The Centre for Extra-Mural Studies, based at the University of Cape Town’s Middle Campus, has a week-long Winter School from Saturday August 5 until Saturday August 12.
During this week lecturers and researchers from UCT, universities across South Africa and overseas will make their knowledge and research available to the general public.
Whether you are interested in science, history, politics, literature, art, music or current issues, there is a course for you, said Dr Zuleiga Adams, lecturer at the centre. The target audience is an adult audience, both young and mature.
There are also practical writing courses for those interested in developing their writing skills in poetry/fiction or nonfiction writing and for those who have never heard of a subject such as anthropology, there is a course on the women who pioneered this field in South Africa.
Other topics that will be covered include: The Dark Universe: Dark matter and dark energy; Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen; The role and function of bacteria in mother’s milk; How to identify trees;Birds in the Antarctic; Southern Africa from the perspective of Space; The ANC and DA in 2017 and beyond; Philosophy and religion; Psychiatric disorders and genetics; What will happen after Zuma goes?; Should South Africa decriminalise drugs?; and The physiology of sleep.
“Both our winter and summer schools are influenced by the philosophy that when knowledge is engaged in for pleasure without the anxiety of exams or tests, it stimulates the imagination and creativity. We are encouraged to explore worlds and ideas beyond our own horizons. This is why we encourage learning for its own sake. There are very few opportunities in life where we have the opportunity to listen and participate for the pure pleasure of gaining new insights,” said Dr Adams.
Dr Adams said the centre is also responsible for organising the UCT annual Summer School, a public adult education programme in which the research and scholarship of the university is made available to the general public. It takes place the last two weeks of January. Subjects straddle the disciplines of art, music, literature, history, medicine, science, politics, economics and current affairs.
There are reduced fees for those who are unemployed and those earning less than R7 000 per month. For more information, call the Centre for Extra-Mural Studies at 021 650 2888, email ems@uct.ac.za or the website at www.
summerschool.uct.ac.za
