At the tender age of 56, I finally made it to Harvard. Just typing it puts a big grin on my face. The Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, clergyman John Harvard, Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, and one of the most prestigious in the world.
Certainly, a university I could never afford. Also, I am at an age where I don’t consider myself student-material anymore, but then, on the other hand, aren’t we all students for life?
During the coronavirus lockdown, I found myself searching for online classes I could take. Perhaps going further in Calligraphy or maybe a new language. Vegan cooking courses, or Hawaiin cuisine. I went all over the place and then I ended up at Harvard.
They are offering FREE online courses and of course, that got my full attention. Interesting stuff there. Online lectures about Judaism, Ancient Egyptian Art, and Archaeology. Beethovens, masterpieces of world literature, computer language, science, women history, architecture, exercise and so much more. There is something for everybody who is interested to learn a little bit more about a subject that always interested us, or looking into something new.
My class is called Religion, Conflict, and Peace. A subject that always fascinated me, ever since I spent 12 years in a boarding school run by Catholic nuns.
Course description
In this course, we will explore a series of contemporary conflicts in different regions of the world with a special focus on identifying and analyzing the diverse and complex roles that religions play in both promoting and mitigating violence in each context. Students will learn a method for recognizing and analyzing how religious ideologies are embedded in all arenas of human agency.
What roles do religions play in fostering violence and what roles do they play in promoting peace? How do religious institutions and ideologies function to support and/or thwart public health initiatives?What are the ideological justifications for functional economic policies and how do they reflect and/or challenge diverse religious values? What roles do religions play in advancing or suppressing educational opportunities and for whom? Are media representations of the religious dimensions of conflict accurate?
Possible countries of focus include Brazil, Egypt, France, Israel/Palestine, Myanmar, Nigeria, Qatar, the Philippines, Somalia, Syria, Turkey, and the United States.
This course follows the popular World Religions Through Their Scriptures series, which explores the foundations of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, and Judaism.
And so I will go to Harvard for eight weeks -online of course- and learn at my own pace, me and 66,000 other students who have signed up for this class. Perhaps I will even update and spend $50 to get a certificate afterward. Wouldn’t that look nice in my workroom?
And there I was thinking I could only go to Hogwarts. Oh well, Harry Potter’s school will have to wait. I am going to Harvard first, perhaps afterward I might sign up for a class in witchcraft.
That’s awesome! I am going to have to look into this. Thank you for sharing
You’re welcome!
So interesting. Have you started yet?
That is great news! I would definitely spend the $50. The class sounds interesting, I hope you will share some of your knowledge as you go through the course.
Wow! Who knew! I should go check this out, I think it would be a perfect way to spend some winter evenings. Thanks for the heads up and enjoy your class!
Yes, you need to. I am sure they offer a course you will be interested in as well. Keep me posted, please.
To be a Harvard Graduate it’s definitely worth the extra $50!
No wonder we are online friends. 🙂
Yay – congrats! Interesting range of courses. Good luck with the course and most of all enjoy!
Good to see you back! Thank you, I am sure I will enjoy it.
Wowee! What a wonderful course at such a prestigious establishment. I am very envious of the challenge and the content and I hope you will bring us some interesting points along the way. Such a brave undertaking, go girl!
I quite excited I had to admit. I am looking forward to the classes and as you know, to the subject. It will be interesting, I have no doubt.
Sounds a good course, and getting a certificate to frame is tempting. Good luck!
Yes, the certificate will be hard to resist. Also, I suppose the $50 will be put to good use, if they continue to offer free courses.
If they’re like the universities here they will need to be replacing income lost to the virus, so this seems like a good way to plug some of the gap. Go for it!
Congratulations 🙂
Well, it’s only a free online class, but still. It does sound good doesn’t it?
🙂