It was the rector of the University, Louis Patrick Leroux, who wanted to launch this initiative after nearly eight months in office.
“I asked myself the question: how to make the university better known internationally and how to also open the world to our students as much as possible,” he explains in an interview with The Law.
The course, open to all, is planned to begin in France and cross the Pyrenees to end in Pamplona, Spain.
“We’re going to do a little [passage] which was formerly the women’s route,” adds Louis Patrick Leroux.
He explains that this route is an ancient pilgrimage route where safety and reflection were once favored for women travelers.
“We will walk and we will stop a few times a day, to have discussions and [procéder] during. It’s a bit like the old-fashioned philosophers did, we’ll be like Socrates.”
— Louis Patrick Leroux
A multidisciplinary course
Professor and historian Anna-Maria Moubayed will lead the interactive three-credit course with the participation of other researchers and professors.
Anna-Maria Moubayed will combine this physical experience with discussions and teachings on history, art, literature and spirituality, but also on modern issues such as overtourism.
“In Spain, there are really a lot of tourists. […] For example, during one of the sessions, we will be able to reflect on what it is to be a tourist today, a use of privileges, a responsibility too, when we are a tourist,” explains Louis Patrick Leroux.
Saint Paul University offers an interactive course open to all, to walk a section of the Camino de Santiago. (ontariouniversitiesinfo.ca)
Students will also be entitled to discussions on culture and its role in modern society with, for example, a cinema expert.
“We are going to visit a place that has served as a natural setting for many films,” says Louis Patrick Leroux.
Furthermore, according to the press release, course content will be delivered in English, but discussions could take place in French, Spanish or English.
Registration for the course involves travel costs and each participant will have the opportunity to choose accommodation that suits their needs, whether in a dormitory or in a single room.
The rector of Saint Paul University plans other projects of this scale such as seminars on ecological leadership in Ottawa and a seminar in Istanbul on conflict management are also in preparation.
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