Brian Dowse
"I'm inquisitive," says Brian Dowse, a frequent Fifty Plus student. "Whenever I travel, I learn about the country I'm visiting. At home, I look to history courses to put that learning in context."
Brian has been taking courses through Continuing Education's Fifty Plus program for almost a decade, ever since retiring from an engineering career that took him throughout Canada, Ethiopia, England, and the Philippines. His own travels have taken him and his family—a wife and three children—to many other countries as well. It is a life that has left him with a desire to learn about the places he has seen.
Through his Continuing Education courses, Brian has delved into the history of regions and countries such as Africa, Russia, China, and Central America—to name just a few. Most recently, he took a class on the History of Rome.
"Fifty Plus is a great opportunity to learn without any pressure," he says. "There are no exams. You attend simply out of interest."
The Fifty Plus program is designed to appeal to people over 50 years of age—with free time during the day. Courses are typically offered mornings or afternoons on the main University of Calgary campus.
"Fifty Plus is a great thing...we're very lucky to have it," he says. "The instructors are very good, and you always come out with knowledge that leaves you wanting more.
"I encourage my friends to do it too," he says.
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