UQ Comes to You: Humanities Roadshow with Professor Alastair Blanshard
Experience Humanities, English, and Western Civilisation Studies, from UQ to your classroom
Cairns, Toowoomba, Lismore
About
The University of Queensland's Professor Alastair Blanshard is bringing UQ Humanities to Cairns, Toowoomba, and Lismore in Term 3, 2025.
Professor Blanshard is keen to share his expertise with your students and is offering free Humanities workshops and presentations to local schools. Teachers can choose from information sessions on UQ's Western Civilisation program and associated scholarship, curriculum-linked lectures for Ancient History and Modern History classes, and information on Humanities pathways at UQ and beyond.
These activities will provide students with an opportunity to learn in person from a leading scholar of the ancient Greek world and its legacy, experience university-style teaching, and discover the enduring value of the Humanities.
Details
Cairns: Monday 18 to Friday 22 August
Toowoomba: Monday 25 to Wednesday 27 August
Lismore & Northern Rivers: Friday 29 August to Monday 1 September
Please note that the final travel dates will depend on demand as captured in the Registration form.
Cost: Free
Audience: The presentations are most suitable for Year 10 - 12 students currently studying History and Humanities subjects at school or who have a keen interest in Arts and Humanities. However, students of all year levels and subjects are welcome. The presentations can cater to any group size.
Presentation Offerings and Descriptions
1. UQ Centre for Western Civilisation Program Information Session
In this information session, Professor Blanshard will provide an overview of UQ’s Western Civilisation program and UQ Ramsay Undergraduate Scholarship, and how to apply.
Duration: 20 minutes to an hour, including time for questions. The information session can be scheduled during meal breaks, class times, or before/after school.
2. Why Study Humanities?
In this presentation, Professor Blanshard will discuss the enduring value of the Humanities, the skills and outcomes of Humanities graduates, and Humanities pathways at UQ: Queensland’s first choice for Humanities and Arts.
Duration: 20 minutes to an hour, including time for questions. The information session can be scheduled during meal breaks, class times, or before/after school.
3. History Lecture
In this presentation, Professor Blanshard gives a content-specific lecture on topics derived from his research specialisations and the Australian national curriculum. The lecture gives students a taste of university-style teaching and an opportunity to learn from a leading scholar in the ancient Greek world and its legacy.
Topics:
- Understanding the Ancient Greeks: Art, Culture, and Society
- The Peloponnesian War
- The Ancient World on Film
- The Athenian Agora and Acropolis, 514 – 399 BC
- The Grand Tour
- Lessons for Today from the Ancient World
Duration: 40 minutes to an hour, including time for questions. These presentations are most suitable for classroom visits during school time.
Professor Alastair Blanshard
Alastair Blanshard is the Paul Eliadis Professor of Classics and Ancient History at The University of Queensland, as well as the convenor for the Bachelor of Advanced Humanities (Honours) program and the Director of the UQ Centre for Western Civilisation.
After growing up in Brisbane, Alastair completed his doctorate at the University of Cambridge. He has held teaching positions at Merton College, Oxford, the University of Reading, and the University of Sydney. He has been a visiting research fellow at Harvard’s Centre for Hellenic Studies in Washington, Corpus Christi College, Cambridge, the University of Cincinnati, Warwick University and the University of St Andrews.
Contact
Please contact engagementwesternciv@uq.edu.au for enquiries.