47 --- A letter from Oxford

Jean Burrell from Oxford's U3A wrote this article which appeared in their newspaper recently. She is happy to share it with us. I know that it is a little too difficult for the UIAD students who are Beginners in English. I will write a short summary in easy English to help you.


Towards U3A International Twinning?



As many members will know, Oxford City is officially twinned with several European cities (and one in the Americas, Léon in Nicaragua). The links with Leiden (Netherlands and Bonn (Germany) are around 60 years old, dating back to the aftermath of the Second World War, while that with Perm in Russia is quite recent.


The agreement between Oxford and Grenoble, capital of the French Alps, was signed 20 years ago. In spite of their different geographical situations and sizes, the two cities have much in common: a strong educational base and science/technology oriented economy, a rich cultural life, and urban fabric and surrounding environment that attracts many incomers.


Over the years there have been numerous visits in both directions: exchanges between tennis clubs, youth drama and music festivals, as well as links between schools and colleges. Last October, in the latest of these, the French city hosted several weeks of celebrations for the 20th anniversary -- an exchange of artworks made by both professional artists and school children, choral concerts, folk music and dance, shop-window displays, rowing races -- celebrations which were attended by some 50 to 60 Oxford citizens, among them rowers from Brookes and members of East Oxford Community Choir and Oxford Fiddle Group, as well as official representatives of Oxford City Council, Oxford Inspires and Pegasus Youth Theatre.


Oxford-Grenoble Association is the voluntary community body that exists to promote and facilitate these links and exchanges between individuals and groups of all kinds (sporting, cultural, educational, etc) Recently I was approached by a tutor from the Université Inter-Ages du Dauphiné (UIAD, the Grenoble region equivalent of U3A) who was intending to bring a group to London this Easter and thinking of spending a day in Oxford. Her hope was that the initial contact could lead to ongoing communication and friendship between UIAD and U3A members.


It is true that the British and French models of U3A are somewhat different. In France, where the idea was born at Toulouse University as long ago as the early 1970s, U3A branches have usually been sponsored by universities and in some cases maintain these links. In the early 1980s many changed their name to"université inter-âges" to reflect their inclusivity and openness to younger people, although they continue to recruit a majority of retired members.


UIAD currently has around 6000 students attending a wide variety of courses -- languages, arts and crafts, science and computing. In this respect its programme resembles that offered by Oxford's Department for Continuing Education (Rewley and Ewert House). On the other hand it puts on weekly lectures and organizes outings to exhibitions and noteworthy sites in the same way as our U3A does.


So the first face-to-face contact has been made. Around 50 UIAD members and friends, joined by a handful of people from OGA (Oxford-Grenoble Association), were welcomed to Oxford and entertained to tea in the Town Hall by our current Lord Mayor Susanna Pressel on 9 April. I would be delighted to hear from any member interested in growing this link, in the first instance by setting up email communication with a UIAD member (many are keen English learners so language need not be a barrier) and maybe eventually forming a group to make a return visit to Grenoble. As an Oxford City councillor said in his speech last October at the opening of the 20th anniversary celebrations, this is how Europe is constructed, from the ground up, by contacts and understanding between its citizens, rather than by Brussels.


Jean Burrell
U3A member
Secretary Oxford-Grenoble Association