OLLI Reimagines China and Travels Along the Silk Road
PITTSFIELD — China, a country of long history and unbelievable current growth, is the subject of two very important courses offered by OLLI this coming fall semester. It is said that people visiting China for a week can write a book; for a month they can write an article. But for a year, they won’t know what to write. Such is the complexity and fascination that this growing giant presents to those who really study it.He will describe his impressions and the geography of this vast country and the formation of the early Chinese state, its complex ethnic mix, its philosophies and religions, its quest to become a modern state and its current relationships to the United States and the Global Community in this era of globalization.
On Wednesdays, starting on September 17th, William Darrow, Lissack Professor for Social Responsibility and Personal Ethics of the Religion Department at Williams College will begin a course entitled The Silk Road. He will be joined by other Williams colleagues in this six part course by George Crane, Professor of Political Science, George Dreyfus, Professor of Religion and Holly Edwards, Each has devoted years of study and research to the history, civilizations, culture, religions, art and architecture of this vast region of Central Asia and China.
This distinguished group will describe the history of the Silk Road, its impact on Chinese culture, the ancient relationships with Central Asia, Tibet and India and the influence of the vast early Chinese Empire on its neighbors, the legacy of Tamerlane in the Taj Mahal, and the impact of these encounters on current Chinese political anxieties from the globalization of Islam in China’s western regions.
Full descriptions of these courses, schedules and membership information are available in a catalog which can be obtained by calling 413-236-2190 or on line at OLLI@Berkshirecc.edu
