Courses

100 Years of Nosferatu

Explore cinematic vampires, focusing on Nosferatu (1922, 1979, 2024). Analyze their cultural impact & pivotal role in horror's rise.

A Buddhist Guide to a Compassionate Life

Universal compassion is the heart of Mahayan Buddhism. In this course, you will explore how to live a meaningful life through following the path of a Bodhisattva.

A Buddhist Life of Compassionate Purpose

The Bodhisattva's path helps transform self-centeredness into boundless energy for a life of purpose and positive change.

A History of Ross Bay Cemetery

Ross Bay Cemetery is a designated heritage site and one of British Columbia’s most iconic Victorian era cemeteries. John Adams, author of A Historic Guide to Ross Bay Cemetery and long-time member of the Old Cemeteries Society, will trace the origins of the cemetery from 1872 to the present day.

A History of the James Bay Neighbourhood

Learn about the history of James Bay, Victoria’s oldest residential district, from the 1840s to today.

Accepting Loss and Change in Our Life

Experiencing and dealing with unwanted changes is often a very painful part of life. Instead of allowing adversities to make us unhappy and discouraged, we can use them to enhance our spiritual growth and thereby maintain a pure and peaceful mind all the time.

Aging Successfully

How can you age successfully? Current scientific research is surveyed in Daniel Levitin's Successful Aging (2020), and these ideas are brought into relation with Cicero’s essay On Old Age (45 BCE), which we will read aloud and discuss.

An Introduction to Humanities

An introduction to the various ways in which scholars from different disciplines in the Humanities interpret, analyze and evaluate texts.

An Introduction to Neuroscience

Advances in neuroscience have provided insight into all aspects of our lives. In this course, you will learn the basics of neuroscience: neurons, sensory perception, vision, motor control, attention and memory.

Ancient Politics: A Search for the Good Life

Ancient political thought: exploring competing ideas of 'the good' and its impact on democracy, justice, virtue and political conflict.

Artificial Intelligence in Border Management

In this course you will be introduced to artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) and learn about their practical applications in both trade facilitation and trade enforcement.

Banned Ideas: The Power Struggle Over Knowledge

Politicians seek to ban books, edit curricula, and remove topics from schools and universities. What ideas are targeted? Why? How can sociology explain this trend?

Banned Ideas: What Extremists Don't Want Us to Learn

Learn how sociology explains modern censorship efforts targeting books, curricula and courses across North America. Explore why certain ideas are banned from schools.

Beyond the Plate: Food, Culture and Social Impact

This course examines food's impact on culture, identity, and the environment, exploring traditions, sustainability, food justice, and the global systems connected to our choices.

Boosting or Maintaining Your Brain Power as You Get Older

This presentation looks at ways to maintain or boost brain power through lifestyle choices, especially the role of physical activity which is the number one way to preserve memory and other cognitive functions.

Bridging Knowledge Culture: Rebalancing Power

Introduction to the concept of knowledge cultures, the ways in which knowledge is created, validated, shared and acted upon in different settings. We will look at the differences found in the knowledge cultures of academia compared with diverse community contexts.

Buddhist Advice for Embracing Change

This course guides you to embrace life fearlessly, transform challenges into advantages, and uncover joy and purpose by tapping into your inner potential.

Buddhist Advice for Solving Problems from the Inside Out

Buddhist monk Gen Kelsang Zopa teaches how to break negative patterns through meditation & the understanding that we're always capable of change.

Buddhist Advice for Transforming Anger and Hurt

This series teaches strategies to transform anger from hurt and rejection into peaceful, clear-minded responses, fostering resolution, harmony, and overcoming negative emotions.

Buddhist Wisdom for Silencing the Inner Critic

Many of us have a tendency to be excessively self-critical, self doubting, and lacking in confidence. In this course, we will learn how to use Buddhist insights and wisdom to free ourselves from self critical thoughts and attitudes and recognize our potential for limitless inner peace and mental freedom.

Buddhist Wisdom for Today’s World

Explore Buddhist wisdom teachings for modern life. Learn practical methods to cultivate peace, clarity, and positive attitudes amid today's challenges.

Carnivores vs. Herbivores: Rethinking Meat and Plant-Based Diets

This course examines health, ethical, and environmental aspects of meat-based and plant-based diets, helping you make informed food choices in today's complex world.

Cascadia Seaweed

Cascadia Seaweed grows local species of seaweed on low-impact ocean farms in partnership with coastal First Nations. They then harvest that seaweed and manufacture products for regenerative agriculture helping farmers increase their yields while reducing emissions.

Cathars, Castles and Carignan: Exploring Historic Southern France

This course explores the history and culture of Languedoc, Bordeaux and Provence from ancient times to today. Including Phoenician trading posts, Roman amphitheaters, Templar fortresses, soaring cathedrals, monasteries and Cathar castles. Discover pirate hideouts, witness the French Revolution, and admire the bravery of the French Resistance—all while enjoying the food, wine, art and architecture that define the region.

