Winter School Week
U3A Brisbane Winter School is a week-long activity of specialised talks and presentations by various experts in their field. It covers topics including science, technology, literature, history and medicine. It is conducted during the second week of the mid-year break.
Unfortunately the 2020 Winter School, due to run from 6-10 July 2020, was cancelled in March 2020 due to the Coronavirus outbreak and amid uncertainty about when normal activities might resume.
The Winter School is planned by a Committee chaired by Marilyn Wagland. Contact email:
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Winter School 2019, 8-12 July Winter School 2019 ran from 8-12 July and once again was a very successful week with presentations attracting record interest. Presentation Notes Worlds Top Ten Breakthroughs in Quantum Physics - Prof Andrew White What is Happening in the South China Sea - Roger Rusling (Warning: large file 214MB) Family Property Issues - Brian Herd Plastics in the Environment and the Circular Economy - A/Prof Bronwyn Laycock Frontiers of Modern Genetics - Prof Peter Gresshoff NBN Information Session - Greg Taylor Let's Talk Ancient Egyptian Bodies - Medicine Surgery and Magic - Dr Serena Love What the Dickins? - Carmel Lafferty Australian History at the Cinema - Gordon Kidd Ethics AI and Autonomous Systems - Kate Devitt Beacons by the Sea - Lighthouses of Queensland - Cara Downes Evolution Psychology and Global Security - Prof Bill Von Hippel (References Only) The 2019 program: 2019 Keynote Address Crime and Corruption in the Sunshine State His personal history is impressive. Admitted as a Barrister-at-Law in 1978, he worked as a Crown Prosecutor until 1984 when he went to the private bar. He was then appointed Senior Counsel, followed by Queen’s Counsel in 2013. During this time, he developed a broad practice in criminal law with specific reference to fraud and similar offences. He has prosecuted a range of matters for the Commonwealth Director of Prosecutions, including large-scale tax frauds, insider trading and corporate crimes. Mr MacSporran also has extensive experience in inquests and commissions of inquiry. Between 2000 and 2006 he appeared for witnesses at the Shepherdson Inquiry into Electoral Fraud, was Counsel Assisting at the inquest into the Childers backpacker fire, and was Counsel Assisting at the inquest in a number of police shootings of mentally ill patients. He represented the State of Queensland at the 2011 Queensland Floods Commission of Inquiry, the 2013 Queensland Health Payroll System Commission of Inquiry and was appointed to review the Queensland greyhound racing industry in 2015. From 2004 to 2009 he served as the part-time Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Commissioner, and has regularly provided legal advice to a number of other Commissions. He is patron of the Corruption Prevention Network Queensland, a member of the Queensland Law Society Legal Practitioners Admissions Board and a member of the Queensland Integrity Committee. We can think of no one better positioned to give us an overall picture of what is happening in our state and just how our justice system works and have no doubt that this will be a fascinating session. |
Winter School 2018 Winter School 2018 ran from 9-14 July and was our most successful ever in terms of quality of the presentations and member participitation. Presentation Notes Freedom of Speech and Hate Speech – Prof Katharine Gelber Artificial Intelligence – Machines Must Think like Humans to Build Trust - Prof Peter Bruza Coal Solar Wind and Batteries – The Changing Electricity Landscape – Mike Swanston Numbers, their Minders and Keepers: good, bad and sometimes sad - Peter Galbraith Advance Care Planning – Julie Sutherland Toning your pelvic floor - Amelia Samuels History of the Northern Territory 1911 to 1978 - Gregory Cope Safe Haven: Jewish Experience in Australia - Gregory Cope Key Events that Shaped Modern Psychology – Prof Bill Von Hippel Extreme Environments: Gravity and Black Holes – Dr Janie Hoormann Exercise Right: Tips about Exercise Ageing and Your Health – Assoc Prof Rob Robergs 3D Printing - A Personal Perspective – Fred Stratford Alzheimer's from Three Perspectives The 2018 program: Keynote Speakers: Dr Daniel Blackmore
Glenys Petrie - John and Glenys are a team and Glenys will give you an insight into this terrible disease from a carer’s point of view. Often carers are forgotten in this equation and she also has a story to tell. She has learned some interesting strategies as she accompanied John on his journey and also learned a number of 'dos' and 'don'ts' along the way. They are important ones and she will expand on these during her talk. |
Winter School 2017 Presentation Notes Busting some Water Myths Assoc. Prof. Frederic Leucsh Exercise, Ageing and your Health Prof Rob Robergs MOOCs and Wikis Deslyn Taylor Positive Ageing through Music Participation Teresa Kunaeva Staying Safe on the Internet Greg Taylor History of the Northern Territory Greg Cope Cracking the Mysteries of our Universe Dr Janie Hoormann A History of Aboriginal Servicemen Greg Cope The Justice Myth Greg Cudmore KEYNOTE SPEAKER — DR STEVEN SALISBURY
More Information about Australia's Jurassic Park (Image courtesy University of Qld) |
Winter School 2016
Digital Reading Presentation (E-Books etc.) Angela Butler |
Winter School 2015 2015 Presentations Anzac Nurses - Philip Castle Text The Rise of China: Whither the West? - Martin Stuart-Fox Text Numbers, Minders and Keepers - Peter Galbraith Online Learning, MOOCs and Wikis - Deslyn Taylor Exercise: Everything you want to know - Dr Tim Henwood The Art of Ageing - Georgia Cummings Renewable Energy: How to get to 100% - Dylan Tusler The 2015 program: |
Winter School 2014 The 2014 Keynote Address at the State Library Auditorium was presented to 240 attendees by Emeritus Professor Roly Sussex. |