Second doctorate at the age of 83
BEING in your 80s for many means a time of winding down but not for great-grandfather Dr John Boje, of Pretoria, who has kept his mind active by studying for two doctorates in the past decade.
There is no stopping this 83-yearold former teacher, one of 11 000 University of Pretoria graduates to be awarded their degrees last week, during a virtual ceremony necessitated by the global Covid-19 pandemic.
Boje received a D Litt (English), after completing a PhD in history at the same university in 2010.
“I wasted my time at school and in my undergraduate days at university, and have had to compensate for the mediocre results achieved in my youth,” he joked, advising undergraduates: “Don’t waste your time, and you won’t need to do two doctorates to prove yourself.”
The gentle and soft-spoken academic taught in England, Swaziland and at St Alban’s College in Pretoria.
He grew up in Cape Town as one of eight children.
Boje’s daughter, Val, said the family was immensely proud of him.
“All my life he has kept his mind active through studying and, to do not one but two doctorates in retirement is a huge achievement. He is an inspiration to us all,” she said.
She said while he had no plans to register for another degree, he continued translating for fun. |