Celts, Saxons and Witches: An Introduction to Medieval Paganism

Uncover how early medieval Celts, Picts, Anglo-Saxons and Vikings understood the world through myth, magic and the cultural practices they left behind.

Chinese New Year Customs

John Adams, author of Chinese Victoria, will explain how the date of the annual event is calculated, how the twelve Chinese zodiac animals were chosen and show many of the items popularly used in the celebrations.

Chinese Victoria: History of Victoria's Chinatown

Victoria's Chinatown is the oldest, permanent, urban Chinese community in Canada—dating back to the 1858 Gold Rush on the Fraser River.

Christmas in Old Victoria

Find out how Christmas was observed in Victoria during the 19th century, from the annual decoration of the churches to the competition between butcher shops for the fanciest store window displays.

Citizenship vs. Canada’s Wartime Constitution

This examines post-WWII Canada’s attempt to expel citizens of Japanese descent, raising issues of constitutional law, racism, citizenship, and leaving lasting legacies still debated today.

Community-Based Participatory Research

This course offers a brief introduction to the theories and practices of community-based participatory research as developed by Rajesh Tandon and Budd Hall, who have led in the development of these approaches since the 1970s.

Community-University Engagement and Partnership Development

The course outlines principles of community-university engagement, the challenges of integrating community-university engagement into research, teaching and service in higher education institutions, reviews institutional structures to support CUE and shares information on national policies supporting community-university engagement.

Conspiracies, Extremism and Radicalization in the 21st Century

What does it mean to be a conspiracy theorist? What can lead someone from sharing memes about the Reptiloids or the Illuminati online, to storming the halls of the United States Capitol buildings?

Consumed: The Hidden Forces Shaping Your Food Choices

This course reveals how marketing, media, and store design influence food choices, exploring consumer-producer power dynamics through discussions that challenge everyday shopping decisions.

Cross Border Management in Comparative Perspective

In this course you will join experts from around the world to examine local and regional changes affecting the politics and policies of cross border regions and transboundary people.

Cultural Property

The related concepts of Cultural Property, Traditional Knowledge and Expressions of Culture are considered nationally and internationally in contexts including Intellectual Property, Conflict of Laws, Constitutional Law and International Law as these areas pertain to cultural artifacts and intangible cultural expressions.

Death and Dying: A Buddhist Perspective

This course, led by Gen Zopa, explores Buddha’s teachings on death and dying, offering guidance to live meaningfully, face mortality, and die peacefully and without regrets.

Democratic Backsliding and Opposition Strategies

Understanding democratic backsliding: A course for world history and global politics enthusiasts, examining autocrats' playbooks and resistance strategies.

Democratic Backsliding: What it Means and How to Identify it

What is democratic backsliding? Explore the autocrat's playbook, causes of democratic erosion, and possible outcomes.

DNA on the Menu: Genes, Diet and Immunity in Cancer

We all know that the food we eat nourishes our body. Understanding what to eat and how foods stimulate our bodies' defences against cancer is a major area of research.

Doing Philosophy is Learning to Die

In 1580 the French philosopher Michel de Montaigne wrote his essay Doing Philosophy is Learning to Die, recycling many passages and ideas from his favourite Latin philosophers, especially Lucretius and Seneca. We will explore the Latin sources and historical context of Montaigne’s essay as well as his ways of thinking and writing.

Dr Crippen: Sex, Murder and Science in Early 20th-Century England

1910: London doctor murders wife, flees with mistress. Caught via forensics and detective work, then executed. A famous criminal justice sensation revisited.

Dreamlike Illusory Nature of Reality: Exploring How Things Exist

Buddha’s teachings on wisdom explores the true nature of all things: how things exist, as opposed to how they appear. In this four-part series, we will explore how to reinterpret the way we perceive our experiences, gaining the freedom to decide how best to relate to them.

Eating with Intention: Ayurveda, Food and Self

Discover how Ayurvedic wisdom can help you eat with balance, energy and connection in this beginner-friendly course focused on food and well-being.

Ecclesiastes and the Meaning of Life

Ecclesiastes (Qohelet in Hebrew) is arguably the most enigmatic book of the Hebrew Bible. This course explores historical, literary and theological aspects of Ecclesiastes and its relevance in present times.

Ecological Border Management

In the era of the Anthropocene, as aquatic, grassland, forest, desert, and tundra biomes are being affected by important ecological changes, management issues are rising beyond state boundary lines.

Elbows Up? The Politics Behind Why Canada is Not America

President Trump called the Canada–U.S. border artificial, drawing attention to tariffs and talk of a "51st state." Despite shared geography and liberal democracies, Canada’s distinct history, institutions, and values shape its sovereignty. This course explores why Canada remains politically and culturally separate from the U.S.

