Past Events
Senior Scholars’ Series with Paul marantz, political science, Thursday, february 13, 2020
Universities and the Search for Truth: The Unanticipated Education of an Idealist
Born long ago, in a place far away (Brooklyn, to be precise), Paul Marantz went off to university to study physics but wound up specializing in Soviet politics and the Cold War. He arrived at UBC for what he assumed would be a short stay, but remained here for his entire career. Along the way, he came to appreciate the importance of collegiality, civility, and mutual respect; he shed some comforting illusions; learned much about the challenges of engaging in the fair-minded weighing of evidence; and witnessed the entirely unexpected demise of the Soviet Union and cessation of the Cold War. Over the years, academic fashions changed, and earlier ideas about truth and free speech are now widely contested.
When: Thursday, February 13, 2020 from 5:00-6:30pm
Where: Green College Coachhouse, 6201 Cecil Green Park Road.
Co-sponsors: Emeritus College and Green College; organizer Emeritus Professor Ken Carty. For more, see www.greencollege.ubc.ca. Come at 4:30 for tea and coffee in the Green College Piano Lounge and stay for refreshments after the talks. To attend dinner, please make a reservation no later than noon on the business day before the day on which you want to dine. Without prior reservation, we cannot guarantee that you will be served. Pay for your meal at the servery counter by cash, debit or credit (MasterCard, Visa). For reservations call 604-822-0912, or email kitchen@gcdining.ca.
GENERAL Meeting, Wednesday, February 12, AT 2:15pM
"A History of Habits: Personal Hygiene Habits Over the Last Two Centuries" a talk by Peter Ward.
Peter Ward, Professor Emeritus of History (2011), will talk about the development of modern personal hygiene habits, one of the great cultural transformations throughout the western world over the past two centuries. How men and women have cared for their bodies and the clothes they wore has been revolutionized since the late 18th century, and in the process the very meaning of cleanliness has been transformed. His talk will explore some of the main features of this transition and some of its broader implications. In particular he will discuss the histories of soap and water, of domestic space and household technology, of privacy and social relations, and of health and beauty.
He has worked on projects involving the social history of Canada and has written extensively on the history of birth weight as an index of maternal wellbeing during the industrialization of western Europe and North America.The Clean Body (Mc-Gill-Queen’s), his just-published book on the history of personal cleanliness, draws on his experience as a social historian, combined with his interests in comparative history and the history of health.
When: Wednesday, February 12 at 2:15pm
2:15pm Business Meeting
2:30pm Speaker Peter Ward
3:30pm President's Award for Distinguished Service by UBC Emeriti with President Ono
4:00pm Wine and Cheese Reception and Book Display
Where: Jack Poole Hall at the Alumni Centre, 6163 University Blvd.
filmgroup on tuesday january 28 at 3:30pm
Series Ten: With their supposed idiosyncratic personalities, yet paradoxically broad-based fandom, artists (across all disciplines) have been frequent subjects of the popular cinema since its early days. For example, Vincent Van Gogh has had numerous films produced about his life, continuing even in recent years. Because they seem above the ordinary, artists fascinate us: their specialness offers a glimpse of a more brilliant existence for ourselves. Such a glimpse, however, can be a trap not only for us, whose dreams of a more intense life are easily exploited by a consumerist society eager to fulfill them, but especially for the artists themselves, whose humanity as well as their artistic contribution can be cheapened.
Jan. 28 – Frida (2003) directed by Julie Taymor presents the life of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo. The film is problematized not only by Kahlo’s continuing cult appeal but also by its production within Harvey Weinstein’s Miramax studio. Popular culture’s growing fascination with Kahlo had led to pop figures such as Madonna eager to exploit her legacy. Weinstein’s involvement raises issues of sexual exploitation, particularly given the film’s female director and star, but also there is the context of Miramax’s business plan: somewhat risqué topics and treatments to enthrall a more upscale audience seeking greater sophistication. Yet, Kahlo’s life and art deserve to be better known and understood and Taymor’s abilities in creating vivid, baroque images deserve our attention.
