Academics

War in Ukraine: Rector’s Statement regarding our Aurora Partners V. N. Karazin Kharkiv National University

Written by Niels Hexspoor on 3. 3. 2022. Posted in Academics, CDS-Network.

Below please find the statement of our Rector Martin Procházka on the current situation in Ukraine, in relation to our Aurora partnership with V.N Karazin Kharkiv National University.

Dear Aurora Alliance Presidents, and
Aurora Alliance Associate Universities’ Presidents

I would like to voice my concerns and deep disappointment regarding the ongoing Russian Federation’s invasion of Ukraine and the gross violation of international law. I have great fears – not only for the citizens of Ukraine – but also for the values upon which contemporary democratic governments in the countries of the European Union and elsewhere are founded. I fear that not only the people of Ukraine but also all democratic states are now facing a very difficult trial.

Palacký University Olomouc joins in expressing solidarity with the people of Ukraine, with all Ukrainian universities, and their students and employees. Our thoughts and solidarity are especially strong towards our Ukrainian students here, and colleagues and students of our partnering Aurora university, V.N Karazin Kharkiv University, and their families.

Importantly, I am using my voice to convey to you that Palacký University Olomouc, leading the activity Capacity Development Support Programme in Central-Eastern Europe, on behalf of all Aurora Alliance universities, is ready to provide immediate help and has put to use all the existing resources to support the incoming staff and students from Ukraine seeking shelter in Olomouc. Our emergency assistance is organized by the UP Volunteering Centre, and all the aid efforts are coordinated in line with the regional and national authorities.

I would also like to inform you that Palacky University Olomouc has centralized its overview of available resources and help it can offer to our Ukrainian students and partnering staff on the following webpage: https://www.upol.cz/en/ukraine/. These resources are available in Czech, English, and most importantly in Ukrainian.

Finally, Russia’s aggression on Ukraine has severely eroded Czech-Russian collaborations, including academic ones. We are currently considering to discontinue the existing MoUs as well as Erasmus collaboration with Russian and Belorussian Universities, in protest of the developing situation.

Our history and experience allow us to generate deep understanding of the desperate situation Ukraine and its people now find themselves in. We stand together with Ukraine; we stand together with our fellow European citizens, and we invite you to join us!

Martin Procházka
Rector, Palacký University Olomouc

A pdf of this letter can be found here.

Czech for Beginners – Free Online Course

Written by Niels Hexspoor on 25. 2. 2022. Posted in Academics, CDS-Network, Events, Students.

Would you like to learn how to say “strč prst skrz krk” , and do you want to start learning a Slavonic language? Than this is the course for you!

Through this online course of Czech for beginners, you will start your discovery of the Czech language, and learn all the necessary basics. This class could be an ideal preparation for a stay in the Czech Republic, for example on an Erasmus Exchange, an Aurora Mobility, or even a holiday.

The Czech for Beginners course will comprise of ten one-hour classes. The weekly classes will be taught by Tereza Koudelíková and will take place on Zoom.

This free online language course is open to all Aurora students and employees. Interested? Register for Czech for Beginners here!

The full program (pdf) of the course can be found here.

The classes take place every week on Wedneday:

- April 6, 2022 03:00 PM, CET
- April 13, 2022 03:00 PM, CET
- April 20, 2022 03:00 PM, CET
- April 27, 2022 03:00 PM, CET
- May 4, 2022 03:00 PM, CET
- May 11, 2022 03:00 PM, CET
- May 18, 2022 03:00 PM, CET
- May 25, 2022 03:00 PM, CET
- June 1, 2022 03:00 PM, CET
- June 8, 2022 03:00 PM, CET

Please download and import the following iCalendar (.ics) files to your calendar system.

After registering, you can join the classes with the zoom link below:

Join Zoom Meeting
Meeting ID: 974 8333 4287
Passcode: 378265

Organized by Palacký University Olomouc in the framework of the Aurora Multilinguistic Proficiency Plan.

International Mountain Conference at the University of Innsbruck

Written by Niels Hexspoor on 17. 2. 2022. Posted in Academics, Events, Students.

We´d like to call your attention and invite you to take part in the International Mountain Conference International Mountain Conference – #IMC2022.

The IMC2022 will take place from September 11 – 15 2022 in Innsbruck, Austria. It provides an excellent opportunity for experts from different disciplines to discuss mountain-related issues in a cross-disciplinary setting with flexible session formats. The key goals of the conference are to synthesize and enhance our understanding of mountain systems, in particular their response and resilience to global change.