Emily Carr's James Bay

Emily Carr was born in Victoria’s James Bay neighbourhood in 1871 and died there in 1945. Instructor John Adams will bring to life the places, people and events that featured in Emily’s world.

Empire and Desire: The Ottoman Palace in Western Imagination

Topkapı Palace served as the seat of Ottoman imperial power for 400 years.

Enrich Your Life with Buddhist Meditation

We all want to do more in this life than simply improve our skills, relationships, professional success or wealth. Ultimately, it is our inner experience that matters most.

Escape

An escape can be the act of leaving one situation for something better or it can be a destination. History, literature and popular culture provide many examples, such as the Underground Railroad; Timothy Leary’s Turn On, Tune In, Drop Out; Club Med; or Atanarjuat: The Fast Runner.

Exploring Local Food

Victoria-based food journalist Don Genova will take you through the ups and downs, and do’s and don’ts, of pursuing the “buy local” philosophy.

Fairfield History

Before 1843, what did the terrain of Fairfield look like, where were the village sites of the Indigenous inhabitants, and how were the streams and waterways used as a shortcut from Ross Bay to the Inner Harbour?

Fantastical Cartography: Geofiction and Mapmaking

This course has students learn about geographic and cartographic elements in fictional worlds like The Hobbit and Game of Thrones.

Fascist Futures: Identity Politics and the New Authoritarianism

In this course, we're going to work to demystify the idea of fascism, before taking a closer look at the nuts and bolts of fascist ideology, and how elements of it have made their way into mainstream politics across the Global North.

Film as Historical Research: Bringing Oral History to Life

This talk explores oral history and community-engaged documentary film research with South African farmers and refugees in West Asia, revealing how larger historical processes shape everyday

Finding Inspiration Through Adversities

This course offers a unique opportunity to explore how we can transform our experience of hardship and uncover hidden sources of courage and meaning, drawing upon the profound wisdom of Buddha’s teachings. 

Finding the Funny...

It’s not easy to look at the news and laugh, but it’s a pretty good strategy for keeping your sanity in strange times. How do you find the funny in things that infuriate or terrify you?

Food, Environment and Resilience

This course explores the deep connections between food and environment, from climate change and biodiversity to fisheries, forests, and farms. Through case studies, discussion, and critical reflection, students will gain insight into the ecological footprint of their meals and discover practical ways to make more sustainable food choices.

Forensic Anthropology of the Human Skeleton

This six-part series will examine topics of forensic anthropology and concepts relating to the recovery and analysis of unidentified human remains in a medico-legal context.

Fort Victoria: From 1843 Founding to 1860s Demolition

Fort Victoria -why it was founded, why the site was chosen, the role of local First Nations people in its construction, and the language spoken by its workforce. Learn about the people in charge of the fort, such as Charles Ross, Roderick Finlayson and James Douglas, and about some of the people not usually covered in the history books, such as Amelia Douglas and other wives and children of the fur traders. Discover why the fort was dismantled and what became of the logs that were used in its construction.

Freedom from Anger and Resentment

Anger, from minor annoyance to complete meltdown, afflicts our minds almost daily. Resentment is even worse because it holds on to this anger, becoming a destructive force of unhappiness.

Friends, Enemies and a Changing World

The international security environment is facing more numerous, diverse, and complex challenges today than at any point since the end of WWII.

From Catastrophe to Community

Sean Holman discusses how climate change disasters shape seasons and storytelling, highlighting the Climate Disaster Project's role in helping communities share experiences and drive change.

From Clam Gardens to Craft Beer: Vancouver Island Food Histories and Futures

This course traces the story of food on the Island, from clam gardens and camas fields to salmon canneries, cideries, and craft breweries. Students will explore how geography, history, and culture intersect in what we grow, harvest, and eat — and discover the role of food in shaping community, identity, and sustainability on the Island.

From Satanic Panic to Qanon

Remember when Victoria was the “Satanic capital of Canada?” Remember when the United States was caught in the grip of a panic alleging ritualistic abuse in daycares? What about the fears that children were being trafficked across Canada in furniture boxes by the online retailer Wayfair? This course is offered through the Mary Windspear Centre.

From Satanic Panic to Qanon: Sociology and the Study of Moral Panics

This lecture series explores moral panics in North America, from the 1970s "Satanic Panic" to 21st-century fears like Qanon and bizarre conspiracy theories.

Future Ecosystems and Communities

Focuses on the interface between communities and the ecosystems that support them, developing skills and approaches for designing mitigation and adaptation strategies that support mutual flourishing, including adaptive management, ecological restoration, and nature-based solutions.

