Dear Prof Ashok and all other friends and colleagues

As others mentioned, I never believed in retirement for research working. I have known many of faculty members who start to wind down their research groups at age 65 or even a little earlier, and as far as their experiences are well known they can utilize the fruits of many years searching, teaching and other activities and half of them are happy to be active in teaching and research ... . Although the physical and attitude of them are a major factor to determine this issue

Retirement age of Professors from active teaching and research should be 65 years. However, I am of the opinion that eminent Professors of their fields should be permitted for life long research in the institution to which they are affiliated.

Death is the final point; meanwhile, try to develop as many talents as possible.

Payments shall always be corrected to inflationary motion.

Pensions shall not exceed the basic net income.

Thanks a lot Dr Arvind for sharing your important and valuable views.

Thanks a lot Dr Stephen for sharing your valuable views.

A great researcher or teacher-death.

In my opinion professor can work until has the strength to work , but should not be a dean or head of department when is retired.

Dear Ashok,

In my country, retirement age of professors from active teaching and research in public Universities/Collegues is 70 years. This is mandatory. I do not think much of this system. As I see it, productivity, not age, shoud be a creterion for retirement. If a seventy-year-old professor is able to deliver good teaching and perform good research, I see no reasons for his/her mandatory reteriment.

Best regards,

Orlando

The retirement age in Poland is 60 years for women and 65 years for men.

Most professors work despite receiving the right to a retirement pension and receive both a pension and a remuneration for work. And they occupy managerial positions by blocking younger colleagues.

Thanks a lot Dr Stanley for sharing your views.

Thanks a lot Dr Edyta for sharing your valuable views.

Thanks Dr Orlando for sharing your valuable contribution.

Here Full professors can continue working without retirement, Retirement age of Assistant and Associate professors, however, is 65 years.

Thanks Dr Mahmoud for sharing your valuable thoughts.

75 years

Prof. follow the teaching, supervision and arbitration on the graduate studies, in our univ. Prof. have a life of over 85 and they are in good health,

God bless them

Thanks Dr Dmytro for sharing your valuable views.

Thanks Dr Houda for sharing your important contribution.

Teaching (classes)= 50 years

Research supervision= 75 years

Age is just a number

There is no age limit since university professors are mentally and physically healthy. They are assets to educational institutions to kerp them for life.

Having experienced professors for a long period is a valuable asset for any university.

If the professors are physically fit and still able to teach, then should guide the post graduate students and never retire.

If they are physically unfit then I think it is better for them to retire and take rest.

Age has no relevancy . . . continued sharpness of mind, ability to contribute ideas are the key points.

Thanks Dr Maytham for sharing your valuable views.

Thanks a lot Dr Nafees for sharing your valuable thoughts.

Thanks Dr Hazim for sharing your important views .

Thanks a lot Dr Helen for sharing your excellent contribution.

Thanks Dr Dennis for sharing your valuable thoughts.

Th is a very delicate question and each case must be considered separately. I think that for a professor you can limit age, but for a researcher there are no restrictions except administrative positions.

I just haven't tried to read answers of colleagues. And so... In my opinion, there isn't any limits of this age.

Contemporary scientific society holds many mechanisms of scientific productivety and efficienty. And no one of these doesn`t contain the factors of age.

The retirement age usually is 65 year. however I think doing research and writing paper or reviews can be done even after that if someone interest in their work and research

Thanks a lot Dr Rusudan for sharing your valuable views.

Thanks a lot Dr Yurii for sharing your valuable contribution.

Thanks a lot Dr Lamia for sharing your valuable and important contribution.

Any age is good and should depend entirely on the professor, but sometimes the university enforces a retirement for other reasons, mostly financial.

For example, our department was "axed" and everyone was forced to retire or look for employment elsewhere. We had tenure, but that tenure was changed "into a tenure for that department only" by some crook, no doubt.

Retirement age of active teaching as per life expectancy of nation & No age of 'Research Work' Faculty do research upto last moment of life

Teaching retirement has a specific age but his work as a scientific researcher can continue all his life ....

Greetings

Some people remain young (and skilled) still. Why send them into retirement? The second case (when it is not valid as mentioned above) is, however, "more problematic":

What should we do with "young old men"?

