Browse: Home / Course Terms / Term 1, 2025

The University of the Third Age

U3A Okeover

Programme for Term 1, 2025

Open for Enrolments

A From Local to Global Village

Dates: Thursdays 27 February, 6, 13, 20, 27 March

B Aviation based in New Zealand

Dates: Thursdays 3, 10, 17, 24 April, 1 May

Scroll down for full details of each course.

Times: 10:30 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.

Fees: $20.00 per course

Venue for all courses: The Chapel Street Centre. 68 Harewood Road, Papanui unless otherwise notified

Please hand your enrolment form to the treasurer at the desk if he is available.


Course A

From Local to Global Village

Course organiser:Yvonne Evans

Presenter:David Hodgson and Elizabeth Stewart

The first 4 sessions of this course will focus on how Western Civilisation has changed in the last millennium. The world of our European ancestors in the year 1000 is almost unrecognisable to us today. Life was short and sharp and remained so for most of the millennium. What were the key inventions that changed people’s lives? What took Britain from relative obscurity to global superpower? We will discover how Europe’s Great Divergence has shaped the modern world.

27 Feb:
David Hodgson, Retired High School History Teacher on 'Old English to World Language.'



6 Mar:
David Hodgson, Retired High School History Teacher on 'Religion and Economy.'



13 Mar:
David Hodgson, Retired High School History Teacher on 'Health, Population, Politics and Geopolitics.'



20 Mar:
David Hodgson, Retired High School History Teacher on 'Community.'



27 Mar:
Elizabeth Stewart, Lecturer in Philosophy at University of Canterbury on 'Trust and the Trouble of Infinite Information.'

Our recent entry into the information age grants us easy access to a practically
infinite amount of content – but not all content is created equal. The information
space is flooded with propaganda, fraudulent advertisements, AI-generated content,
and disinformation. Against this background, knowing who to trust with our attention
is vitally important for our personal and communal well-being. Unfortunately,
identifying trustworthy voices is challenging. While there is no silver bullet solution to
the so-called “fake news” problem, I hope in this talk to provide some tools for
identifying different kinds of problematic content and some of the effects of trust-
gone-wrong. I will distinguish three different kinds of problematic content:
misinformation, disinformation, and misleading content. Then I will discuss why
exposure to accurate information is not always sufficient for leading people to the
truth – hint: it has to do with trust!



Course B

Aviation based in New Zealand

Course organiser:Keith Sharp, Hilary Talbot, Howard Harvey

Presenter:Various

3 Apr:
Rachael McNutt on Canterbury - West Coast Rescue

An overview of the rescue operations including its history, information on the helicopters and how the services were delivered.


10 Apr:
Roger Ellery, Pilot on 'A Pilot's Experiences.'

Insights from a pilot’s journey, exploring firsthand experiences of flying various aircraft and the challenges and thrills of aviation.


17 Apr:
David Laughlin, Air NZ Technical Instructor on 'The 1953 Air Race.'

The final and longest competition of the great international air race era—the 1953 London to Harewood Air Race—a historic event that marked the end of a golden age in aviation contests.


24 Apr:
Jonathan Avery, Senior Duty Manager on 'Ensuring the Safe and Efficient Provision of Air Traffic Services for both the Domestic and Internal traffic.'

An inside look at how air traffic control manages the flow of aircraft in and out of airports, ensuring safe and efficient takeoffs, landings, and in-flight navigation.


1 May:
Dr Richard Waugh, Commentator and Writer on 'NZ Aviation History.'

He will focus on the unique challenges and experiences of flying in and out of the West Coast over 90years.  

He has written 12 books on aviation over the past 30 years. He will have a table for the display of some of his books. These will be available on the day at a discount price with all proceeds going to a charitable publishing trust.