Ghosts and Legends of Victoria

As October draws to a close, people begin to think of Halloween. Historian John Adams has been collecting ghost stories from Victoria for 25 years and will share some of the classics and some of the most intriguing during this presentation.

Global Policies in Knowledge Democracy and Higher Education

This course will introduce the Knowledge Democracy and Higher Education Series and the instructors and facilitators involved in the series. The content in this course will focus on recent reports and policy documents associated with UNESCO and the 2022 World Conference on Higher Education.

Healthy Aging and the Anti-Inflammatory Diet

InflammAging links chronic inflammation to age-related diseases. Learn how diet, nutrients & eating habits can reduce inflammation.

History of Oak Bay

How Marine Conservation Works: Biodiversity and People

This lecture will explain how marine conservation tools such as marine protected areas work to protect species and ecosystems.

How Marine Conservation Works: Biodiversity and People

With pressures on the ocean increasing, conservation actions are urgently needed to prevent further declines of marine biodiversity. This lecture will explain how marine conservation tools such as marine protected areas work to protect species and ecosystems.

How to Enjoy a Life of Altruism

In this course we will learn practical ways to apply the Six Perfections and follow a way of life characterized by greater empathy and compassion for others.

Ice-free Northwest Passage and Canada's Arctic Sovereignty

Learn more Canada's ability to enforce its sovereignty as an increase in the number of ships moving through the Northwest Passage, now more navigable due to climate change.

Impacts of Vessel Noise on Ocean Soundscapes and Chinook Salmon

The increase in human-generated sound over the last 60 years has led to concerns regarding the impacts of shipping noise on marine species.

Indigenous Intellectual Property

The premise of this course is that the articulation, restatement, and development of indigenous intellectual property law must derive from indigenous legal orders as an integral part of the societal governance.

Indigenous Internationalisms and Border Crossings

Expressions of Indigenous internationalism are practiced in several different ways by First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples across Turtle Island and globally.

Indigenous-Led Resurgence and Resilience

This talk explores how Indigenous nations assert self-determining authority, Indigenous internationalism, and sustainable governance in response to colonization and climate threats to lands, cultures, and communities.

Industrial Victoria

In this illustrated talk, John Adams will explain the origins and operation of the most important industries, and reasons for their demise.

Integrating SDGs in Higher Education

This course explores the critical features of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and their global significance.

Intellectual Property

A study of the concepts, principles, and policies of intellectual property law, the relationship and boundary issues between types of intellectual property as well as broader dimensions of cultural creativity.

Intercultural Communication in the Workplace

As a global citizen, an understanding of cultural difference and ability to communicate effectively with diverse communities is critical for work in both local and international settings.

Introduction to Canadian Contemporary Issues

An introduction to contemporary issues in Canadian society including: politics, economic and social structures, cultural and arts policy, science and technology, multiculturalism, bilingualism, Indigenous issues and gender issues.

Introduction to Canadian Culture

An introduction to the multidisciplinary study of cultural structures and expression in Canada, including such forms as literature, fine arts, mass media and communications.

Introduction to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

This course supports learners in cultivating an equity lens and developing practical strategies and tools to challenge systemic and organizational barriers to equity, diversity, and inclusion. Through case studies, analysis and self-reflection, learners explore core concepts, frameworks and contestations of EDI, including intersectionality, accessibility, accountability, impacts of oppression, power dynamics, resistance, and reconciliation.

Introduction to Food Studies

Explore food's cultural, historical, and social impact through discussions, tastings, and insights in this community-focused course.

Introduction to Intercultural Studies

An interdisciplinary exploration of theory and practice in the field of intercultural studies. Focuses on understanding the application of intercultural concepts and theories to effect social change.

Introduction to the Human Dimensions of Climate Change

This course examines a range of understandings of and approaches to addressing climate change. It explores what kind of problems climate change poses; what toolkits are needed to develop and engage it effectively; how to collaborate across diverse priorities in relation to it; and what scales and kinds of actions should be prioritized.

Issues and Ideas in Canadian Environmentalism

Explore the connections between Canada's physical environment and national identity in this online course on Canadian environmentalism. Examine the differences between Indigenous and European approaches to land use, environmental activism, and sustainability from a uniquely Canadian perspective. Learn how Canada's environment has shaped our culture and position in the global environmental movement while exploring current issues in resource exploitation and environmental justice.

James Bay: History, Architecture and People

In this richly illustrated look at the history of James Bay, instructor John Adams brings an updated focus to the past looking at Indigenous origins and current involvement, Hudson’s Bay Company farms, gold-rush-era land speculation, locating the colonial and provincial government buildings, industrialization, zoning for high-rise apartments in the 1950s and 1960s and the eventual backlash against them. 

