CDS-Network

Aurora Spring Biannual a great success for Palacký University

Written by Niels Hexspoor on 18. 5. 2022. Posted in Academics, CDS-Network, Events, Featured, Students.

The Aurora Spring Biannual which took place in Innsbruck between the 10^th and the 12^th of May was a great success for Palacký University, looking back on our achievements so far and paving the way for the road ahead.

Palacký University Olomouc has been elected to become a full member of the Aurora Network, now giving us full access to decision-making within Aurora.

Palacký University Olomouc was awarded this improved position due to our excellent contribution to the Aurora European University Alliance programme, leading by example in its implementation.

The Aurora Network is focused on fulfilling the global mission of Aurora, stretching beyond the borders of Europe and the European Universities Initiative. Its various tasks include lobbying, international outreach, and collaboration with non-European partners in the field of education and research.

JUDr. Mag. iur. Michal Malacka, Ph.D., MBA, Vice-Rector for Strategy and Regional Affairs and UP’s Aurora Strategic Manager: “We are really pleased with the great success of our entire UP team in paving the way towards becoming a full member of the Aurora Network after one and half year of intense Aurora Alliance collaborations. Network membership guarantees the full potential of our university to accelerate towards becoming global leaders in innovative education, research, and sustainable growth.”

During the biannual special consideration was given to the horrendous aggressions faced by our Ukrainian colleagues at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Tetyana Kaganovska, the president of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University made the perilous journey from Kharkiv to Innsbruck to show appreciation for our support raising a substantial amount of money and support to Karazin University’s continuing academic mission.

Other important takeaways of the Biannual are UP signing a Letter of Intent with our Aurora Partners to create an innovative European Master’s degree in Digital Society & Global Citizenship. “Palacký University’s contribution to the development of this European Degree is a great opportunity for us to be at the forefront of these cutting-edge developments” according to Vit Zouhar, Vice-rector for Education. This interdisciplinary joint-degree will be developed in the months to come.

Student participation is at the heart of Aurora’s mission and goals through Aurora Student Schemes. Starting this summer, they are being led by Palacký University. A call for application will be published at the end of June.

Sustainable growth and development, one of the main topics of the biannual, remains an important priority for all Aurora Universities. Zuzana Hunkova, Palacký University’s Coordinator for Sustainable Development: “We have proposed to the Board of Presidents that each university will count their baseline CO²e emissions, implement Aurora travel codex, and set and publish at least three targets from eight areas defined in the Sustainable Campus Action Plan.”

For more information on the excellent work of the Aurora Universities, and our continued collaboration offering opportunities to our students make sure to visit our renewed website aurora-universities.eu or aurora.upol.cz

Press statement – President of V.N Karazin Kharkiv University, Ukraine on the Aurora Biannual in Innsbruck

Written by Niels Hexspoor on 18. 5. 2022. Posted in Academics, CDS-Network, Events, Students.

During the Aurora Spring Biannual special consideration was given to the horrendous aggressions faced by our Ukrainian colleagues at V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University. Tetyana Kaganovska, the rector of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University made the perilous journey from Kharkiv to Innsbruck to appeal for our support, below you will find her statement .

Original PDF Available here.

“I travelled here to be with you, despite of the dangerous journey through my home country to share my feelings and gratitude. Right now we are going through its hardest survival moments since Ukrainian independence. I come bearing a witness of war, killing and displacement of my staff and students. In these moments, I am especially honored to be able to in-person represent our community of Kharkiv Karazin University from the East of Ukraine.

Our University is a consolidated team of 28,000 employees and students, proud of their educational institution’s 217-year history. According to the QS rating, we are the best Ukrainian university, the country’s powerhhouse of educational and scientific resources. The University is the heart of Kharkiv, and it remains in Kharkiv, despite the city’s being shelled and numerous attempts of siege lasting for 77 days.

We were able to shelter the University’s staff and students as best we could and launched the educational process remotely on the 33rd day of the war. Our teachers give lectures from basements and shelters, and those who have left the country – from different parts of the world. Many students volunteer by day and study by night. Many of our students, teachers, graduates are now among the defenders of Ukraine. The University’s humanitarian headquarters is working to help those who were hit the hardest. We are working on the restoration of the destroyed buildings, the sports complex and dormitories.

Unfortunately, there are irreparable losses in the University family. At least 17 people are known to have perished, among them 2 students, 5 professors and 10 alumni’s.

And yet, we are fighting and actively planning the future University activities. We continue to cooperate with partners in Ukraine and abroad as we believe that the values of freedom and justice will prevail. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to the Aurora Alliance partners who from the very first days of invasion were active in supporting and helping. Partners who encouraged us, gave hope that all the European Academic Community is backing up Ukraine.

The dedicated team of Aurora CDS (Community Development Support program) immediately reacted to our newly faced war-conditions. We worked together to assess the urgent needs. The Action plan was created. The plan where the supporting mission for “right now”, “short-term” and “long term” help was highlighted. First, it was a financial aid to support our on-line education. But, what is more important that Action plan projects the needs into long-term collaborations with all the partner universities. It will help Karazin to overcome the war destruction, and to rebuild our future.