When: Tuesday, January 28, 2020 at 3:30pm
Where: CEME 1204, Civil and Mechanical Engineering, 6250 Applied Science Lane
NEW! - Special Interest Group - Poetic odyssey on Tuesday, January 21 at 2pm
When: Tuesday, January 21, 2020 at 2pm
Where: room 201, Ponderosa Annex F, 2008 Lower Mall.
photogroup on Friday January 17 at 4pm
When: Friday, January 17, 2020 at 4pm
Where: room HA 135 in the Henry Angus Building, 2053 Main Mall
PHILOSOPHERS’ CAFÉ, FRiday, January 17, AT 10:30AM
The role of private health care versus that of private schools
Our health care is governed by the 1984 Canada Health Act: All eligible persons must have reasonable access to prepaid insured health care, without direct charges--one cannot pay more to go to a private doctor. But this is not the case for school education. Here one can freely choose to pay extra to go to a private school. In effect, school education is two-tiered and health care is not. Does this make sense?
All Cafés are in the Tapestry classroom, 3338 Wesbrook Mall, starting at 10:30 am. After the Café join us for lunch at Tapestry by calling 604-225-5000 or by checking in at the front desk when you arrive to reserve a spot.
When: Friday, January 17 from 10:30-11:30am
Where: Tapestry at Wesbrook Village, 3338 Wesbrook Mall
Senior Scholars’ Series with Wendy Hall, Nursing, Thursday, January 9, 2020
Exploring New Vistas: Pragmatism, Practice, And Scholarship
Wendy Hall has taken surprising paths that have opened up new vistas over the course of her life. She is a Professor Emeritus in the School of Nursing. Wendy’s pragmatic philosophy has informed her work and her development as a researcher and teacher. She has been recognized for her commitment to respectful care for childbearing families, her interdisciplinary activities, and her expertise on children’s sleep problems. Wendy’s journey has taken her from working class girl to bedside nurse to geophysics crew member to homesteader to faculty member. Her story highlights effects of her pragmatic philosophical perspective on her mix of careful and impulsive choices that have underpinned her life, academic career, and her scholarly work. Her academic activities have included administrative posts and contributions to the UBC Senate. In her address, Wendy incorporates effects of influential colleagues, friends, and family members who were and were not supportive of her choices.
In her retirement, Wendy is engaging in grant activities, academic publishing, and graduate student supervision. She continues to volunteer countless hours to support families with children’s sleep problems.
When: Thursday, January 9 2020 from 5:00-6:30pm
Where: Green College Coachhouse, 6201 Cecil Green Park Road.
Co-sponsors: Emeritus College and Green College; organizer Emeritus Professor Ken Carty. For more, see www.greencollege.ubc.ca. Come at 4:30 for tea and coffee in the Green College Piano Lounge and stay for refreshments after the talks. To attend dinner, please make a reservation no later than noon on the business day before the day on which you want to dine. Without prior reservation, we cannot guarantee that you will be served. Pay for your meal at the servery counter by cash, debit or credit (MasterCard, Visa). For reservations call 604-822-0912, or email kitchen@gcdining.ca.
Senior Scholars’ Series with Jerry Wasserman, theatre and film, Thursday, december 5, 2019
Confessions of an Academic Dilettante, or What I learned from G. Gordon Liddy
Jerry Wasserman retired at the end of 2016 as Professor Emeritus of English and Theatre after 44 ½ years at UBC, including five years as Head of the Department of Theatre and Film. But his career profile was not exactly conventional. Most successful university professors go for depth in their chosen field of research. He went, instead, for breadth. Call him eclectic. Or a dilettante. His scholarship ranges from modern fiction and Canadian drama to blues music. And he’ll bet he is the only academic in North America, or maybe the world, who worked simultaneously for decades as teacher and scholar, professional stage and screen actor, and professional theatre critic.
When: Thursday, December 5 2019 from 5:00-6:30pm
Where: Green College Coachhouse, 6201 Cecil Green Park Road.
Co-sponsors: Emeritus College and Green College; organizer Emeritus Professor Ken Carty. For more, see www.greencollege.ubc.ca. Come at 4:30 for tea and coffee in the Green College Piano Lounge and stay for refreshments after the talks. To attend dinner, please make a reservation no later than noon on the business day before the day on which you want to dine. Without prior reservation, we cannot guarantee that you will be served. Pay for your meal at the servery counter by cash, debit or credit (MasterCard, Visa). For reservations call 604-822-0912, or email kitchen@gcdining.ca.
FILM GROUP ON November 26 AT 2PM
Series Nine: Understated Scotland
From the golden age of Hollywood to the baroque stylings of present-day cinema, commercial feature fiction films tend towards overstatement, reinforcing their
status as spectacle. One example of an opposite tendency towards understatement can be found in films emanating from Scottish landscapes and/or directors. Here, humble wisdom, humble surroundings, and humble film craftsmanship produce a refreshing array of small films that, quietly, have become cinema classics. Such films focus, tenderly, on family and personal relationships, valuing simple virtues against an age dominated by narcissistic selfaggrandizement.
