When Paul Hansen crosses the stage at his convocation ceremony on June 21, he’ll be receiving his fourth Western degree, and the toughest one yet – a doctorate in law.
He also carries another distinction: At 77, Hansen is the oldest of more than 8,500 Western students graduating this spring.
He’s reached all four of his university milestones in the last 13 years after his retirement from the business world – first a bachelor of arts, followed by master’s degrees in political science and law, then his PhD.
“Western has been a fabulous experience. It’s a student-focused environment and a great place to learn,” Hansen said.
“Everyone I encountered over the years, professors, administrators and fellow students, was extremely helpful. Everyone was keen to help me succeed and enjoy the experience. Continuous education has kept me alive.”
From ‘lousy student’ to PhD
Academic study hasn’t always come easy. Hansen said he was a “lousy student” in high school.
“I hated every part of it. Looking back, I think I was just bored with school, with what was being taught and the rigid environment,” he said.
“When I came back to university, I was shocked at how encouraging it was. There was lots of work to be done and deadlines to be met but it was challenging in the best possible way.”
Hansen started his business career as a computer programmer – one of the few in that role in the 1960s. He advanced into business organization and strategic planning, eventually launching his own management consulting firm. He ended his career as president of one of IBM’s subsidiary firms.
In retirement, he was ready for something new.
Hansen volunteered in an adult literacy program and did executive coaching but found he wasn’t being challenged enough. His daughter, a lawyer, and son, an engineer, suggested enrolling in university.
“It was just about the best advice I have ever received,” he said.
Hansen didn’t have his eyes set on any particular program at Western, so he started at the top. He tackled the “As” – classes in archeology and astronomy – and then the Bs, before an academic counsellor suggested he concentrate his studies on a field of interest.
That academic counsellor in the Faculty of Social Science, Kelly Callahan, remembers Hansen well.
“After starting part-time, he jumped in with both feet in 2008, registering in a full course load, including Politics 1020E, which began his love of politics,” Callahan said.
“The following term he managed an incredibly challenging course load yet managed to achieve the highest grade out of 233 students on his final essay in international relations. Many of his professors loved having him in their class.”
After achieving his undergraduate degree, Hansen proceeded to do a master’s in political science. Callahan recalled an office visit where he shared how much fun he was having as a teaching assistant in the master’s program.
Then came the master of studies in law, inspired by Hansen’s daughter’s suggestion to try law school. Finally, he embraced a doctorate program studying Aboriginal law and Indigenous legal traditions under the supervision of law professor Michael Coyle.
“Paul’s path has been inspiring. Deciding to begin PhD research in his 70s, his sole motivation seems to be to investigate and learn. After all, it’s unlikely Paul will use his new qualification to find a job! Instead, he wanted to examine how consultations between Indigenous peoples and governments might be improved to lead to more consensus and less litigation – and now others can read his thoughtful reflections,” Coyle said.
Staying mentally sharp and open to learning are retirement priorities for Hansen. He keeps physically active by riding his bike 17 kilometres from his home in Byron to Western’s campus and attending aquafit classes three times a week.
Hansen describes himself as a “curious” person.
“It’s easy to grow old, mentally – obviously you can’t stop chronological aging – and I think too many do that. They don’t take advantage of opportunities to learn. I think lifelong learning is tremendously important,” he said.
“I think there is a constant desire to learn, to be mentally stretched. I’m a very curious individual; I like to know how things work and why. Going back to school and being exposed to different subjects has really opened my eyes.”
One of the kids
Still, he started with some trepidation.
“I was 60-something years old and I went into classes with 18-, 19- and 20-year old students. At first, I was worried they would think I was that weird old guy at the back,” Hansen said. “I was wrong – they were wonderful.”
He’s made great friendships with classmates, professors and the students he taught during his graduate programs.
“I would hang around the library or study hall, eat lunch with them. The business of age didn’t become a factor at all after the first five minutes of getting to know someone,” he said, calling himself “just one of the students.”
“I can cook, so some of the students would come over for dinner or we’d hang out on the weekends,” he added.
Hansen still receives notes from former classmates and in some cases, their parents, with whom he also forged bonds.
As a Western student he’s won awards and bursaries, written book chapters, presented at international conferences, even spent a term as a visiting scholar and guest lecturer in Norway.
“I went into it the same way I would go into any other job. I wanted to do well. I thought of myself as a 25-year-old trapped in a 70-year-old body,” he joked.
“I can’t say enough about Western.”
A lifelong learner
Hansen believes his formal education is coming to a close as he accepts his doctorate, but he’s still eager to learn. He’s exploring history through travel, visiting England, Ireland and Scotland.
There’s no guarantee he’ll stay away from the halls of higher education. He’s currently mulling the idea of doing a master’s in divinity next.
Hansen’s message is simple: “Jump in – and do it fully.”
“Make it a complete experience. You only get that if you delve in and take advantage of it all – go to the football games, hang out in the cafeteria, become a full participant,” Hansen said. “The message to older people like me is just because you’re retired from work, doesn’t mean you should just stop learning or engaging.”
He considers it a wonderful way to have spent his retirement.
“I could have sat around watching TV or I could go to school and actually learn something, perhaps even make a contribution. Others can, too.”
Hansen is one of more than 8,560 Western students graduating this spring. He joins more than 362,000 alumni in almost 160 countries around the world. Read more convocation coverage.
