academic excellence and societal relevance. Secondly, we support them in establishing themselves as regional hubs for sharing best practices.
Bringing together a group of 30 participants, mainly from the University of Tetova and South-West University “Neofit Rilski”, the Aurora Ohrid Staff Training marks a significant step towards fostering cross-cultural educational collaboration. Led by COIL-expert Marina Vives from the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, the workshop provided the participating academics deep dive into the utilization of COIL, opening the doors to internationalize their curriculum together with other Aurora universities.
The training started with an icebreaker exercise, an important best practice when setting up a COIL. Then, Marina introduced the participants to the concept of COIL, and shared more best practices. The participants where then divided in groups and encouraged to start working on a COIL-course themselves. In a short time, the participants made promising, interdisciplinary COIL course concepts. The participants were excited to develop these concepts further and put them into practice.
Preceded by meetings between Aurora representatives and the management of the University of Tetova, the event set the stage for future collaborations. The staff training event empowered our associate partners to unlock their international potential through COIL. Through that, they will be able to further develop the internationalization of their institutions.
The Aurora Karazin University Peace Education Hub invites you to a 5-day International Conference on ‘The Role of Higher Education in Peacebuilding’ hosted by the Unit for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Innsbruck, from the 17th to 21stof February 2025.
This conference aims to bring together international experts – both academics and practitioners in the peacebuilding sector – with higher education policymakers from the Aurora Universities Alliance and its partners, to discuss how the higher education institutions in Ukraine and elsewhere can become a driver of peace and sustainable development.
More information, including the call for papers will be announced soon!
To foster tangible scientific and academic collaboration, this call aims to promote cooperation between researchers, and create new or consolidate existing scientific relationships. Its vision is to build robust scientific communities among the Aurora universities and raise awareness about Aurora on a broader academic level. This call will be repeated on an annual basis for at least four years and supports three key actions:
Incentive and Collaborative Research Projects
This action supports concrete exploratory research activities by research teams with single or multiple disciplines that put forward the complementarity of competences and approaches.
Thematic Summer Schools
This action supports the organisation of thematic summer schools focused on disciplinary training for early-stage researchers and serves as opportunities for career development, knowledge sharing, and network/community-building.
Short-term Research Secondments for Early-stage Researchers
This action supports short-term mobility in a research laboratory or unit of an Aurora 2030 full-member university.
Once completed, please e-mail the application to aurora@u-pec.fr with the subject: Submission to Aurora Research 2024 Call_(Name of Principal Investigator)_(University of Principal Investigator). File name: Proposal KA (1,2, or 3)_Name (Principal Investigator)-University (of Principal Investigator)_(project acronym).
The deadline for the submission of proposals is 12 p.m. (CET) on April 30, 2024.
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