Applications now open for Advance HE Aurora programme 2025
Applications are now being taken from LJMU staff for the Advance HE Aurora programme, a leadership development initiative for women.
The programme runs over a six-month period and brings together regional cohorts of women from across the higher education sector. The programme is delivered through a mixture of online development days and action learning sets, as well as an in-person development day towards the end of the programme. Participants are also supported by mentors from their institution.
Since its launch in 2013 more than 10,000 women from nearly 200 different institutions across the UK and Ireland have participated, including over 100 LJMU colleagues.
How to apply for the Aurora programme
LJMU is sponsoring eight places for the 2025 cohort which begins on Tuesday 21 January 2025, with applications now being taken until 5pm on Friday 8 November 2024.
Anyone who would like to take part should complete the short application form outlining why you would like to participate, sharing personal or professional examples of leadership and influence to date, and explaining the perceived benefits of your participation. In addition, a supporting statement from your line manager is required as part of the application process.
Further information about applying, alongside the application form, is available on the Organisational Development Aurora programme webpage.
Who Aurora is for
Aurora is for women, 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.
What you will learn
Participants will explore four key areas associated with leadership success: identity, impact and voice; core leadership; politics and influence; and adaptive leadership skills. You will also take part in two action learning sets to reflect on a professional challenge or opportunity and attend an in-person event to bring together learning from across the whole programme.
2025 programme dates for the North of England
- Introduction: Tuesday 21 January, from 10am to 12.30pm, online Zoom
- Identity, impact and voice: Tuesday 28 January, from 10am to 3pm, online Zoom
- Core leadership: Tuesday 25 February, from 10am to 3pm, online Zoom
- Action learning set 1: Tuesday 11 March, from 10am to 3pm, online Zoom
- Politics and influence: Tuesday 1 April, from 10am to 3pm, online Zoom
- Adaptive leadership: Wednesday 30 April, from 10am to 3pm, online Zoom
- Your future in higher education: Friday 16 May, from 9.30am to 4pm, Queen’s Hotel Leeds
- Action learning set 2: Thursday 5 June, from 10am to 3pm, online self-hosted in your group
Organisational Development will be inviting successful applicants to a pre-course network on Tuesday 14 January 2025 (11.30am to 1pm) and a post-course network on Tuesday 24 June 2025 (11.30am to 1pm).
LJMU Aurora alumnae share their experiences
My experience with Aurora has profoundly shifted the way I approach my work and my career. The strategies they helped me develop to manage my imposter syndrome have not only been effective but empowering. Before working with Aurora, I often found myself doubting my abilities and feeling overwhelmed, but they guided me in designing practical tools that helped me regain confidence and assert control over my professional life.
Liz Peatfield, Senior Lecturer and Module Leader, School of Justice Studies
Liz added: "One piece of advice they gave me has stayed with me ever since: 'Be more visible, but less available.' This simple yet powerful guidance has reshaped how I interact with others, both inside and outside of my professional circle. By being more selective about where I direct my time and energy, I’ve found a new balance between making an impact and preserving my mental well-being.
"Perhaps the most transformative aspect of the Aurora experience was the opportunity to connect with other female academics. Engaging with a community of women who share similar struggles, especially around gender dynamics in academia, was incredibly affirming. It made me realize that the feelings of self-doubt and imposter syndrome that many of us carry are not isolated but are, in fact, reflections of the larger systemic issues we face in a patriarchal society. Knowing that I am not alone in this battle, and that there is a collective strength among us, gave me a sense of solidarity and comfort that I hadn’t expected. Aurora helped me see that while the challenges are real, they can be navigated, and we are stronger when we support each other through them."
The variety of development days was brilliant, from insightful guest speakers to understanding leadership theory and practice, the programme has helped me to re-construct how I would have previously defined leadership.
Overall, participating in Aurora has really helped to boost my confidence and has supported my realisation that others have similar experiences as they progress through their careers. I am now starting to refine my career goals more clearly.
Ella Lynch, Corporate Communications and Stakeholder Relations
Advance HE longitudinal study on impact of the Aurora programme
Led by a team of experts from Loughborough University, the five-year longitudinal study tracked the careers and aspirations of women working in higher education. The study followed the journeys of Aurora participants before, during and after they have completed the programme. Download the report from the Advance HE website.
Further questions
If you would like furthers details on the programme, or have any questions, please contact email Organisational Development.
