The Way of St. James as a Cultural Bridge, The Presidency of Donald Trump, Miguel Hernández and the Historical Memory, Drones, and Emotional Intelligence are some of the summer courses that the Miguel Hernández University of Elche (UMH) has organized for the 18th edition of this program. In this edition, the UMH is offering 80 courses to be given at 18 locations throughout the province. All of the programs, events, and registration for the 2017 Summer Courses can be consulted at the following link: https://cursosdeverano.umh.es/.

These courses offer encounters with specialists from various fields and disciplines in a way that the exchange of theories, experiences, and ideas produce, in addition to passing on knowledge, a different learning experience wherein active student participation is vital. The course diversity is broad, and they encompass topics that range from art, law, criminology, and politics, to gender equality, video games, economics, and athletics. In this edition, the UMH is offering courses at its university campuses and at locations in Alicante, Almoradi, Callosa del Segura, Castalla, Crevillente, Cox, Ibi, Monóvar, Santa Pola, and Tabarca, in addition to a virtual site.

The course design process strived to balance needs and demands arising from the university community with those emanating from the various participating venues. These courses have been constructed as a forum for debate and a meeting activity between the university community and society, and aim to be creative and dynamic with intervention from various national and international specialists. What’s more, the courses’ subject matter and contents are complementary to university disciplines, and offer perspectives that are generally not addressed during the regular academic year or in UMH graduate programs.

Furthermore, these courses incorporate the training needs of distinct institutions and organizations from the public sector, the private sector, and the civil society that constitute the social fabric in which the UMH is a part.

According to the organizers, the general objectives of the summer courses include, among others, catering to various branches of knowledge and expertise, addressing current issues that are subject to reflection and that foster debate and the discussion of ideas, as well as promoting the university community’s cultural, political, artistic, scientific, and literary lifestyles, in addition to encouraging active participation by its students.

In the 2016 Summer Courses, 1,500 students took part, which was 6% more than in 2015. Within the Xarxa Vives network, the UMH is the university that offers the most courses, and is second in terms of students enrolled. Despite most participants being of university age (55% between 18 and 24 years old), more than 30% of them are over the age of 30.