Karma and the Power to Change

Often when things go wrong we look for someone to blame or we conclude that life is unfair. This may lead to feelings of resentment, guilt or shame. In this course, you will examine the perspective of the Buddhist concept of karma, which holds that our intentions are the causes and our experiences are the effects.

Know Your Mind, Heal Your Life

In this four-part course, we will explore the extraordinary nature of the mind, and the way in which it is open, light and infinitely flexible.

Lands of Myth, Waters of Wonder

Age of Discovery maps featured imaginary places like Atlantis, El Dorado & Prester John's land—exploring cartographers' mythical worlds.

Latin America Through Contemporary Film: Mexico, Guatemala and Cuba

Learn about Latin American culture, society, history and politics through the analysis of films made since the year 2000. We will explore the works of some key filmmakers such as Alfonso Cuarón, Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro González Iñárritu, Tomás Gutiérrez Alea, Jayro Bustamente, and Rodrigo and Sebastián Barriuso. Some reference to Spanish culture and directors like Pedro Almodóvar and Icíar Bollaín will also be included. 

Latin America Through Contemporary Film: Peru, Chile and Argentina

Learn about Latin American culture, society, history and politics through the analysis of films made since the year 2000. We will explore the works of some key filmmakers such as Pablo Larraín, and Sebastián Lelio, Lucrecia Martel, Damián Szifron, Pablo Trapero and Andrés Wood. 

Lies, Cunning and Control: Machiavelli and the Art of Power

Examine Machiavelli’s ‘The Prince’ and its enduring impact on leadership, ethics, and governance, exploring how cunning and control shaped political thought and continue to influence modern strategies.

Loving Our Lakes: Learning About Lakes on Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island has 10,000+ lakes. Learn about lake ecosystems: water quality, biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and urban impacts. Discover protection efforts.

Managing Border Disputes

Explore border disputes: types, origins, and resolution options. Learn to minimize friction between communities while seeking lasting settlements.

Managing Borders and Bodies in the 21st Century

In this course you will learn about the various ways that international actors and states manage the flow of people across international borders.

Managing Intellectual Property

Explores strategies, processes, and frameworks for obtaining, retaining, assigning, and licensing selected Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs) including entertainment related IPRs in music and film.

Meditation for a Peaceful Heart

The key to a happy life is learning to reside in a peaceful heart. This is something we can all learn to do.

Memory, Aging and Your Brain

Dr. Jordana Wynn discusses memory systems, brain regions, aging effects, and how to critically evaluate popular science media about memory research.

Modern Border Security Management

Border security management is a complex multiplayer effort grounded in vertical/horizontal, domestic/international, and public/private partnerships.

Morsels of Montaigne

A curated sample of the shortest essays by the French humanist philosopher Michel de Montaigne in Book I of his Essays (1580, 1588 and 1595).

Myths and Omissions: A Textbook History of British Columbia

Early BC textbooks promoted colonial myths & excluded Indigenous voices—what this reveals about reconciliation efforts today.

Nicholas II and the Fall of Imperial Russia

This course examines the life and rule of Nicholas II, the last tsar of the Romanov dynasty, and the dramatic collapse of Imperial Russia in the early twentieth century.

Not Just a Little Bit of Olde England

For years Victoria had the reputation for being so very English. Local historian John Adams will sort fact from fiction and show that there was a lot more diversity in the city than tourism promoters, beginning in the 1920s, wanted us to believe.

Opposition and Strategies Against Democratic Backsliding

How opposition actors counter democratic backsliding: examining strategies and their effectiveness across different countries.

Organizational Diversity and Inclusion

Learn to identify the barriers to diversity and inclusion in organizations, and develop the knowledge and skills to build respectful, equitable, and innovative workplaces.

Organizing for Transformative Change

This course teaches concepts and skills for organizing transformational change, including intersectional analysis, power mapping, alliance-building, and effective communication through student-led projects and direct learning from Canadian organizers.

Patent Law

A study of the principles and practical implications of patent protection in Canada. Discussions include the fundamental concepts of patentability, validity, infringement, and commercial exploitation of patentable technology, including pharmaceutical and biotechnological product and process protection.

Politics, Policies and Planning for Climate Action

This course uses British Columbia as a case study to introduce the policy and political contexts that shape climate action across scales from local to global, including relevant institutional and governance innovations.

Radical Contentment: How to Live Life Fully in the Moment

This course explores creating your ideal life now, using Buddha’s teachings on karma, impermanence, and mind transformation.

ReconciliACTIONS: Ten Years After the TRC Report

Learn about some initiatives, projects, developments, and other ways in which we, as a society, have engaged with some of the Calls to Action from the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Report published in 2015.

Refugee German Scientists in the Soviet Union, 1933 to 1953

The first victims of Nazi persecution were university professors of Jewish heritage. In the flight from Germany, 36 scholars made the disastrous decision to seek refuge in Stalin’s Soviet Union.

