Since its launch in 2013 more than 15,000 women from over 200 different institutions across the UK and the Republic of Ireland have participated in Aurora. It is run as a unique partnership bringing together leadership experts, higher education providers and research institutes to take positive action to address the under-representation of women in leadership positions in the sector.
Participants will explore four key areas associated with leadership success: Identity, Impact & Voice, Core Leadership, Politics & Influence and Adaptive Leadership Skills. This is in addition to an action learning set.
Who is Aurora For?
Aurora is for women from HE institutions in the UK and Ireland, up to senior lecturer level or the professional services equivalent, working in a university, college or related organisation who would like to develop and explore issues relating to leadership roles and responsibilities.
Participants should have the endorsement of their institution (either their Aurora Champion, Human Resource department or line manager) and be committed to developing and enhancing their career.
Aurora is designed as a positive action measure to address under-representation of women in leadership in HE. In the UK and Northern Ireland, delegates share the protected characteristic of sex, whilst Irish delegates share the equality grounds of gender.
What to expect?
With a number of cohorts running regionally online, Aurora is a mix of development days and action learning sets. Participants are also supported by mentors from their institution.
Participants will be asked to:
- Attend the introduction session which will introduce the aims and objectives of Aurora along with an inspirational guest speaker
- Attend each of the four development days, the two action learning set days and the the final in-person development day
- Undertake self-directed learning throughout Aurora, aligned with development interests
- Commit to working with a mentor, found by delegates with the support of their institution
- Be prepared to access leadership opportunities and champion for change.
Aurora 2026-27 Cohort Dates
Click the button below to view dates for 2026-27.
How to Book
If you’re interested in Aurora, start by contacting your institution’s Aurora Champion or other Learning and Development Sponsor at your institution. Aurora is run in partnership between your institution and Advance HE, so places are organised through your institution’s own application process. Please visit the Aurora Champion Directory for contact details.
If you would like to find out more about the Aurora Programme, please fill out our enquiry form to receive an information pack containing further details about the programme content.
Aurora Institutions
Institutions are responsible for coordinating Aurora within their organisation, helping to provide mentors for their participants and supporting participants to attend all of the development days and their action learning sets. In each institution, Aurora is led by an Aurora champion.
Hear from our Aurora Participants
Aurora: ‘I wasn’t sure I believed in myself enough to put myself forward’
‘Aurora challenged every assumption I had about leadership’
From imposter to ambassador: how Aurora helped me find my place in HE
Aurora recognised as exceptional training programme with Princess Royal Training Award
HRH The Princess Royal, President of the City and Guilds of London Institute, awards employers for outstanding training and skills development programmes which have positively impacted organisations, people and wider society.