When: Tuesday, November 26 from 2-pm
Where: Anthropology and Sociology, room 203, 6303 NW Marine Drive
Travel Group on november 21 at 3pm
Paul Steinbok will talk about his visit to Egypt and Jordan.
The Travel Group will meet five more times this fall and winter at 3pm on the third Thursday in October, November, February, March and April. Members of the group usually talk about a trip they have made, but sometimes travel professionals or others who have interesting travel stories to tell, are invited to present. In addition to presentations, Travel Group meetings provide opportunities to share travel information and discuss questions with fellow travellers.
All emeriti, their partners and friends are welcome. Email richard.spencer@ubc.ca to be added to the mailing list.
When: Thursday, November 21 at 3pm
Where: Food, Nutrition and Health, room 320, 2205 East Mall
general meeting with George hoberg on November 20 at 1pm
--School of Public Policy and Global Affairs--
“Trans Mountain, Carbon Taxes and the Crisis in Canadian Federalism”
Conflicts over oil pipelines and carbon taxes have created intense debates among provinces and between provinces and the federal government. This talk reviews recent developments at the intersection of energy/climate policy and Canadian federalism and explores the question of how well suited Canadian institutions are to navigate the transition to a low-carbon economy. Dr. Hoberg taught public policy and American politics in the Political Science department and then spent time teaching in the Faculty of Forestry. His research interests include environmental and natural resource policy, policy and institutional design, theories of policy change, the role of knowledge in the policy process, and international constraints on domestic policy autonomy. He has written books on US environmental policy, toxic substances regulation, and BC forest policy, and edited two books on comparative Canada-US policies.
When: Wednesday, November 20 at 1pm
1:00pm: Coffee and Tea
1:45pm: Business Meeting with short presentation by United Way
2:00pm: Talk by George Hoberg, School of Public Policy and Global Affairs
3:30pm: End of meeting
Where: Sage Bistro, 6331 Crescent Rd, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
photo Group on november 15 at 3pm - CANCELLED
The theme of this meeting is "Food". Everyone is welcome whether you wish to submit images or just look and socialize.
Meetings are a mix of showing member images and informal discussions of particular photographic issues. We welcome both newcomers and seasoned photographers. Contacts: Derek Applegarth (derek.jenny@shaw.ca) and Mike Whitfield (brunnhil@telus.net).
When: Friday, November 15 at 3pm
Where: room HA 135 in the Henry Angus Building, 2053 Main Mall
PHILOSOPHERS’ CAFÉ ON NOVember 15 AT 10:30AM
The Canadian Trans Mountain Pipeline—To be or not to be?
In the last term of a majority Liberal government, the Canadian government bought the Trans Mountain Pipeline and committed to building it. So far there have been many consultations, but it is not yet clear that the pipeline will actually be completed.This was the major issue for Albertans in the October election just past. With a new minority Liberal government, in which the Liberals will depend on collaboration with other parties— especially the NDP, which is strongly against the pipeline—what will happen? Does the Canadian government have the obligation to preserve Albertan jobs by building the pipeline, or should concern for the environment prevail? What do you think? Note that at the College’s General Meeting on November 20 Professor George Hoberg will give a talk on “Trans Mountain, Carbon Taxes and the Crisis in Canadian Federalism.” Let’s say what we think on November 15 and then hear what an expert thinks at 2:00 on November 20.
All Cafés are in the Tapestry classroom, 3338 Wesbrook Mall, starting at 10:30 am. After the Café join us for lunch at Tapestry by calling 604-225-5000 or by checking in at the front desk when you arrive to reserve a spot.
When: Friday, November 15 from 10:30-11:30am
Where: Tapestry at Wesbrook Village, 3338 Wesbrook Mall
Senior Scholars’ Series with Michael Isaacson, civil engineering, Thursday November 14, 2019
Michael Isaacson is Professor of Civil Engineering at UBC. After completing his degrees at Cambridge, he was appointed to a postdoctoral fellowship in Honolulu undertaking tsunami research, and he then joined UBC in 1976. He has since been active in education, research, engineering practice, university administration and professional service. Michael will reflect on these five aspects of his career.
