Open Doors (Nov. 9-18, 2013)

November 8, 2013

Open Doors, Open Knowledge is an annual initiative sponsored by the Association for Universities and Colleges of Canada (AUCC) to showcase a series of university-community events held every November. Open Doors

Everyone is invited to walk through the "open doors" to this nation-wide celebration for strengthening community.

Here in Victoria, downtown is only a few kilometres away from the UVic campus, but the distance disappears entirely with the many examples of how the university reaches out to town and back.

Ongoing civic engagement

UVic, as home to the recently launched Institute for Studies and Innovation in Community-University Engagement and the new Research Partnerships and Knowledge Mobilization Unit, has a deep ongoing commitment to civic engagement throughout the year.

Below are the five free events featured this month in the AUCC series, plus other UVic initiatives (such as Speakers Bureau) which also help highlight how UVic reaches out to town and back every month of the year.

The AUCC celebration encompasses 10 days. Our list begins with 10 days that continue to shake the world today.

Caf&e#180; Historique

Will we ever find a cure for cancer, and what was it really like to live in Europe when the plague killed one in four people and was so virulent that theatres closed and neighbours hid from each other? These are just two of the hundreds of topics of talks and presentations hosted by UVic speakers throughout the region, for free, for all.

In nearly every decade of history, one day has changed everything. UVic historian Dr. John Lutz, the driving force behind award-winning history websites such as the Great Unsolved Mysteries in Canadian History, has launched a new series in the convivial caf&e#180; setting under the same name as a course he teaches: "Ten Days that Shook the World."

The first Caf&e#180; Historique took place Oct. 1, 2013. More than 130 people filled the hall to hear history professor Dr. Sara Beam describe life during outbreaks of the Black Death, which lingered in Europe for hundreds of years. People would never have gathered so closely together in pestilence-ridden medieval cities, and it was the sea ports-harbor cities just like Victoria-where the plaque first came ashore in Europe. On Oct. 1, 1347, a cluster of 12 ships arrived in Italy with rats aboard, and the rest is history.

Each month, a different UVic historian will introduce one pivotal day, the events that led up to it, and what followed. The public is invited to Hermann's Jazz Club to eat, converse, meet friends, and hear new ideas about how the past continues to shape and transform our present and our future.

The next 'Day that Shook the World' (July 14, 1789) is Nov. 5, on the French Revolution and dawn of our modern era.

Caf&e#180; Scientifique

Caf&e#180; Scientifique is an informal seminar series providing insight into health and general science-related issues. Hosted several times each month by UVic's Centre for Biomedical Research, Centre on Aging and various departments in UVic's Faculty of Science, these evening caf&e#180;s take place off campus and provide insight into topics of popular interest appealing to the science lover in everyone.

A recent caf&e#180;, also at Hermann's Jazz Club, looked closely at cancer research in history and modern times-"one cure at a time." The next evening caf&e#180;s are Nov. 12 and 26.

The concept of this series harkens back to the salons of Paris in the 19th century when artists, aristocrats, philosophers, intellectuals and even foreigners would gather to talk informally about topics of the day. UVic's program promotes discussion on some of the most interesting and sometimes contentious research currently underway in our country, and is open to everyone. The friendly relaxed atmosphere helps demystify science, with each presentation delivered in compellingly plain (and plainly compelling) language.

City Talks

City Talks is a downtown lecture series focusing on what cities mean to us. Urbanists drawn from the university and beyond Victoria present their perspectives on prospects and challenges for cities today. UVic's Committee for Urban Studies launched the series three years ago as an initiative of faculty across campus under the guidance of UVic historian Dr. Jordan Stanger-Ross.

The free public lectures take place at 7:30 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month September through March at the UVic art gallery, Legacy Downtown, on Yates Street. This season's first set of talks explores the intersection of religion and city, with this month's talk, "The City in the Religious Imagination," on Nov. 21 by visiting lecturer Dr. Myer Siemiatyckiow from Ryerson University, who will discuss how sacred religious texts and contemporary religious practice can engage with the city. The theme for the next trio of talks will be announced soon.

For more on this series, visit City Talks and also see previous Ring.ca coverage (Oct. 2011 "Viewpoint from centre stage" and Aug. 2011 "Talking up the city").

Workshop: Roots of Tolerance

This month, UVic's Centre for Aboriginal Health together with the Provincial Health Services Authority is presenting a lecture and workshop, "Creating Transformation in Healthcare Settings: Getting to the Roots of Tolerance," on cultural safety in healthcare. This fourth specially featured event in the AUCC series takes place Nov. 19 from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m., Ceremonial Hall, First Peoples House, UVic. While this event is free, registration is recommended; please contact redgar@uvic.ca for more info.

Panel: Food supply

This month, UVic's School of Environmental Studies is hosting an expert panel, "Genetically-Engineered Foods and Human Health," with Dr. Thierry Vrain, genetic engineer formerly with Agriculture Canada, and Dr. Shiv Chopra, a scientist formerly with Health Canada -- both of whom are concerned about the food supply worldwide. This fifth specially featured event on the AUCC website takes place Nov. 18 at 7 p.m., Room A120, David Turpin Building, UVic. Please contact soscdevt@uvic.ca if you would like additional information about this event.

Speakers Bureau

UVic is home to the only university-wide bureau of its type in our country-the UVic Speakers Bureau. Any community group, school, club or other organization from Greater Victoria or across southern Vancouver Island can choose a presentation from any of over 450 topics-subjects which range from the geological history of Vancouver Island and the tales these rocks can tell, to a comparison of Greek myths about Hercules to the Disney version of the same, and even on exercise and how it affects our brains. For more than three decades, people have been able to enjoy insight and perspective on offer through hundreds of talks presented every year by UVic speakers.

This community service is provided by volunteers from among UVic's faculty, staff, graduate students and retirees who teach, conduct research, study and work at the university.

UVic and Victoria

UVic's strong connections to the city of Victoria began before the university was founded in 1963, when city leaders launched a campaign to establish a university to benefit the region and its residents.

UVic continues to forge close ties with the wider community through its collaborative research, teaching programs and public lectures and maintains active partnerships with numerous organizations throughout the city.

Community activities and projects throughout Victoria-in addition to free exhibits at UVic's downtown art gallery and numerous performance-based and high-profile fine arts events-include, to name just a few:

the legal assistance clinic;
a downtown learning centre;
community mapping projects;
the free, non-credit university courses geared for those who face economic and social barriers to postâsecondary education; and
the nursing school's foot care program for Victoria's homeless and marginalized populations.

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Keywords: Association for Universities and Colleges of Canada, community, campus