Focus Sessions are offered in the fields of

Agriculture
Atmosphere
Biodiversity
Climate (Change)
Conservation
Cryo- & Hydrosphere
Ecosystems
ES-Forests
(Natural) Hazards
Monitoring
Policy Making
Socio-Ecology
Sustainable Development
Tourism
Water management

Prior to the conference , the S4SSS summer school International Mountain Conference – IMC (imc2022.info) (September 5-9)

is dedicated to PhD-students working in mountainous regions in the fields of Atmosphere, (Paleo-)Climate, Glaciers, Natural Hazards and Tourism. In contrast to classical summer schools, the focus is placed on peer-to-peer interactions to facilitate and encourage networking among the students, helping them build connections they can capitalize on in their future research careers.

Call for abstracts is open for both events until Feburary 16, 2022

Conference: Abstract-Submission – International Mountain Conference (imc2022.info)

Summer School: Abstract-Submission – International Mountain Conference (imc2022.info)

Please note: students and researchers from AURORA universities might be eligilbe for mobility grants – please check with your local AURORA office.

UP Aurora International Pub Quiz

Written by Niels Hexspoor on 3. 2. 2022. Posted in Academics, Events, Students.

On Friday the 18th of February, we will organize the first UP Aurora International Pub Quiz at 18:00 at the Kavarna na Cucky, at the Dolni Namesti

The quiz will test your knowledge of the Music, Culture and History of the countries of Aurora Members. So if you know everything about Italian Cuisine, Dutch Football and British Actors, or if you just want to have a nice evening, meet new people and practice your English, sign up now!

The quiz is organized by our Aurora Students, and it is open for teams of 3 to 6 participants.

It will also be a great opportunity to learn more about the possibilities to visit these countries as part of the Aurora program.

Aurora Research & Innovation – Kick-off

Written by Niels Hexspoor on 6. 1. 2022. Posted in Academics, Events.

On the 9th of December, Palacký University Olomouc organized its local kick-off of the Aurora Research and Innovation (Aurora RI) program.

The program, funded through the Horizon 2020 – Science with and for Society (SwafS) – scheme aims to strengthen and empower research support and innovation within Aurora and will, for example, enable the sharing of research infrastructure, strengthen Open Science policies in line with EU frameworks and provide new training and support mechanisms for researchers.

The meeting was opened by the Vice-Rector for Strategy Michal Malacka, pointing the alignment of Aurora RI with the universities strategic goals.

The Aurora RI project manager, Auður Inga Rúnarsdóttir, joined us in Olomouc to attend the kick-off and meet the UP Aurora RI team, led by UP Aurora RI coordinator Marie Jadrníčkova.

Auður Inga Rúnarsdóttir, Aurora RI Project Manager

During the meeting, the UP participants touched base on the current state of affairs in their international working groups, and had a chance to meet each other and identify any overlaps between their work.

Webinar Series: Open Education Resources – Nuggets To Go

Written by Niels Hexspoor on 10. 12. 2021. Posted in Academics, Events, Students.

Aurora partners are invited to the webinar series on Open Educational Resources starting December 14th. The series are meant to illustrate a strategic part of universities’ improvement in the sector of Open Education.

The OER group wants to sensibilize teaching staff and students in the Aurora network for Open Educational Resources. It aims to raise awareness within Aurora universities on the many possibilities that Open Educational Resources offer. OER stimulates collaboration between teachers by reusing and remixing open materials. Students can participate in developing new and open educational resources.

In the webinars, the motto “content is king” will be used to emphasize the importance of free access to content, benefits and conditions of the creation and provision of learning materials.

Grab this opportunity to learn more about Open Educational Resources in these four upcoming webinars:

14 December 2021
- Introduction to Open Educational Resources (OER): benefits & licences & search engines
18 January 2022
- OER-enabled Pedagogy for teaching and learning in the digital age
22 February 2022
- Creation Processes: How to produce free content? How to produce reusable open content? How to re-mix different resources and how can OER be part of it?
15 March 2022
- Best Practices: Scenarios from Aurora universities, how to address staff & teachers. How to make students co-creation and content owners.

The full program for the OER Nuggets to go webinar series can be found here.

To follow a webinar, click on the Zoom link below and uset he meeting ID and password:

https://uni-due.zoom.us/j/63276664698?pwd=clA0K0NwRFBTdzhldUxZMnlGT1RKQT09
Meeting-ID: 632 7666 4698
Password: 170896

Highlights of the Aurora Autumn Biannual in Tarragona

Written by Niels Hexspoor on 26. 11. 2021. Posted in Academics, CDS-Network, Events, Students.

Between November 15^th and 18^th, a UP delegation visited our partners at the University of Rovira i Virgili, to participate in the Aurora Autumn Biannual in Tarrgona, Spain. The biannual was a great success and an excellent opportunity to meet in person and strengthen the ties with all of our partners.

