Duration
30h Th
Number of credits
Lecturer
Language(s) of instruction
English language
Organisation and examination
Teaching in the first semester, review in January
Schedule
Units courses prerequisite and corequisite
Prerequisite or corequisite units are presented within each program
Learning unit contents
My master's class this year, on the theme of "Refugee Encounter Narratives", will take the form of a creative writing exercise based on the students' encounter with an actual refugee living in Liège. This is a repeat experience of an experiment organized in 2018-19, which had proved immensely successful with the students who had agreed to participate, as well as with the refugees, too. Also, the initiative forms part of an international programme involving several European universities (in Germany, Austria, Britain, ...) and we shall mobilize the potentialities of online teaching to organize joint seminars so that you can compare notes with these international students.
Concretely, every Liège student will be paired off with another Liège student, and these teams of two will be requested to meet a designated refugee 8 to 10 times, with a view to writing a brief report on each of these successive meetings, to be evaluated by myself. These meetings can be held online or in presentia. To make up for the time investment implied by the meetings and the regular writing, seminars in class will be kept to a minimum, though there will of course be a number of such seminars, dedicated to the issuing of detailed instructions and also to an examination of some theoretical literature about the representation of the refugee question.
The first meeting will be on Monday 20 September at 9am, in room "Philo 2" (building A1). Everybody most welcome.
Learning outcomes of the learning unit
It is hoped that the experience will induce a mutation of preconceptions about refugees possibly entertained by the students prior to the meetings.
Prerequisite knowledge and skills
Nothing of the sort, but it will of course help to have, or wish to develop, an open mind about the so-called refugee "crisis".
Planned learning activities and teaching methods
A few heuristic seminars; above all, an exposure to unimagined experience bound to be most formative.
Mode of delivery (face to face, distance learning, hybrid learning)
Blended learning
Additional information:
A few face-to-face seminars; lots of independence granted to one's personal research in the big wide world; lots of freedom concerning the mode of writing chosen to report on one's experience.
Recommended or required readings
Some theoretical literature, as well as a few short stories dealing with the refugee question, will be discussed in class.
Assessment methods and criteria
Written work / report
Continuous assessment
Additional information:
Assessment will be based upon the quality of the writing produced across the course. Special attention will be paid to the felt sincerity of the sentiments expressed, including the way in which the latter may evolve in consequence of whatever is dicovered in the context of the meetings.
Work placement(s)
I shall of course help in the process of locating and selecting "partners" (i.e., refugees) willing to take part in the project.
Organizational remarks
The course will be organized in the first term. The seminars will be held on Mondays (9-11am) in room "Philo 2" (building A1). The meetings can take place at any time that will prove convenient to all parties concerned.
Contacts
Please contact Marc Delrez for any query concerning the course: marc.delrez@uliege.be