Co má společného Olomouc s Reykjavíkem, Kodaní nebo Neapolí? Pojítek bychom našli určitě hodně, ale pro akademickou obec UP je důležité, že tamní vysoké školy patří do evropské univerzitní sítě Aurora. Jejím prezidentem je rektor Martin Procházka a spolu s UP ji tvoří dalších 8 členů. V prázdninovém průvodci vám je každý týden postupně představíme. Můžete je navštívit nejen při studijních a pracovních cestách, ale třeba se na nich zastavit jen tak na výletě.
V letošním roce jsme je představili v cyklu pro Žurnál UP. Podívejte se nejen na to, co nabízejí a na co se specializují jednotlivé univerzity, ale i na další zajímavosti, která najdete v jejich okolí, či kulturní specifika místa.
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.
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.
During AFO, you are invited to two enganging sessions on science communication! Join us at Fort Science, as Anna Aris and Sem Barendse of the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam lead help you improve your science communication skills!
The first of these sessions, The Art of Dialogue: Improve Your Communication and Facilitation Skills, will take place on 23 April 2024 from13:00 to17:00. It will allow you to discover the openness and humility of a dialogue attitude. With the help of playful improvisation and theatre techniques, you develop dialogue skills to enhance your conversations about science. This includes active listening, perspective taking and co-creating new ideas. The first step is to learn how to participate in meaningful conversations. The next step: design and facilitate dialogue yourself!
On the 24th of April, from 9:00 to12:00, join us for the second session: Science Communication Under Pressure: Scientists’ Survival Guide for the Public Arena. Here, we will focuss on what happens when you enter the public arena as a scientist and how to deal with value-driven discussions, strong reactions, or distrust. In this workshop, we will explore the possibility of dialogue to engage in meaningful conversations authentically and effectively.
These Trainings are intended for PhD and MSc students, as well as academics and researchers.
This event is organised in the framework of the Aurora Research & Innovation for Societal Impact project (Aurora RI) and its Citizen Science thematic module in cooperation with Fortress Science Olomouc and Academia Film Olomouc.
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.
Do you want to broaden your horizons? Are you looking to meet students from all over Europe and develop your personal Schemes?
In that case the Aurora Student Ambassador or Students Champion programme is perfect for you.
Sign upbefore December 31st and participate in the activities stretching from January to June 2024.
Lucky participants will be invited to participate in the Aurora Student Conference in Tarragona, Spain in February.
1. Student Ambassador
If you want to be a part of an international community of students, the role of Aurora Student Ambassador will be perfect for you.
In this role, you will be given the opportunity to take part in a variety of online and in-person events, together with students from across all Aurora Universities.
You will be offered several international workshops that will boost you personal and professional development.
Your journey as Aurora Ambassador will start at the Aurora Student Conference, where you will learn everything about Aurora, and meet peers from across the world.
2. Student Champion
This role is created specifically for students that want to go the extra mile. Building on what your learned during the Aurora Student Conference, you will directly work on the key Aurora topics, in addition to the joint activities provided to Aurora Student Ambassadors
Students that amass at least 15 hours of combined participation in the joint program and the working groups will be given the certificate of Aurora Student Champion.
Register
Sign up using the link below to gain acces to all the opportunities Aurora has to offer.
Last month, Palacký University Olomouc hosted the Aurora Fall Biannual 2023 on October 17th and 18th for in Olomouc, Czechia. The event brought together over 200 participants hailing from 18 universities from within the Aurora community and beyond.
The Aurora Fall Biannual focused on taking stock of Aurora’s achievements as part of the European Universities initiative.
These European developments took center stage in the plenary sessions and panels:
Aurora Pilot Phase: Aurora Model Alliance?
The impact and role of European Universities on future of Higher Education in Europe
Alliance Exchange – Balancing Education, Research Innovation and Social Responsibility
Toward student-centered European University Alliances
Aurora’s commitment to sustainability was also highlighted during the event, with an opening presentation and plenary session dedicated to Aurora’s work on making our community greener and more sustainable.
Collaboration within Aurora was further strengthened by the momentous singing of a Memorandum of understanding on the sharing of research infrastructure, as well as the signing of the second version of the Multilateral Aurora Mobility Agreement (MAMA).
Next to the retrospective of Aurora’s remarkable accomplishments, the Aurora community came together to look forward to the exciting prospects that lie ahead.Participants also engaged in thought-provoking Thematic sessions on prominent Aurora topics suchs as COIL, the Aurora Competence Framework, and Technology Transfer.
Want to relive the biannual or catch up on any sessions you missed? You can watch back the recordings of the plenary sessions below:
We invite proposals for a forthcoming scholarly book on suburban studies. This interdisciplinary book aims to explore the complex, diverse, and dynamic nature of suburbs, their histories, and their futures. The book will seek to engage with a wide range of topics and themes related to sub/urban spaces, cultures, politics, and environments.
We welcome proposals from scholars across various disciplines, including but not limited to literature, sociology, history, anthropology, urban studies, geography, geoinformatics, urban planning, environmental studies, and cultural studies. We are interested in contributions that critically examine suburbs as spaces of social, economic, and political inequality and exclusion, as well as spaces of creativity, innovation, and resistance. We encourage authors to engage with debates and discussions around issues such as suburbanization, gentrification, racial and ethnic segregation, environmental sustainability, and suburban history, cultures, and identities.
Proposals may address, but are not limited to, the following topics:
The literary reflection of suburban culture
The histories and genealogies of suburbs
The social and cultural practices of suburban life
The politics and governance of suburban spaces
The environmental impacts of suburbanization
The racial and ethnic dynamics of suburbanization
The cultural production and consumption of suburban spaces
The relationship between suburbs and the urban and rural landscapes
The future of suburban spaces and their potential transformations
We welcome proposals for individual chapters. Please submit an abstract of no more than 500 words along with a short biography (no more than 250 words) and contact information. The submission deadline for chapter abstract is October 31st, 2023. Accepted proposals will be notified by December 31st, 2023. Full chapters will be due on July 30th, 2024.
Please send your proposals to pavlina.flajsarova@upol.cz. If you have any questions or queries, please do not hesitate to contact us.
Florian Freitag, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany
Becky Nicolaides, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
Andrew Wiese, San Diego State University, San Diego, USA
Mauricette Fournier, Université Clermont Auvergne, France
The book is co-financed by the Erasmus+ programme under the project Urbanism and Suburbanization in the EU Countries and Abroad: Reflection in the Humanities, Social Sciences, and the Arts (2021-1-CZ01-KA220-HED-000023281).
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