The Biannual combined plenary sessions with intensive workgroup and management meetings. The absolute highlight of the event was the signing of the Multilateral Aurora Mobility Agreement. This agreement opens up many new mobility possibilities for both students and staff, between all Aurora Universities.

The momentous Multilateral Aurora Mobility Agreement was signed by UP Rector Martin Prochazka.

During the Biannual, the Aurora top-management met twice, during the Aurora Presidents’ Strategic session and the Aurora Council meeting. During these meetings, the Presidents and Institutional Coordinators of all Aurora institutions came together to discuss the progress so far, as well as the next steps and the road ahead. The ICs also met on Monday the 15th in preparation for the two Aurora top-management meetings on the following days.

The plenary sessions covered topics such as the inclusion of soft skills and SDG-perspective in the teaching of Aurora Universities through the use of the Aurora Competence Framework, as well as approaches and opportunities to internationalization of the curriculum. Featured were several highlevel debates, with prominent keynote speakers such as Xavier Prats Monné, the former Director-General for Education and Culture of the European Comission.

The voice of students was given center stage during the event. In the weekend before the start of the biannual,

The agreement was signed by dignitaries of all Aurora Universities.

students for all Aurora Universities gathered in Tarragona early to participate in the Aurora Student’s Design Thinking Jam, and give their input on what the Aurora Universities can do to facilitate meaningful international experiences for their students.

The outcomes of this session, ranging from the need for Aurora Student Events to mental health support and tackling issues with inclusivity were presented to the Aurora community during the biannual by the students themselves. Palacky University was excellently represented by four its students from four different faculties: Hanus Patera (FF), Dominik Vorac (PdF), Serge Nengali (PF), and Dominik Hlubek (PrF).

On the 18^th of November, a dedicated Kick-off for the Aurora Research & Innovation program took place. During the kick-off the leaders of the various Aurora RI activities got together to present their activities and the way forward, identifying the where and how to collaborate most efficiently.

A full overview of the presented materials, as well as photos and videos taken at the event can be found below:

VIDEOS

PHOTOS

PRESENTATIONS

The UP delegation, together with the University of Innsbruck‘s delegation.

The Aurora Research & Innovation activity leaders.

Aurora Competence Framework – Staff Training at Palacky University Olomouc

Written by Niels Hexspoor on 22. 11. 2021. Posted in Academics, CDS-Network, Events.

On Wednesday the 8th of December, Kees Kouwenaar will visit Palacky University Olomouc to provide a staff training session on the Aurora Competence Framework. During this comprehensive session for educators, you will learn more about how to include soft skills in your courses and programs.

Equipping students not only with the subject knowledge and skills but also with the proficiencies and mindsets to address societal challenges is one of the key objectives of Aurora’s Educational programme – Learning for Societal Impact.

The Aurora Competences Training Workshop will show teaching staff how to easily integrate general academic and personal competences into the learning outcomes of their existing courses and modules. The Workshop will also familiarise the teaching staff of the Aurora universities and their associate partner universities with the intersection of these with the role of the SDG perspective in their teaching.

This training session is organized by the Aurora Capacity Delevopment Support (CDS) Team, as one of their planned CDS-Awareness Raising Events, which play a central role in strengthening the capacity of the Aurora associate partner universities in key innovative domains of internationalization and social engagement. As such, the session is open to our associate partners as well as local UP teachers.

Please register here for the event

Registration deadline: 01/12/2021

NB: Due to Covid 19 measures, we are able to host only 20 people. This will impact the number of selected applicants for the in-person training. In the selection, we will prioritise Aurora associate partner universities. Face-to-face training will be followed by a networking day for the associate partner participants on 09/12/2021.

More information? Aurora Competence Framework Training DEC 8th UP – Invitation and Agenda

Olomouc ACF Training – Poster

Introduction to Learner Analytics – key concepts

Written by Niels Hexspoor on 22. 11. 2021. Posted in Academics, Events, Students.

Learner Analytics is a developing area for universities – but it is not always clear what is meant by the term. This session will cover key aspects such as skills needed, technology required, the data that may be used, as well as practical implementation and ethical issues.

The purpose of this event is to give those working in a university environment an understanding of the main aspects, challenges and benefits of a Learner Analytics project. It will also aim to facilitate networking between those interested in this area.

Please send an expression of interest to Lucy Mellor at: L.Mellor@uea.ac.uk to allow us to organise the practical part of the session and to communicate with participants before the event. Deadline for registration is 16:00 GMT on Friday 19th November 2021 and participation is free of charge.

Join the session through this Teams-link on Thursday 25^th of November 2021, 14:00-16:00 GMT (15:00 – 17:00 Central European Time).

Introduction to Learner Analytics – key concepts