Michael's research and engineering practice contributions have been in coastal and ocean engineering, relating, for example, to ocean waves, the prediction of water levels (including tsunamis and sea level rise), the design of offshore drilling rigs, and coastal studies of beaches and marinas. Michael's university service has included an eleven-year term as Dean of Applied Science, and participation in the establishment of UBC Okanagan.
In this talk, Michael will reflect on his academic and professional career, and will recount selected activities and experiences across his multiple roles. He will discuss what has inspired him at different stages of his career, and will share observations on the shifting academic and professional environment.
When: Thursday, November 14, 2019 from 5:00-6:30pm
Where: Green College Coachhouse, 6201 Cecil Green Park Road.
Co-sponsors: Emeritus College and Green College; organizer Emeritus Professor Ken Carty. For more, see www.greencollege.ubc.ca. Come at 4:30 for tea and coffee in the Green College Piano Lounge and stay for refreshments after the talks. To attend dinner, please make a reservation no later than noon on the business day before the day on which you want to dine. Without prior reservation, we cannot guarantee that you will be served. Pay for your meal at the servery counter by cash, debit or credit (MasterCard, Visa). For reservations call 604-822-0912, or email kitchen@gcdining.ca.
remembrance day ceremony, monday, november 11, 2019
This year’s Annual Remembrance Day ceremony at UBC will be held on Monday, November 11, 2019 in the War Memorial Gym. The event is open to all and is an opportunity for all to honour and remember all those who served in times of war, military conflict and peace.
The College will lay a wreath at the ceremony.
Doors to the Gym will open at 10:00 am
The ceremony, which draws approximately 1,200 people, will include music provided by the UBC Opera Ensemble, short readings and remarks. Members of the platform party include:
- The Honourable David Eby, Attorney General and MLA for Vancouver-Point Grey
- Mr. Lindsay Gordon, Chancellor, UBC
- UBC HOST: Santa J. Ono, President and Vice-Chancellor, UBC
- EMCEE: Professor Nancy Hermiston, O.C., University Marshal and Director, Opera Ensemble, UBC School of Music
- Mr. Chris Hakim, President, Alma Mater Society - UBC Vancouver
When: Tuesday, November 11, 2019 starting at 10:45 am
Where: War Memorial Gym, 6081 University Boulevard
FILM GROUP ON October 22 AT 2PM
Series Nine: Understated Scotland
From the golden age of Hollywood to the baroque stylings of present-day cinema, commercial feature fiction films tend towards overstatement, reinforcing their status as spectacle. One example of an opposite tendency towards understatement can be found in films emanating from Scottish landscapes and/or directors. Here, humble wisdom, humble surroundings, and humble film craftsmanship produce a refreshing array of small films that, quietly, have become cinema classics. Such films focus, tenderly, on family and personal relationships, valuing simple virtues against an age dominated by narcissistic selfaggrandizement.
When: Tuesday, October 22 from 2-pm
Where: Neville Scarfe, room 208, 2125 Main Mall
PHILOSOPHERS’ CAFÉ ON OCtober 18 AT 10:30AM
The topic of the October Café will be “Cultural Appropriation.” What counts as cultural appropriation? We sometimes sing songs, tell stories, do dances, and wear items of clothing or jewelry that originate in cultures we are not born into. When is this acceptable or even a compliment, and when does it count as cultural appropriation? How do we know the difference?
All Cafés are in the Tapestry classroom, 3338 Wesbrook Mall, starting at 10:30 am. After the Café join us for lunch at Tapestry by calling 604-225-5000 or by checking in at the front desk when you arrive to reserve a spot.
When: Friday, October 18 from 10:30-11:30am
Where: Tapestry at Wesbrook Village, 3338 Wesbrook Mall
Travel Group on october 17 at 3pm
Don and Lorna Blake will present an overview of their recent trip to the French Riviera. They spent 10 days in the hills north of Cannes then were “forced” by the British Airways pilots’ strike to spend another four days in Villefranche-sur-Mer. They have entitled their talk “From hill villages to pristine beaches—a taste of the French Riviera”.
The Travel Group will meet five more times this fall and winter at 3pm on the third Thursday in October, November, February, March and April. Members of the group usually talk about a trip they have made, but sometimes travel professionals or others who have interesting travel stories to tell, are invited to present. In addition to presentations, Travel Group meetings provide opportunities to share travel information and discuss questions with fellow travellers.
All emeriti, their partners and friends are welcome. Email richard.spencer@ubc.ca to be added to the mailing list.
