Talks on "Religion and Animals" will be given May 20- 22 as part of a conference on the subject hosted by the Harvard- Yenching Institute. Each talk will be delivered at 7:30 p.m. in the main auditorium of the Institute, 2 Divinity Ave. On Thursday, May 20: "Human/Animal Interactions" by Andrew Rowan, the Humane Society of the United States; Friday, May 21: "A Conversation on Imagining Animals: The Role of Arts, Symbolism, Myth, and Ritual" by Diane Apostolos-Cappadona, Georgetown University; Elizabeth Lawrence, Tufts University; Wendy Doniger, University of Chicago; and Saturday, May 22: "A Report on Other Animals' Lives" by Marc Bekoff, University of Colorado at Boulder.

The talks are free and open to the public.

Broadcast to feature Mandela convocation

In celebration of South African President Nelson Mandela as he prepares to retire, Harvard Honors Nelson Mandela will appear on WGBH-TV after a Frontline special on Mandela on Tuesday, May 25. Frontline' s "The Long Walk of Nelson Mandela" will air at 9 p.m., followed by "Harvard Honors Nelson Mandela" at 11 p.m. A Cambridge Forum presentation, "Harvard Honors Nelson Mandela" features footage from a convocation attended by 25,000 people who gathered to celebrate the awarding of an honorary doctor of laws degree to Mandela on Sept. 18, 1998.

In addition, a free online book titled Harvard Honors Nelson Mandela is now available at www.cambridgeforum.org. It includes the full text of the convocation addresses as well as Harvard News Office color photographs and Harvard Crimson photographs and articles. A 60-minute video-cassette of Harvard Honors Nelson Mandela and a 30-minute audio-cassette are available from Cambridge Forum at (617) 495-2727.

Reading strategies course to be offered in summer

The Harvard Course in Reading and Study Strategies Summer 1999 Session will be held July 6-23, from 4 to 5 p.m. Through readings, films, and classroom exercises, students learn to read more purposefully and selectively, with greater speed and comprehension. The class meets for three weeks, Monday through Friday, for one hour. The cost is $150, payable by cash, check, or term bill upon registration at the Bureau of Study Counsel. Advance registration is required in person, 5 Linden St. For more information, call (617) 495-2581.