Inspired and empowered: Student perspectives on the Aurora Annual Conference

Through the University of Iceland’s participation in the Aurora University Network, Þórkatla Eggerz Tinnudóttir, an undergraduate student in Political Science, and Muhammad Muzammal Mustafa, a postgraduate student in International Business and Project Management, have had a unique opportunity to grow, meet new people and form new connections while learning new things and exploring new cultures. Both participated in the Aurora Annual Conference along with students and staff from universities across Europe from May 18–21 in Duisburg, western Germany. Here, they share their experience of participating in Aurora.

“Aurora is one of the most extensive international collaborative initiatives that the University of Iceland participates in, alongside over a dozen other universities, including the University of Duisburg-Essen, which hosted this year’s conference.

For ten years, European universities within the Aurora network have collaborated on educational development, strengthening research cooperation, and fostering networking opportunities, thereby building a stronger foundation for higher education in an increasingly challenging world. One of the most vital components of this partnership lies in student participation and representation.

Interesting workshops

The conference programme consisted of workshops, panel discussions and constructive conversations over coffee, all highlighting the importance of communication across all sectors of the university community and its stakeholders.

A workshop on the social entrepreneurship tool seizmic gave us insight into how social innovation and collaboration can both enhance and strengthen international partnerships. Seizmic is utilised across the entire Aurora alliance and is linked to courses such as Spark Social at the University of Iceland and Tourism, Social Entrepreneurship and Sustainability at Copenhagen Business School. The seizmic tool includes an app that facilitates communication between courses, active projects, and researchers and is a driver for collaboration and enables peer-to-peer learning.

A workshop on the concept of “Aurorisation” of courses gave participants the opportunity to learn how to design high-quality Aurora courses for students across the partner universities. Additionally, students had the chance to share their experiences with Aurora courses, discussing what worked well and where improvements could be made.

Please see more information about the pedagogical approach of the Aurorisation of courses here.

Student representation is important

Student representation has always been a key aspect of Aurora, as students are the backbone of universities. A panel organised and led by Aurora’s Student Council shed light on how students and faculty can come together to develop more effective coursework, foster inclusive learning and build a mutual understanding of the university system to improve it. Related to this, we presented a revised Aurora Student Rights Charter, developed during the 2025/2026 academic year and soon to be implemented. The charter aims to ensure students’ active participation in university operations and governance.

Among the panel participants was Alma Ágústsdóttir, project manager in the International Division of the University of Iceland, former International Officer of the UI Student Council, and former president of the Aurora Student Council. Alma is currently leading a task team within Aurora to secure active student engagement, and she discussed ways to ensure students' voices are heard across various projects and platforms. The panellists also spoke about the idea of more rewards for the volunteer work most students put into projects like Aurora, whether in the form of ECTS, certificates, or other forms of acknowledgement for the hard work, which is usually born of pure passion for strengthening students' social and academic involvement.

Student contribution as Aurora Ambassadors

A key aspect of student involvement within Aurora at the local and international levels has been the Ambassador programme, which gives a group of students at each university an active role in shaping the Aurora community, as the students of today and as researchers and leaders of tomorrow. As Aurora Ambassadors, we help raise awareness of opportunities within Aurora, such as Aurora courses that feature short-term mobility at another partner university, offering an excellent alternative to traditional, semester-long exchange. In addition, we organise and participate in events that strengthen student networks both within our own university and across Aurora universities, aligning with Aurora’s overarching goals of enhancing student mobility and developing joint international education.

Long-term friendships can form through a few days of learning abroad, and the ambassador programme has become an invaluable part of Aurora student involvement. It’s an ever-evolving programme and continues to grow and develop each year. We strongly encourage every UI student interested in participating in Aurora to apply for an Aurora ambassadorship in the autumn, as it is one of the best ways to connect across different backgrounds and strengthen the student community at our university and across borders.

At the conference, two ambassadors from each university represented their universities and came together for a joint workshop on one of the best ways Aurora students have used to learn from each other: peer-to-peer learning. The benefits of peer-to-peer learning include interactivity, discussion, and the ability to address diverse cultural backgrounds. In doing so, students can share projects and communicate their ideas effectively.

If you are interested in joining Aurora after reading this article, please keep an eye out for open application emails next academic year. We strongly encourage you to apply to become an Aurora ambassador, to take a look at the Aurora courses on offer and sign up. Without student involvement, the Aurora collaboration cannot shape the researchers, scientists and leaders of tomorrow.

Authors: Þórkatla Eggerz Tinnudóttir, undergraduate student in Political Science, Muhammad Muzammal Mustafa, postgraduate student in International Business and Project Management. Both authors are Aurora Ambassadors.

Please see more information on Aurora here.