When: Thursday, October 17 at 3pm
Where: Frederic Lasserre, room 5c, 6333 Memorial Road
Senior Scholars’ Series with joanne weinberg, Cellular and Physiological Sciences, Thursday OCTober 10, 2019
From Basic Science to Clinical Research: A Neuroscientist’s Journey
After teaching high school biology for several years, Joanne Weinberg entered a PhD program in Neuroscience as the oldest student in the class. Research opportunities and fortuitous connections with people along her path led her from basic studies on the effects of early life experience and stress on brain and biological development to a focus on the adverse effects of prenatal exposure to alcohol, utilizing rodent models to examine alcohol’s impact from the prenatal period through adulthood. Her latest research, part of the NIH Collaborative Initiative on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (CIFASD), investigates alcoholinduced
effects on immune profiles of pregnant women and on immune function and health of children across the lifespan, a critical but understudied area in the FASD field.
When: Thursday, October 10, 2019 from 5:00-6:30pm
Where: Green College Coachhouse, 6201 Cecil Green Park Road.
Co-sponsors: Emeritus College and Green College; organizer Emeritus Professor Ken Carty. For more, see www.greencollege.ubc.ca. Come at 4:30 for tea and coffee in the Green College Piano Lounge and stay for refreshments after the talks. To attend dinner, please make a reservation no later than noon on the business day before the day on which you want to dine. Without prior reservation, we cannot guarantee that you will be served. Pay for your meal at the servery counter by cash, debit or credit (MasterCard, Visa). For reservations call 604-822-0912, or email kitchen@gcdining.ca.
photo Group on october 4 at 3pm
Meetings are a mix of showing member images and informal discussions of particular photographic issues. We welcome both newcomers and seasoned photographers. Contacts: Derek Applegarth (derek.jenny@shaw.ca) and Mike Whitfield (brunnhil@telus.net).
When: Friday, October 4 at 3pm
Where: I K Barber Learning Centre, Room 156, 1961 East Mall
Film Group on september 24 at 2pm
Series Nine: Understated Scotland
From the golden age of Hollywood to the baroque stylings of present-day cinema, commercial feature fiction films tend towards overstatement, reinforcing their
status as spectacle. One example of an opposite tendency towards understatement can be found in films emanating from Scottish landscapes and/or directors. Here, humble wisdom, humble surroundings, and humble film craftsmanship produce a refreshing array of small films that, quietly, have become cinema classics. Such films focus, tenderly, on family and personal relationships, valuing simple virtues against an age dominated by narcissistic selfaggrandizement.
I Know Where I’m Going (1945) by Michael Powell, an English director whose unconventional career (which began with war-era propagandistic films) includes two much-praised films set in Scotland. This film, like the earlier The Edge of the World (1937), takes place in a remote island off the Scottish coast. Part of Powell’s and his producer / screenwriter partner, Emeric Pressburger’s “crusade against materialism,” the film focuses on a young woman who thinks her life has been made when she is to marry a wealthy nobleman, only to have fate intervene and dramatically change the course of her existence.
When: Tuesday, September 24 at 2pm
Where: room 203, Anthropology and Sociology, 6303 North West Marine Drive
photo Group on october 4 at 3pm
Meetings are a mix of showing member images and informal discussions of particular photographic issues. We welcome both newcomers and seasoned
photographers. Contacts: Derek Applegarth (derek.jenny@shaw.ca) and Mike Whitfield (brunnhil@telus.net).
When: Friday, October 4 at 3pm
Where: TBC
Philosophers’ Café on september 20 at 10:30am
What qualifications should people have for running for office? The next Federal election is scheduled to take place before October 21st this year. There will be several parties running candidates, as well as some independents. What qualifications will these candidates have for holding office? Electricians or doctors or engineers are required to meet certain educational standards. Politicians are required to be a Canadian citizen at least 18 years old. What qualifications do YOU think people should have for running for office?
All Cafés are in the Tapestry classroom, 3338 Wesbrook Mall, starting at 10:30 am. After the Café join us for lunch at Tapestry by calling 604-225-5000 or by checking in at the front desk when you arrive to reserve a spot.
When: Friday, September 20 from 10:30-11:30am
Where: Tapestry at Wesbrook Village, 3338 Wesbrook Mall
travel Group on September 19 at 3pm
Susan Barr will talk about Albania—its history, culture, food, and scenery—as viewed from a bicycle. Susan says she knew virtually nothing about Albania prior to signing up for a cycling trip that a friend was organizing. According to Google, “Albania, on Southeastern Europe's Balkan Peninsula, is a small country with Adriatic and Ionian coastlines and an interior crossed by the Albanian Alps. The country has many castles and archaeological sites.” And much, much more!
