As the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, the Forever Learning Institute (FLI) launches a year-long, interdisciplinary series exploring the institutions, ideas, and cultural forces that have shaped the nation and continue to influence its future.

Drawing on perspectives from history, politics, economics, literature, and the arts, participants will examine how Americans have understood citizenship, liberty, democracy, identity, innovation, and national purpose across time. Together, these sessions will explore the forces that have shaped American society, its place in the world, and the experiences that have defined life in the United States.

The series invites participants to reflect on America's past, engage with its present, and consider the opportunities and challenges that will shape its future.

*This course will continue into Spring 2027
 

A four-week professional development experience featuring daily alumni stories and weekly zoom conversations designed to help Duke alumni strengthen adaptability through real-world stories and live leadership conversations.

Each conversation will highlight the experiences, challenges and lessons learned along the way, giving participants practical perspectives they can apply to their own professional journeys

The Forever Learning Institute (FLI) invites the Duke alumni community to explore the human body as a complex, interconnected system—from its biological foundations to the organs and processes that sustain life and shape human experience. Across the series, faculty will examine how the body develops, functions, and adapts, drawing connections among genetics, physiology, movement, and sensory perception. Together, these sessions offer a deeper understanding of how the body supports health, resilience, and everyday life.

Participants will hear from leading scholars, researchers, and practitioners across disciplines as they explore how the body’s systems work together to sustain and shape human life.