Grandfather In UK Earns Doctorate 52 Years After Starting PhD, Said Research Was Exceptionally Hard

Grandfather In UK Earns Doctorate After Starting PhD In 1970

As the age-old saying goes, “Learning is a journey, not a destination.”

Recently, a pair of seniors from Malaysia inspired many when they were spotted taking an exam for their law degree.

Nearly halfway across the world, a grandfather also received his doctorate degree — a whopping 52 years after he started his PhD studies.

On Tuesday (14 Feb), the University of Bristol awarded 76-year-old Nick Axten a PhD in front of his wife and 11-year-old granddaughter.

University of Bristol confers grandfather a doctorate

According to a press release by the university, Dr Axten received the reputable Fulbright scholarship to pursue a PhD in 1970.

With the scholarship, he was supposed to study mathematical sociology at the University of Pittsburgh in the United States (US).

However, after five years, he returned to the United Kingdom (UK) before completing his studies.

Hopes to publish his research after half-a-century of thought

“What I was trying to do in the early 70s was exceptionally difficult,” Dr Axten shared. “Some problems are so great it takes the best part of a lifetime to get your head around them. They need a long hard think.”

This one has taken me 50 years.

Now, Dr Axten hopes to finally be able to publish his research, which builds on the ideas he was working on in the US five decades ago.

His theory focuses on understanding human behaviour based on the values that each person holds.

This has the potential to change society’s view of behavioural psychology, he added.

Resumed his post-graduate studies at 69 years old

In 1967, Dr Axten began his undergraduate studies in Leeds.

Describing his time at the university as having a “revolutionary feel”, he recalled that it was also the time of the Vietnam War and student sit-ins.

As a result of the times, sociology and psychology were popular subjects, and he decided to study them as he wanted to understand people.

In 2016, Dr Axten enrolled in the University of Bristol to do a Master of Arts in Philosophy. At the time, he was 69 years old.

Subsequently, he took a PhD in Philosophy and finished his studies in 2022 at the age of 75.

Although most of the other philosophy graduates were around 23 years old, they accepted him as one of their own, he said.

Never too old to excel

According to his university supervisor, Dr Axten was “an incredibly enthusiastic, energetic, and committed student”.

“It’s fantastic to see him graduate half a century after he started his original PhD,” the supervisor added.

It’s certainly inspiring to see how dedicated Dr Axten was to his studies, and we congratulate him for successfully earning his PhD.

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Featured image adapted from University of Bristol.