The Travel Group will meet five more times this fall and winter at 3pm on the third Thursday in October, November, February, March and April. Members of the group usually talk about a trip they have made, but sometimes travel professionals or others who have interesting travel stories to tell, are invited to present. In addition to presentations, Travel Group meetings provide opportunities to share travel information and discuss questions with fellow travellers.
All emeriti, their partners and friends are welcome. Email richard.spencer@ubc.ca to be added to the mailing list.
When: Thursday, September 19 at 3pm
Where: room 50, Food, Nutrition and Health Building, 2205 East Mall, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4
General Meeting with election forum, September 18, 2019 at 1pm
Election Forum
Canadians go to the polls for the 43rd time on October 21, 2019. This will give voters a chance to pass judgment on the record of the Trudeau Liberal government elected four years ago. The traditional Conservative and New Democrat opposition parties will be led by new and different leaders, while two small parties (Greens and People’s Party) are seeking to change the terms of debate. The forum will hear short presentations from UBC colleagues and then open the floor to questions and discussion.
Ken Carty (Professor Emeritus of Political Science) will chair and set the context.
Ken Carty is Professor Emeritus of Political Science and a former Brenda & David McLean Chair in Canadian Studies (2005-08). He served as Head of the Department (1996-2001, 2006-07) and Director of the Centre for the Study of Democratic Institutions (2007-09). During 2005 he was a Distinguished Scholar in Residence at the Peter Wall Institute of Advanced Studies.
Richard Johnston (Political Science) will consider changes in public opinion and
the character of campaigns;
Richard Johnston (PhD Stanford) holds the Canada Research Chair in Public Opinion, Elections, and Representation. At UBC, he is also affiliated with the Institute for European Studies. He has also taught at the University of Toronto, the California Institute of Technology, Harvard University (Mackenzie King chair, 1994-5), and the University of Pennsylvania.
Kevin Milligan (Economics) will discuss the economic record and the parties' proposals for the future;
Professor of Economics in the Vancouver School of Economics at the University of British Columbia, and is also affiliated with the C.D. Howe Institute and the National Bureau of Economic Research. Since 2011, he has served as Co-Editor of the Canadian Tax Journal.
Kathryn Harrison (Political Science) will explore the extent to which the environment is at issue and the parties’ records and commitments.
Kathryn Harrison is Professor of Political Science. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Western Ontario, Master’s degrees in Chemical Engineering and Political Science from MIT, and a PhD in Political Science from UBC.
When: Wednesday, September 18 from 1pm to 3:30pm.
1:00pm: Cookies, coffee, tea and conversation
1:45pm: Business Meeting
2:00pm: Election Forum with Ken Carty, Richard Johnston, Kevin Milligan and Kathryn Harrison
Where: Sage Bistro in the University, 6331 Crescent Road
PHOTO GROUP ON july 5 at 3pm
Discussion on "Printing from Lightroom" and "Show and Tell". The theme for the images to show is "People".
Family and friends of UBC Emeriti are welcome to join.
When: Friday, July 5 at 3pm
Where: Angus building, AH 135 (main floor)
presentation on retirement at UBC congress 2019 on June 4 at 8:30am
Four members of the UBC Emeritus College will be at a panel at the 2019 Humanities and Social Sciences Congress. The panel presents retirement as a time of new possibilities, and addresses the apprehension of many college and university teachers and researchers who enter retirement with little or no preparation or support by their institution.
Click here for more information. The Congress will also have an Emeritus Coffee Lounge for Emeriti registrants.
When: Tuesday, June 4 from 8:30 to 10am
Where: AMS Nest - NEST 2306
special lecture on china on May 30 at 3:00 pm
Diana Lary, Professor Emerita of History, specializes in Modern Chinese history. Her current research interests include Chinese Migration (especially internal), Canada and Hong Kong connections, Chinese military, the impact of warfare on Chinese society; regionalism in China, focusing on Shandong and Guangxi provinces; the Zhuang people of southern China and color symbolism in Chinese culture.
Her talk is entitled:
The present state of China’s relations with Canada and their origins
The China Dream, the Two Michaels and the two Mengs
When: Thursday, May 30 at 3:00 pm
Where: Michael Smith Labs Auditorium, MSL 102
travel Group on April 18 at 3pm
Joel Oger, UBC Emeritus, will speak about Syria.
