The booking window is now open for the 2023/24 cohorts of Advance HE's flagship Aurora women's leadership programme and past participants have been explaining its impact.
Inmaculada Gomez Soler, assistant professor of Spanish and applied linguistics at Dublin City University
“The mentorship side of the programme has been the most valuable thing for me. It has given me the chance to develop a strong one-to-one connection in which I’ve been able to explore the issues that concern me such as work/life balance and the boundaries between my profession and my home life.”
Lola Madrid-Castillo, associate assistant professor of maternal and child health,London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
"Aurora gave me the chance to take time out from my day job to truly think about myself and my career. It enabled me to expand my network, to meet women from different fields and to learn new strategies to upgrade my leadership skills and the way I work with stakeholders. It’s also given me strategies for how I should be promoting myself and my work, something that’s very important to me because I work so far from the majority of my colleagues within my institution and my focus is very much teaching.”
Lylian Fotabong, cultural language lecturer at Mary Immaculate College, Limerick
“Aurora was uplifting and taught me to say yes to things. In the past I might have shied away and let self-doubt get in the way. But now I don’t question if I’m the right fit in the same way. Instead I’ve gained the confidence to accept roles that come my way and to seek out opportunities.”
Marie McPeak, undergraduate common architecture office manager at Trinity College Dublin
“Aurora gave me the space to reflect and appreciate my own career journey in higher education and to begin to feel comfortable in myself and my own leadership style. I’m now thinking bigger than I have ever done before – not only about my career but also about how I can support students and enhance their experience while they’re with us at Trinity.”
Dr Juliana Gerard, linguistics lecturer, Ulster University
"Career progression in higher education involves so much more than being an expert in your field. It's about having communication skills and the confidence to drive forward big projects. Aurora made it easier for me to get my message across and develop an 'elevator pitch' which is vital in helping to get people on board with my work."
The best way of securing a place on Advance HE's flagship Aurora women's leadership programme is via the Aurora Champion in your institution. To find out more, click here.