This year’s Autumn/Winter programme offers a broad range of courses – from personal finance to visual arts – with each course offering an opportunity for personal development, as well as the discovery of new interests.

Fresh courses for this term include Emily Byers-Ferrian’s Writing and Publishing Life Writing/Memoir, which will offer participants the opportunity to write a piece for submission to RTÉ Radio. And Dr Katerina Kolotourou will also lead a new course, An Introduction to Ancient Greece – examining the archaeology, culture and society of the Greek world dating back nearly four thousand years ago.

Closer to home in time and space, Dr Roy Nelson will bring learners on a tour of the Hidden Wealth of Wildlife, while Dr Gerry Cleary will offer walking tours of The Builders of Central Belfast. And, as always, there is also an array of language classes to suit budding linguists at every level.                                                                                            

Most classes take place in person on the Queen’s campus, with a selection available online. These include Technowar with Dr Steve Flanders, which examines the ten technologies which have changed warfare since 1914, and Leonardo da Vinci: Renaissance Man with Dr Matthew Barr, where Leonardo's drawings will be used to help understand a fascinating period in which boundaries between disciplines hardly existed.

Queen’s warmly welcomes anyone with a sense of curiosity to give the Open Learning programme a try. Previous students are full of enthusiasm about their experience: “Absolutely love my course and it has enriched my days”, “I've always enjoyed, and benefited both culturally and in my career, from the adult learning classes I've taken in Queen’s; it's a great resource to have in the community”, and “Since I retired I have found the Open Learning courses a lifeline through winter.”

Professor Katy Hayward and Dr Cathal McManus, Co-Directors of the Open Learning Programme at Queen’s said: “The Programme is designed not only for registered students and staff, but also for those who simply wish to enjoy learning alongside others, guided by enthusiastic experts in their fields. It’s an experience that can be as social as it is intellectual — a chance to explore new ideas in a welcoming and engaging environment.”                                                                                                                 

Enrolment is opened from Monday 18 August and the courses run from 22 September 2025 – 27 March 2026. For more information and the full programme, please visit www.qub.ac.uk/ol or email: openlearning.education@qub.ac.uk

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