All Emeriti and partners are welcome. If you have a topic or travel experience you would like to discuss or present, please contact Richard Spencer, richard@rhspencer.ca. Also, please contact Richard to be added to the email list.
When: Thursday, April 18 at 3pm
Where: room 461, Barber Learning Centre
Annual General meeting on April 17 at 1pm
When: Wednesday, April 17 at 1pm
Where: St. John's College
Symposium on April 11 and 12
"SCHOLARSHIP IN THE FUTURE UNIVERSITY"
A CELEBRATION OF THE FOUNDING OF THE UBC EMERITUS COLLEGE
The UBC Emeritus College is proud to host the first symposium to celebrate the establishment of the Emeritus College on April 11 and 12 at the Liu Institute.
More information available by clicking on the link.
When: Thursday and Friday, April 11 and 12
Film Group on March 26 at 2pm
Series Eight: China: Ancient and Modern
When: Tuesday, March 26 at 2pm
Where: room 335, Henry Angus Building, 2053 Main Mall
Philosophers’ Café on March 22 at 10:30am
When: Friday, March 22 from 10:30-11:30am
Where: Tapestry at Wesbrook Village, 3338 Wesbrook Mall
Travel Group on March 21 at 3pm
All Emeriti and partners are welcome. If you have a topic or travel experience you would like to discuss or present, please contact Richard Spencer, richard@rhspencer.ca. Also, please contact Richard to be added to the email list.
When: Thursday, March 21 at 3pm
Where: Polygon Homes Classroom 224, Alumni Centre
Senior Scholars’ Series with John O'Brian, Art History, Visual Arts and Theory, Thursday March 14, 2019
When: Thursday, March 14, 2019 from 5:00-6:30pm
Where: Green College Coachhouse, 6201 Cecil Green Park Road.
Complimentary tea and coffee are available in the Piano Lounge of Graham House at Green College from 4:30 pm onwards. Those attending talks at Green College are warmly invited to come to dinner. For information on making dinner reservations, please see http://www.greencollege.ubc.ca/how-attend-dinner
General Meeting with Simon Peacock, Professor of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences on Wednesday, March 13
When: Wednesday, March 13 from 2pm to 4pm.
2:00pm: Business Meeting
2:15pm: Speaker Simon Peacock, Professor of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences
3:30pm: President's Office Annual Wine and Cheese reception; display of recent books by UBC Emeriti
3:50pm: Recognition of Emeritus College Endowment Fund and its donor
4:00pm: President Ono presents President's Award for Distinguished Service by UBC Emeriti
Where: Jack Poole Hall at the Alumni Centre
Informational Meeting on Extended Health and Travel Insurance on Wednesday, February 27
When: Wednesday, February 27 from 2:30 pm to 4:30pm
Where: Michael Smith MSL (102) Auditorium
Film Group on February 26 at 2pm
A Simple Life (2012) by Ann Hui focuses on the long-time nanny/mad (Ah Tao) of a well off Hong Kong family. Having served the family for decades, Ah Tao suffers a stroke and Roger (the child she raised from infancy and now a successful film producer) finds himself reversing roles and looking after Ah Tao. This role reversal provides Hui not only with the source for much humour but also a vehicle for exploring long standing Chinese cultural values and examaning current Hong Kong film culture.
To get on the mailing list for meeting announcements, please contact John Leblanc: john.leblanc@ubc.ca
When: Tuesday, February 26 at 2pm
Where: Room 113, Allard Hall, 1822 East Mall
Philosophers’ Café on February 22 at 10:30am
"What is the objective of a university education?"
Do we send students to college or university mainly to grow and learn or strictly to prepare for a future career?
According to polls, the public is somewhat split on this question, with only about 12% saying time spent at university should be dedicated to both pursuits. Even the presidents of universities are themselves divided. Some would say that the most important role of universities is the production of highly skilled manpower and research output to meet perceived targets. Others see the importance of universities helping to build new institutions of civil society and developing the inner potential of individuals. How would you answer such a poll?
When: Friday, February 22 from 10:30-11:30am
Where: Tapestry at Wesbrook Village, 3338 Wesbrook Mall
The Philosopher’s Cafés will be held in the Club Room in Tapestry at Wesbrook Village from 10:30 to 11:30am. Coffee and tea will be offered by Tapestry. You may reserve to have lunch at Tapestry after the Café by calling (604) 225-5000 or by checking in with the front desk before the Café.)
