University Lecture Series
What are University lecture Courses?
Our University Lecture Course Programme gives participants the opportunity to attend regular lectures in a selection of courses, alongside enrolled students as an observer. Please note that you are not eligible to attend tutorials, take part in assessments, sit exams and will not have access to online course material. This is a no-stress learning opportunity.
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University Lecture Course 2026:
Semester One 2026:
Semester One 2026 courses run from Monday, 2nd March, until Friday, 5th June 2026, and include a two-week mid-semester break from Friday, 3rd April to Friday, 17th April 2026. There are no classes during the mid-semester break.
Semester Two 2026:
Semester Two 2026 courses run from Monday, 20th July 2025, until Friday, 23rd October 2025, and include a two-week mid-semester break from Monday, 31st August to Friday, 11th September 2026. There are no classes during the mid-semester break.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR ULC SEMESTER ONE
Please note that participants in this programme are not eligible to attend tutorials, participate in assessments, sit for exams, or access course materials or CANVAS.
PRIVACY NOTICE:
Event Services will collect and process personal information about you for the purposes of managing your registration and event attendance. This information will be managed in accordance with the University of Auckland Privacy Statement, which explains how we collect and process personal information about our “alumni and friends”, which includes providing event services. This statement also explains how you can access or correct your personal information.
Event Services may disclose some personal information about you – such as your name, organisation and contact details – to the organising committee, which may be another organisation. Event Services may also provide your name to other event attendees unless you choose to opt out of this. You can also opt out of receiving any further marketing communications from Event Services or the organising committee.
Course List – Semester One 2026:
ANCIENT 256: The Ancient World at War
Provides an in-depth analysis of the role of the military in ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome. The physical evidence of warfare, as well as the chronological development of warfare within each society, will be discussed. An additional theme will be the interweaving of the social and cultural impact of warfare and the army upon these civilisations.
Lecturer: Alex McAuley
Tuesday 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Thursday 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM
Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions, as the content builds progressively.
ASIAN 302 - Asian Diasporas
Focuses on three major diasporic groups in Asia: Chinese, Korean and Japanese. Compares the migration patterns, modes of adaptation and transnational lifestyles of overseas Chinese, Japanese and Koreans.
Lecturer: Changzoo Song
Tuesdays: 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM
COMMS 321 - News and Journalism in the Digital Age
Examines the changing nature of news and journalism in the digital age.
Themes covered include: news values and news cycles; journalistic principles and practices; the interface between journalism and news sources,
including public relations industries; journalism’s ‘fourth estate’ role and the evolving relationship between news and public opinion in the digital age; and the political economy of contemporary journalism.
Lecturer: Anne Goldson
Mondays 4:00PM to 6:00PM
History 103 - Global History
It is only since the fifteenth century that a truly global dimension to history can be identified. This course examines key determinants that have bound the fate of peoples together, including the emergence of world trade networks, the growth of world religions, the spread of epidemic diseases, the formation of empires, and the migration of peoples across continents.
Lecturer: Joseph Zizek
Tuesdays: 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM
Wednesdays: 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions, as the content builds progressively.
HISTORY 227 - Waitangi: Treaty to Tribunal
A history of the Treaty of Waitangi and the Waitangi Tribunal. The course explores changing understandings of the Treaty and its role in New Zealand society and history since 1840. The establishment of the Waitangi Tribunal in 1975, the development of its work, and the historical and contemporary claims brought before it will also be studied.
Lecturers: Aroha Harris
Wednesdays: 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM
HISTORY 225 - Samurai and Scholars: Early Modern China and Japan
Early modern China and Japan shared not only geographical space in East Asia but also a history of cultural interaction, trade and an enduring interest in
Confucianism as a moral, philosophical and social framework. This course explores and compares the government, trade and culture of these two societies with a focus on the structures and patterns of everyday life.
Lecturers: Ellen Nakamura
Mondays: 11:00AM to 12:00PM
Wednesdays: 1:00PM to 2:00PM
Participants are encouraged to attend both sessions, as the content builds progressively.
ANTHRO 241 - Anthropology of the Body
Examines cultural and historical variations in how societies understand and experience the human body. The focus will be primarily on social, historical, and political-economic approaches. Topics such as labour, sport, health, illness, sexuality, gender, and religious ritual will be considered. Explores the cultural construction and social experience of the human body in a diverse range of settings.
Lecturers: Imogen Spray
Mondays: 10:00AM to 12:00PM