Alexander Freund’s favourite part of his job is learning from students. 

“They always find ways to look at things in ways I haven’t before,” Freund says.

Discussing case studies also enriches his own research. “Teaching history means telling stories about the past. But it also means sharing excitement about intellectual discovery and discovery of the past,” Freund says.

Co-founder of the Oral History Centre at the University of Winnipeg, Freund makes it easy for students to get involved in the subject.

“Our goal was to bring the community on campus and get researchers on campus,” Freund says.

Fulfilling its motto “democratizing history,” the centre offers free workshops that are open to the public.

“That’s been sort of a passion, a very important part of my teaching and learning here at the university,” Freund says.

Freund is committed to continuing to share his passion with students.

“It’s a wonderful way to understand where we are today and how we got there,” Freund says.

Area of Research: Migration history, oral history.

Number of peer-reviewed articles published: 23.

Lowest grade in university: C+ in Historical Statistics.

Favourite thing about yourself: I tend to see the glass half full.

What’s your superpower: Invisibly subtle irony.

Worst teaching moment: Whenever I fail to stimulate students to engage in discussing an important topic.

Favourite part about Winnipeg: Playgrounds and splash parks.

Book recommendation: I just finished Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari. It’s well-written and imaginative.

Published in Volume 71, Number 2 of The Uniter (September 15, 2016)