Sorbonne officials hope lecture series will open doors to the public

The Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi is doubling the size of a programme of courses for the public.

The Paris-Sorbonne Abu Dhabi is offering courses on music and literature that are open to the public.

ABU DHABI // The Paris-Sorbonne Abu Dhabi is reaching out to people with a passion for learning with a series of four "open university" courses this year. Courses about classical music and European literature are among the six-week programmes being offered at the university, which recently moved into its new campus on Reem Island. "People want to be informed, to enlarge their culture or their knowledge of society," said Jean-Yves de Cara, its executive director.

He said those who work full time might not want to commit to degree courses, but might still be keen to be "informed and updated" and to learn about a variety of subjects. No qualifications are needed to register for the courses. "It's nice, if you go to a concert, to have some knowledge of music and it's nice, if you go to an exhibition, to have some knowledge of painting or sculpture," he said. While teaching students pursuing a degree is still the university's priority, it is eager to connect with the community, said Celine Pouyat, the head of the external training department. "The idea of offering the public the possibility to be taught by the professors is very important," she said. "This is to show to the public what we're doing and how to link the university with the civil society in the UAE."

The school, which is funded by the Abu Dhabi Government, started the programme last year with courses on art history and another on Gulf politics. Each attracted more than 20 students. This year, the courses will consist of six one-hour lectures, with 30 minutes for discussion after each. Some courses will include museum visits. Among the students who attended last year was Shireena al Qubaisi, a researcher at the Centre for Documentation and Research in Abu Dhabi. She said she enjoyed the course on Gulf politics.

"I like to study and learn more and get new information," she said. Prof de Cara said this year's European literature course, which will include lectures on Cervantes, Shakespeare, Voltaire and Dante, would show the relevance of the works in the modern age. "It's important in this society where people are stuck in front of their computers or stuck in front of their televisions to let them know there's another way to open their mind, through books," he said.

Last year, some people chose courses in fields related to their work, while others attended because of personal interests. For example, a financial analyst enrolled in the art history course. "He was very interested because he was an art collector," Dr Pouyat said. "It's for people with a passion about the field who want to develop their curiosity." Most courses are taught in French, but Arabic and English translations are available. Each course costs Dh1,500 (US$410).