Lifelong Learning

Courses

Keeping NZ Safe

Further Connections with Purposeful Ideas and Opinions

Vikings, Scandinavia and the Founding of Russia

The peoples of Scandinavia: Norway, Sweden and Denmark, were mainly farmers, hunters and fishermen. However, from the eighth century some 10 per cent of the population embarked on voyages abroad as raiders, traders and colonisers, and gained a notorious reputation as Vikings. Whereas the Norse and Danish Vikings travelled westwards, raiding the coasts of Britain, Ireland, and the Frankish Empire, establishing trading networks, and founding colonies as far west as Greenland and Newfoundland, the seafarers of Sweden followed the river systems of eastern Europe as far as Constantinople and Baghdad, and known as the Rus’, from the cities of Novgorod and Kiev they founded the state of Russia.

Linguistics

This course will be taken by Associate Professor Kevin Watson, Head of the Linguistics Department at the University of Canterbury and his staff.

Topics will include:
The origin and evolution of the English language;
How the Polynesian languages changed as the people spread out across the Pacific to settle in Hawai’i, Samoa, Tahiti, Tonga, Nuie, Aotearoa;
Why and how accents and dialects emerge;
The relationship between language and culture.

This will be a course of substance backed by research and delivered by people who are experts in their field.

Connecting with Purposeful Ideas and Opinions

Various voices present a Medley of Topics

Our speakers each share with us their personal experiences, opinions and perspectives on a topic which energises their thinking and their work.

Family Law

A series to consider legal issues which affect and influence the lives of many seniors and their families in New Zealand.

Current Canterbury Concerns

This course will address various issues relating to Canterbury and its environment. We will begin with climate change and its consequences for Canterbury (ECan speaker), continue with an introduction to our geology and rivers (Dr. Kate Pedley, UC), the conservation and recovery of our endangered species (Dr. Tammy Steeves, UC), hear about some technological advances helping our agriculture (Dr. Keith Cameron), and finally our water, its quality and quantity (ECan speaker).

Music Pot-pourri

Coupled with reading an article about an Acoustic Engineer checking our New Town Hall makeover plus my long involvement with music in various forms prompted me to offer to organise this Music Pot-pourri. The speakers are going to present wide ranging aspects around this topic that I could not even anticipate: a feast!