Travel Group on February 21 at 3pm
Judith Hall will talk about traveling on the Rocky Mountaineer.
All Emeriti and partners are welcome. If you have a topic or travel experience you would like to discuss or present, please contact Richard Spencer, richard@rhspencer.ca. Also, please contact Richard to be added to the email list.
When: Thursday, February 21 at 3pm
Where: Alumni Centre, Polygon Hmes Classroom 224
General Meeting with Brett Finlay, Professor Biochemistry and Molecular Biology on Wednesday, February 20
"Microbes and Their Effect on Healthy Living and Aging"
Dr. Finlay will discuss how the microbiome has previously unrecognized effects on human health and disease, and how it affects the body's development in our early life, and has a major effect as we age. His lecture will be based on the information in his newly-released book (co-authored with his daughter, Jessica), The Whole-body Microbiome: How to Harness Microbes - Inside and Out - for Lifelong Health.
When: Wednesday, February 20 from 1pm to 3:30pm.
1:00pm: Cookies, coffee, tea and conversation
1:30pm: Business Meeting
2:00pm: Speaker Brett Finlay, Professor Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Where: Jack Poole Hall at the Alumni Centre
Philosophers’ Café on January 25 at 10:30am
"Is beauty in the eye of the beholder?"
This common saying means beauty doesn't exist on its own but is created by observers.
Many of us feel differently about what is beautiful in art and architecture and music, not to mention the human form.
Different cultures have different norms for beauty, and those norms can change over time.
The media and the advertising of corporations can be seen as dictating what we consider beautiful.
Is there some kind of accepted standard of beauty that everyone can agree on.. . and should there be?
When: Friday, January 25 from 10:30-11:30am
Where: Tapestry at Wesbrook Village, 3338 Wesbrook Mall
The Philosopher’s Cafés will be held in the Club Room in Tapestry at Wesbrook Village from 10:30 to 11:30am. Coffee and tea will be offered by Tapestry. You may reserve to have lunch at Tapestry after the Café by calling (604) 225-5000 or by checking in with the front desk before the Café.)
Research Seminar on Thursday, January 24
Once again Peter Suedfeld (Professor Emeritus of Psychology) has lined up a stellar cast for the event that showcases research by UBC Emeriti.
The series is organized by UBCAPE and co-sponsored by the Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies.
This event is free and open to the public. Lunch is complimentary for members (limited seating).
Registration without lunch is available as well.
For more information and registration, please click on this link.
When: Thursday, January 24, from 12:30 to 3:45pm (lunch starts at 11:45am)
Where: Peter Wall Institute, 6331 Crescent Road
Film Group on January 22 at 2pm
Series Eight: China: Ancient and Modern
China has a long and substantial history of filmmaking, ranging across both popular and art film forms. Film production has developed distinctly in three areas of the region: Taiwan, Hong Kong and mainland China but themes and styles overlap among the three. The Hong Kong film industry is known for its martial arts action films, but many prominent directors from other areas of the region have tried their hand at this quintessentially Chinese genre, including, recently, Taiwan art film master Hou Hsiao – Hsien, often regarded as one of the greatest contemporary filmmakers. In contrast, underrated Hong Kong filmmaker Ann Hui has focused on the ordinary lives of Hong Kong residents, although she has recently turned to historical epics. Coming from the more remote northern China region of Shanxi, Jia Zhang-ke has become an internationally lauded director, focusing on social critique of China’s rapidly advancing modernity.
Assassin (2015) by Hou Hsiao–Hsien recasts the popular wuxia (swordplay) genre as an art film focused more on capturing the ambience of the Tang Dynasty (618-907AD) in which the story is set than the fight scenes that typify the genre. Retaining the characters and basic plot of the original story, Hou provides myriad details capturing the life of the period (which he thoroughly researched) and deepens and expands the plot beyond the brief original version, concentrating on the Taoist spirit of martial arts and the Tang period, at this point in decline from political strife between the central government and the outlying provinces.
When: Tuesday, January 22 at 2pm
Where: room 202, School of Populations and Public Health at 2206 East Mall.
Travel Group on January 17 at 3pm
Donald and Lorna Blake will present an account of their trip to Soriano nel Cimino, a mountain-top town near Rome.
All Emeriti and partners are welcome. If you have a topic or travel experience you would like to discuss or present, please contact Richard Spencer, richard@rhspencer.ca. Also, please contact Richard to be added to the email list.
When: Thursday, January 17 at 3pm
Where: Angus bulding, room 254