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Forever Learning Institute
Stay sharp with the fall 2022 curriculum from the Forever Learning Institute! Follow one of our thematic tracks or drop into classes that interest you. There’s no need to commit entirely — participate as much or as little as you like via our live events. And, if you missed them, catch up on all previous FLI events on our YouTube page.
Discourse for Democracy
Becoming an informed voter is simultaneously easier and more difficult than ever before. Candidates have unprecedented reach and access to voters, but so do political action committees and other partisan influencers. Enter the fray with us as we look beyond the headlines, memes and soundbites. Duke experts will explore a range of viewpoints on current political issues such as voting rights, data privacy, the economy, health care and more. Join us as we use a research-based approach to consider the contemporary political landscape and the historical context that has shaped it.
Co-sponsored by POLIS: Center for Politics, Sanford School of Public Policy
- September 13 — Discussing our Right to Vote
- October 4 — Discussing our Boundaries
- October 18 — Discussing our Pocketbooks
- November 1 — Discussing our Health
Explore this theme and register today.
Fortifying the Body and Brain
Researchers at Duke are helping prepare us for a future where our bodies and brains are stronger and safer—from harnessing the brain’s own resilience to fight Alzheimer’s disease, to improving cancer outcomes by understanding how cancer defends itself against existing treatments. Duke is furthering the advancement of health and medicine in communities across the globe with research focusing on the brain, cancer, the immune system, and viruses, and advanced capabilities to take research from bench to bedside.
- September 20 — Upskilling Immunity: Strategizing our Response to Biological Invaders
- October 12 — Thinking about Brains: Masterminding Prevention and Repair
- November 9 — Halting Cell Hijackers: Battling for Better Cancer Prevention and Treatment
- December 6 — Vanquishing Viruses: Developing Vaccines against Infections
Policing Pages: A History of Banned Books
Both virtual and in-person!
People have lobbied for bans since the days books were handwritten. Volumes containing religious, sexual, racist, political or otherwise offensive language have been singled out, most often as a means to protect young readers or to prevent contentious ideas from spreading. With book banning on the rise again, we take a multidisciplinary look behind the context of targeted tomes through the ages.
- September 27 — Before the Printing Press
- October 11 — The Bible
- November 16 — The American Classics
- December 14 — Underrepresented Voices
Body
ICYMI
If you were unable to attend sessions from our previous tracks, we have made them all available to view at your convenience. Dig into courses on the Human Experience, Social Movements, America Today, Advancing Health and Wellness, Artificial Intelligence, Solving Wicked Problems, and our professional development seminars.
Watch presentations from these themes now.
Each academic track includes a combination of lectures, panel discussions, online courses, recommended readings and workshops that you can complete at your own pace. Plus, tune in for monthly live engagements to get your questions answered by Duke experts and have engaging, thought-provoking conversations with fellow alumni. Live sessions of all academic events are recorded and will be posted on the Duke Alumni Lifelong Learning YouTube Channel.
What are you waiting for? Feel like a student again and register for the new semester!