Refuse to be Misled: Data Literacy in Everyday Life

In a world filled with headlines, polls, and health claims, how can we tell what is true? This course will explore how numbers and data are used - and misused - in everyday life. Using real-world examples, we will uncover tricks used to distort information, learn to interpret common charts and graphics, and discover simple, hands-on tools to question the claims we encounter. No math background required - just curiosity.

Religion and Identity in 21st Century North America

The majority view in the sociological study of religion used to be that religion was on its way out in the Global North. While there were some notable holdouts, like the United States, other nations like Canada, Denmark, and France were becoming increasingly secular. Yet, today, while there has been a decline in some religious organizations, others are flourishing.

Residential School Denialism

This course will explore how residential school denialism manifests in Canadian society today and why attending to these patterns is crucial to honoring Survivors’ truths and advancing meaningful reconciliation.

Responsibilities to Coastal Indigenous Peoples and Lands

This introductory survey course centers local lands and Coast Salish protocols to highlight relationships of land, water and people, including what it means to be a good guest here.

Rockland: History, Architecture and People

The Rockland neighbourhood and its homes and families.

Sacred Meals: Ritual, Religion, and Cultural

Explore how food connects to faith, ritual and meaning in this reflective course on the sacred and symbolic role of meals across cultures and beliefs.

Sacred Spaces and Spiritual Art

Explores spirituality and art across cultures through discussions, creative exercises, and reflection. Art as a bridge to the divine, with guided activities.

Should Canada Join the European Union?

With the United States’ President frequently suggesting that Canada should become the 51st state of the United States, Canadians have started looking for stronger ties with others. Some have even gone so far as to suggest that Canada might consider becoming a member of the European Union (The Economist).

Sir James Douglas: A New Look at a Key Figure in British Columbia

John Adams' presentation explores Sir James Douglas, the "Father of British Columbia," examining his complex legacy, including his mixed-race origins and interactions with Indigenous Peoples.

Skepticism and Critical Thinking in the 21st Century

In light of growing anti-intellectualism, we are faced with a daunting prospect - a world where facts matter less than popularity, and where certainty threatens to replace truth. We are entering what some scholars refer to as a post-truth age and it is happening at a perilous time.

Skepticism and Critical Thinking in the 21st Century

In light of growing anti-intellectualism, we are faced with a daunting prospect: a world where facts matter less than popularity, and where certainty threatens to replace truth.

Special Topics in Canadian Studies - How to Change the World: Grassroots Organizations in Canada

This course explores the history, achievements and possibilities inherent in grassroots organizations in Canada, using provocative examples from across the country (Greenpeace, The Land Conservancy, Our Community Health Initiative, Idle No More) but with a focus on British Columbia movements.

Special Topics: Psychology of Transformative Climate Action

This course explores the psychological dimensions of climate action at individual, collective and systemic levels. It equips students with the tools to critically evaluate psychological strategies, collaborate across disciplines and cultivate a hopeful, inclusive approach to climate solutions.

Teaching the Holocaust

Teaching the Holocaust: Exploring Additional Perspectives

Open to all educators, this workshop can be taken as a standalone learning opportunity or as part of the Micro-certificate in Teaching the Holocaust. The full-day, in-person event offers a unique opportunity to learn from leading Holocaust educators, network with peers and deepen your understanding of Holocaust education. While the sessions enhance the learning experience for those enrolled in the micro-certificate program, they are equally valuable as an independent professional development opportunity.

The Ancient Village ȾEL ̧IȽĆE in Cordova Bay

In February of 1852, Governor Douglas arranged the South Saanich treaty, covering an area of the Saanich peninsula between PKOLS (Mount Douglas) and Cowichan Head—essentially the treaty of Cordova Bay.

The Art of Reading

This course investigates the classical and foundational pieces of writing that support the intellectual motivation to read, the changing art of the practice, and the benefits to be gained. As Francis Bacon once remarked, “read not to contradict and confute, nor to believe and take for granted, nor to find talk and discourse, but to weigh and consider.

The Buddhist Mind of Clarity and Wisdom

Uncover Buddhist insights on mind and the world around us to end confusion. Gain wisdom for true freedom from suffering and its causes.

The Buddhist Way of Gratitude and Joy

Cultivate joy & inner peace with Buddhist practices. Deepen gratitude, appreciate life's potential and sustain a warm heart amidst adversity.

The Economic Impacts of Canada's Changing Immigration Policy

Canada's 25-year immigration policy evolution affects labor, housing, healthcare, and education costs. Post-pandemic shifts include study permit caps and residency changes.

The End of the Ottoman Empire & Making of the Modern Middle East

This course examines the Ottoman Empire's dissolution after World War I and its lasting global impact. It explores how modern Middle Eastern nations, conflicts and dynamics, from Turkey's neo-Ottoman policies to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, trace back to this pivotal historical transformation.

