Engaging courses such as, Easy Summer Bird Watching for Beginners, led by tutor Dot Blakely, will introduce students to our island’s avian visitors. The course, employing a blend of classroom-based talks and local field trips, will explain to students why, when and how hundreds of warblers, swallows and terns migrate to our beautiful island. Meanwhile, local ornithologist Mary Montague, in a half-day workshop, will introduce students to the Songs of Birds. Participants will be immersed in the sounds of a range of local species. There are further courses on Woodlands, Native Trees and Conservation.

Historian Robyn Atcheson's course, Horrible histories for Grown Ups, will explore all the gruesome parts of history not taught in school including the Great Stink, body-snatching, and the invention of underwear to name a few. Tom Thorpe will lead five evening guided tours of Belfast to uncover its complex and fascinating history through its built environment and public art.

For those planning to travel on holiday in the months ahead, the Open Learning Programme offers a comprehensive range of Holiday language courses in which participants can brush up on their basic, but essential, linguistic skills, whilst also  learning about the culture of the country.

Spring also marks the return of the popular Golf courses designed for both beginners and improvers. These courses give golfing enthusiasts an opportunity to learn all aspects of the game under the supervision of an accredited PGA gold coach with over 20 years’ experience.   

Speaking about the wider programme of courses on offer, Dr Cathal McManus, Co-Director of Open Learning at Queen’s said: “Our Spring programme is, as always, packed full of interesting short courses that are designed to engage adult learners from all walks of life. As it is Spring, we do have a range of courses to encourage us back outdoors, but we also have our usual diverse array of offerings in areas such as literature, history, music and creative writing. There really is something for everyone.”

Professor Katy Hayward, Co-Director of Open Learning, added: “From ‘Horrible Histories for Grown Ups’ to ‘Northern Ireland after Brexit: A Guide for the Perplexed’, our Spring programme offers short courses that are intended to enlighten as well as entertain.”

The courses are scheduled for daytime, evening and weekends, and the style is informal and accessible. Participants don’t need any prior qualifications, and learners will quickly appreciate the friendly atmosphere offered by the University. There are also concession rates available for people in receipt of benefits.

Enrolment is now open. For more information and the full programme please visit https://www.qub.ac.uk/sites/open-learning/ or email: openlearning.education@qub.ac.uk

Media

Media enquiries to Zara McBrearty on email: z.mcbrearty@qub.ac.uk