AT JOHNS HOPKINS:

Hopkins' Odyssey Program Offers Nonprofit Courses, ranging from Hapsburgs to Frontiers of Medicine

Participants can choose from courses that will broaden their understanding of important current events in international relations, science and medicine, and of Baltimore's rich maritime past. They can attend a series of lectures and restaurant dinners that examine the culture and cuisine of Japan, Italy and France or go behind the scenes of the Baltimore Chamber Orchestra and attend a concert conducted by a finalist auditioning for the BCO's open position for music director. In a course that studies historic preservation in Maryland, they can learn how to recognize and date American architectural styles, how to research their own homes and be "old-house detectives."

This semester's highlights include:

• Frontiers of Medicine: A Mini-Med School offers participants the opportunity to learn about some of the remarkable breakthroughs in medical science and how these issues can affect their personal health, from the very people whose research is making headlines.

• Vienna 1900: City at a Crossroads examines Vienna's rich and tumultuous history, its ethnic diversity and unique contributions to 20th-century modernism. The course concludes with a reception at the Austrian Embassy where participants will enjoy musical performances and a talk by a member of the embassy staff.

• U.S. Troops Abroad: Short-Term Goals and Long-Term Implications will look at current military strategies for US troop deployment in foreign countries, how these troops are being received, what goals must be accomplished before they are removed and the long term effects of their presence.