The End of the Ottoman Empire & Making of the Modern Middle East

Just over 100 years ago, following World War I, one of the longest-lived empires in the history of the world (the Ottomans) dissolved. In its stead emerged an amalgamation of new nations, states, and identities whose ongoing, tumultuous transformations could not be more integral to today’s global flux. This course takes place at the Mary Winspear centre in Sydney.

The Enduring India-Pakistan Conflict: Its Historical Roots

A four-day drone and missile-led escalation by India and Pakistan after a deadly militant attack on tourists in Indian Kashmir in April 2025 is a continuing saga of the enduring India-Pakistan rivalry since 1947.

The Epicurean Way of Life

Death is nothing to be feared, there are no intimidating gods in the world, and what's good to have is easy to get, once you learn how to distinguish real good from illusory goods.

The Geology and Geological History of Vancouver Island

Vancouver Island's geologic history traced forward in time, highlighting rocks and locations. Part two features rock samples illustrating island rock types.

The Global Displacement Crisis and Canada’s Response

Displaced persons reach record highs as international support declines. Canada's refugee leadership has retreated. What's Canada's path forward amid global crisis?

The History of Women’s Foodways in Scotland’s Highlands & Islands

This course explores foodways of non-gentry class Gaelic-speaking women living in Scotland’s western Highlands and Islands during the long nineteenth century. Women’s roles in coastal communities—including feisty Highland innkeepers—and their interconnected kitchen landscape will be explored along with traditional food practices, folklore, and the Gaelic Otherworld.

The Human Side of Collaborative Health Care in BC

Join us for a two-hour talk exploring how health professionals in BC, such as clinical psychologists and medical doctors, are being trained to deliver evidence-based, patient-centred, and team-based care.

The Impact of Loneliness on Mind, Body and Brain

Recent research has equated psychological loneliness with exerting a more deleterious influence on one’s health than smoking 15 cigarettes per day or being absolutely sedentary.

The Law of Borders in the 21st Century

In this course you will learn about the complex object of the border through the prism of law.

The Neuroscience of Aging

In this session Dr. Krigolson will discuss how the brain grows from conception to birth and then how it ages throughout the lifespan.

The Neuroscience of Human Learning

In this session, Dr. Krigolson will take you through the neuroscience of human learning.

The Neuroscience of Sleep

Sleep is the single biggest factor that influences brain health and the impact of sleep on brain health becomes increasingly more important as we age. In this talk, Dr. Krigolson will outline the physiological mechanisms behind sleep and how sleep works.

The Newly-Discovered X̱E,OL,X̱ELE₭ - Elk Lake Fault

The X̱E,OL,X̱ELE₭ - Elk Lake fault represents a previously unrecognized earthquake hazard for southern Vancouver Island.

The Psychology of Relationships Across Cultures

We offer a course on the psychology of relationships across cultures. Learn how cultural differences influence communication, values, and interpersonal dynamics, and gain insights into building meaningful connections in diverse social and professional contexts.

The Rise of Central Banks' Digital Currencies: The Case of Europe

Why European central banks are leading the charge on retail CBDCs (digital euros) and how global central bank policies compare.

The Significance of Cottonwood Swamp Forests

Learn about the historical and ongoing significance of Cottonwood swamp forests within Coast Salish territories, the disruption of traditional stewardship practices, and the mismanagement of these important wetland landscapes.

The Social Construction of Borders

Borders help to define citizenship and to exclude the unwelcome and Other. But what of culture? Does cultural identity stop (or start) at the border?

Thinking About Friendship with Cicero

Cicero's Laelius, On Friendship explores ancient ideas on building/ending friendships, warning against friends to tyrants. Discover its ties to Roman politics.

Thinking About Religion Today

The study of religion is currently characterized by provocative developments calling into question the conceptual basis for this field of study.

Thinking about Virtue with Aristotle

In this seminar, participants will discuss selections from Aristotle's writings under the guidance of a scholar with long experience of these texts.

Three Texts and a Thousand Hamlets

Three early Hamlet texts differ significantly. Learn how editors make thousands of choices to create modern versions of Shakespeare's play.

Trade and Customs Borders in the 21st Century

In this course you will learn about the regulatory environment of trading networks and how they functionally redesign borders and influence customs policies and practices.

Transformative Change

This course introduces skills needed to support planning and decision-making about climate action under conditions of uncertainty, with particular attention to assessing sites for and implications of specific interventions.

Transforming Justice through Collective Care

This talk will invite the audience to think about justice as accomplished in relationships and generated in communities. We will consider the transformative potential of community-engaged work, and how working in partnership with people exiting prison helps to create a more just world built on collective care.

