About U3A

The University of the Third Age (U3A) was founded in France in 1973 to provide continuing learning opportunities for retired people. By 1981 it was established in England and by 1989/90 branches were opening in New Zealand. Today there are branches worldwide, but there is no official ruling body, each group operating independently according to its situation and facilities available.

U3A is a colloquial acronym for ‘University of the Third Age’ reflecting the key notion that our lives are ordinarily lived as:

Childhood and years of study
Working and family years
Post-working years (we are not age-specific)

The aims of U3A are:

to share knowledge and continue the education of people of the Third Age
to provide activities and interests for people of the Third Age to enhance their wellbeing
to encourage members to form interactive groups, both to share knowledge and to pursue active involvement in new fields.

To find out more about the U3A movement worldwide, go to https://www.u3a.nz/.