Moreover, half of the staff and student are now displaced, internally or abroad, being hosted by the Aurora universities as well. We are deeply moved and grateful for all European universities providing them opportunity to work and study in these extreme conditions for us. We have a strong wish to be able to join you as academic community and as reliable partner as soon as the war ends. I took a personal risk to both thank you for your support and to tell you that we will resist and prevail in our fight for independence and democracy.”

Tetyana Kaganovska, V.N. Karazin Kharkiv University President

Capacity Development Support (CDS) Awareness Raising and Training event at University of Tetova, North Macedonia (30-31 March 2022)

Written by R N on 19. 4. 2022. Posted in Academics, CDS-Network, Events, Students.

The 4th CDS Awareness Raising and Training event was hosted by the University of Tetova (UT) in North Macedonia on 30-31 March 2022. It was organized in collaboration with the Aurora CDS Task Team at Palacky University (UP) and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU). The central theme of the event was: “Transforming Higher Education with a focus on Social entrepreneurship & Diversity and inclusion”. The two-day training event took place in hybrid format: online via Zoom and face-to-face at UT campus in Tetova. The event was open to academic and non-academic staff of the Associate university partners and members of the broader CDS Network involved in teaching, students’ mobility, internationalization of study programmes and university social engagement.

Training on social entrepreneurship was conducted online by Prof. Kai Hockerts (Copenhagen Business School) and Dr. Ondřej Kročil and Prof. Jaroslava Kubátová (Palacky University Olomouc). Diversity and inclusion was presented in person by Prof. Ruard Ganzevoort (Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam).

The training sessions were video-recorded and made available together with all training materials through the AURORA-CDS virtual catalogue: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1lUMjCSIOUHjvfdhDrl8EWG37ciRvhEV-?usp=sharing.

Social Entrepreneurship & Diversity and Inclusion Workshop – University of Tetova

Written by Niels Hexspoor on 16. 3. 2022. Posted in Academics, CDS-Network.

We’d like to share with you the upcoming Social Entrepreneurship & Diversity and Inclusion Workshop organised by the University of Tetova, North Macedonia, in collaboration with the Aurora CDS Task Team at Palacký University Olomouc and Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam. The two-day training event will take place in hybrid format on 30^th and 31^st of March 2022. The workshop focuses on:

Social entrepreneurship concerns organizations that pursue explicit social missions through business-inspired, earned-income strategies, with the express goal of creating market disequilibria.
Diversity and inclusion aim to create equal opportunities for various staff and students, create a working and learning environment at universities in which different perspectives are explicitly valued and to capitalise on the ability to generate creativity from different perspectives both in teaching and in education.

Social entrepreneurship diversity and inclusion – flyer

The event is free for all Aurora universities to participate in and is open to academic and non-academic staff of the Associate partner universities, in addition to members of the broader CDS Network involved in teaching, internationalization of study programmes and university social engagement.

You can register before the 21st of March for online participation: Register Here
If you have any questions about the workshop, don’t hesitate to reach out to Tereza Kalousková.

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.

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

University of Duisburg-Essen’s Spring School: Openness, Tolerance and Sense of Community Narratives and Realities of Contemporary Societies

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

There are many competing diagnoses and characterisations of contemporary societies: as capitalist, open, postmodern, transnational or polarised and divided. This Spring School aims to question such simplistic diagnoses and to analyse which, partly competing, partly complementary, ideas and hypotheses are hidden behind these labels. We want to understand which positionings and power relations are expressed in the various characterisations of contemporary societies and, based on this, question what is supposed to hold contemporary societies together – and whether it needs to be held together at all. In three panels we aim to investigate specifically how the humanistic ideals of public spirit and community, openness, and tolerance shape and are being shaped, striven for, as well as negotiated and contested by contemporary society. In addition, this Spring School features a performative societal laboratory, where we aim to generate a different, embodied and performative type of knowledge about the themes of the Spring School.

More information

The Spring School will take place in Duisburg, Germany in March 28^th to April 1^st 2022 and offers the opportunity to discuss recent advances in related research areas with highly regarded scholars in and invites students to present their related research agenda or outputs in three different and topically structured panels. Also we invite all participants to participate in an artistic performance with the aim to facilitate and foster reflection through collective action. The Spring School features panels on “Sense of Community in Transnational Societies,” “Cosmopolitanism and the post-developmental critique of open societies,” and “Politics of identity and cultures of (in-)tolerance.”

Registration requirements:

Please submit a brief CV (max. 1 page), an abstract on your doctoral research (max. 500 words), a motivation for your application (max. 250 words), an indication of preference of panel workshops (please indicate your priorities) and an indication of choice for the performative-participatory laboratory. The deadline for submissions is 10^th of January 2022. Cost of registration is €400, including tuition, accommodation and meals.

Registration link

Registration process