Troy Revisited

Troy is a well-known legendary city and an archeological site in the northwest corner of Turkey. Homer’s Illiad defines a walled-city in front of which the Acheans and the Trojans launched a fierce battle for Helene’s sake.

Turkish Stonehenge Gobeklitepe: Starting Point of Civilization

Gobeklitepe, discovered in Turkey, features engraved pillars challenging ancient history, revealing that hunter-gatherers could think abstractly, cooperate, and hold rituals in monumental structures.

Turn Your Life in the Direction of Happiness

Through recognizing the kindness of others, we can strengthen our relationships and develop authentic love, which makes our mind peaceful all the time.  This simple but powerful practice is designed to help us gain joyful experience and confidence in our daily life.

Understanding China’s Foreign Relations

Explore China's role in the emerging multipolar world, focusing on its global influence, Belt and Road Initiative, economic strategies, and geopolitical impact.

Understanding the Global Migrant Crisis

This course explores the global migrant crisis through stories, case studies, and discussion. Discover why people move across borders—war, climate change, economic and political pressures—and consider how power, colonial history and inequality shape these journeys.

Unearthing Daily Life, Mapping Cultural Change in Roman Ilduro

Roman expansion created diverse provincial communities. Archaeology reveals how people lived, traded, and used objects across the empire.

Unravelling Modern Democracy Through Rousseau’s Social Contract

In 1762, few governments were democratic, so when Rousseau’s The Social Contract exploded on the scene, it became one of the most influential books ever written, having a major impact on the French and American Revolutions. While his ideas were foundational to modern democracy, his proposal that governments stifle individual voices for the sake of the collective remains deeply controversial.

Unsettling BC History

Explore how early BC textbooks shaped historical narratives and uncover how re-reading them can foster truth-telling and stronger Indigenous-settler relations.

Using Artificial Intelligence for Your Life and Work

Unlock AI's potential with this course covering ChatGPT and DALL·E 3. Learn to use AI for emails, reports, artwork, tutoring, and daily tasks.

Victoria in the 1960s: a Decade of Major Growth and Change

The decade of the 1960s was a pivotal time in Victoria. High rise apartments were sprouting up in James Bay. The first malls were being built in suburban areas. Heritage preservation projects started with Centennial Square and Bastion Square. In this presentation, you will hear from historian John Adams for an illustrated talk about the fascinating 1960s in Victoria.

Victoria's Colonial Homes and Families

Historian John Adams explores the stories of colonial families in Victoria, their Indigenous and European roots, and their historic homes.

Victorian Cities of the Dead

Some of BC’s most impressive 19th century cemeteries are located in Victoria, and instructor John Adams knows them intimately.

Water Futures: Collaborative Responses to Climate Impacts

Explores how governance is evolving to address the impacts of climate change on freshwater regimes, including cycles of drought, fire, and floods, with a particular emphasis on collaborative governance.

What Does Buddhism Know about Happiness?

We are creatures of habit. What are the habits that create happiness? Our thoughts and attitudes create all our experiences.

What We Choose to Remember: A Look into Dark Tourism

Discover what makes sites of public history powerful, how they shape our collective memory and how they reflect our societal values. We’ll unpack how and why history is preserved and what that says about us.

What’s New in Education? (Spring Term)

Children’s Health: Powered by Community

Why Philosophy? Aristotle's Lost Dialogue Protrepticus

Aristotle's masterful introduction to philosophy inspired many later authors from Epicurus to Cicero and Iamblichus. Recent scholarship has authenticated large citations from this work, which can now be reconstructed as a witty dialogue. In this seminar, you will read and discuss this reconstructed dialogue.

With or Without the SDGs: Gendered Struggles for Food Sovereignty

This session explores how SDGs 2 (ending hunger) and 5 (gender equality) impact local actions, focusing on a women's cooperative farm in rural South Africa and development policy outcomes.

Women in Art: Her Story Through the Ages

Explore the powerful, often overlooked contributions of women in art across history in this engaging four-part course.

Working in Global Development

Learn essential skills for global development work. Explore advocacy, cross-cultural communication, project management and nonprofit leadership.

Would You Say a Few Words?

Held at Mary Winspear. Crafting a tribute (e.g., a retirement farewell, a toast to the bride, or an obituary) amounts to curating the details of a person’s life into an unforgettable story. Learn simple techniques to avoid profile-writing cliches and tools to help pinpoint descriptors, quotes, details and anecdotes that best express the essence of your subject’s personality.

An Achievement that Makes Me Proud to be Human

Choose a human achievement (e.g., Sputnik, Odyssey, transistor), research its history & impact, then present findings to spark discussion.

Accessibility in the Workplace

Learn how to create inclusive, accessible, and equitable workplaces. Explore disability inclusion, anti-ableism, inclusive language, and assistive technology while developing practical tools and strategies to support accessibility in any organization.