As my personal experience, professors of higher age r excellent in research & teaching..

Retirement age, i can’t say anything.

Dear Prof Ashok and all other friends and colleagues

As others mentioned, I never believed in retirement for research working. I have known many of faculty members who start to wind down their research groups at age 65 or even a little earlier, and as far as their experiences are well known they can utilize the fruits of many years searching, teaching and other activities and half of them are happy to be active in teaching and research ... . Although the physical and attitude of them are a major factor to determine this issue

As long as they are still producers and givers, they should kept in their posts. some professors carry just the name, they should be retired early, so the criteria for retirement should include the production potential of the professor, rather than the age and the health condition.

Professors in Nigeria are meant to retire at 70, and that's an ideal year even though some may voluntarily leave service before then.

Every now and then the age and the conditions change in our country. I retired with 66 but the the limit was 68, with one cleared his desk; working in research, lecturing, or supervising doctoral students I can work at my university lifelong if I want. According to the old law, which no longer applies to us today, one is mainly released from one's duties, the other rights as an individual professor have been preserved. I liked that. Now the age limit is higher. But no matter, you can always work and today you are in a networked world, these are optimal conditions.

It depends upon country to country. In India, in some universities it is 65 years and in others it is 60 years. I think 60 years age of retirement is optimum.

According to me, professor should not retire till their last breath if he or she is capable and interested to deliver their precious knowledge and experience to the students and fresh assistant professors.

Rohini Singh

To be retired means for us to lose the right to run an institute, not to be (more) responsible for all employees, not to become an elective dean in the faculty and not to have a financial budget or a secretary; one can, however, make an application for research funds, and with the successor at the institute one can agree on working conditions, if one wants that. But the successor can also throw you out and say: With me a new time begins, the old people should disappear as fast as possible. That was the case with me, and under such conditions you'd rather continue working at home, at the computer. For scientific-technical research, for which a laboratory is necessary, this is of course a restriction, but then you can write textbooks - or whatever you want. I think that is quite normal. Everyone has had their time, and can do enough work afterwards, as a reviewer or editor of textbooks.

In Nigeria university, the official age of retirement for academic is 65 years but for academic that attained the highest position of professorship will retire at age 70. But can retire voluntarily from the university when you have worked for at least 10years.

Dear Professor Ashok Pundir I like your question. Why? I know several professors over 70 years still working at an university. The do have a paid job. If they have a pension they might get a double income. At the same time I see young people who are forced to do after their PHD several postdocs before getting a job at a university. They are also badly paid. This difference a double income for old professors and badly paid young academics is not fair and just. We need on the other hand the knowledge of old and wise professors in order to coach youngsters. This dilemma should be solved in an just manner. That is my opinion. All the best, Carl

70 years is the retirement age of professors in Nigeria though some professors still move to private university after retirement.

Although Professors are meant to retire at the age of 70, the knowledge and experience of research over the years can never retire and so they keep using it in one capacity or the other until probably their demise

In Ukraine, the retirement age for men comes to 65 years, and women to 60 years.

However, in our country every professor and associate professor can work until the last day, as much as he wants.

He will not be assigned to lecture at 70 or 80 years, but his experience and knowledge is invaluable for consulting young scientists.

For example, the department, which is headed by my husband, employs two associate professors for 78 years and 83 years. Without them, can not do)))

But sometimes there are such leaders who are immediately fired at 65 years old. But their departments do not develop forward.

Carl HD Steinmetz

I can't really imagine that someone would receive two salaries from two public (and publicly controlled) budgets. In Germany - if it is about the aspect of justice - regarding the States of the Federal Republic different salaries for professors are normal - the tables are available on the Internet, so that e.g. a professor in Bavaria earns more in his basic salary than in Thuringia; as further sources of income so-called "additional income" are possible, which in certain areas, in particular in pharmacy (but also in other areas of technical and scientific research) through special orders from the private sector; the "Bologna Process" of reforming universities has opened this possibility widely: of course such work must be disclosed and - if personnel or means of furnishing (laboratory, or only a computer) are used by the institute, against a fee to the university as compensation is paid. In my time, this was 15 % of the - private - additional income of a university teacher; the same applies to expert opinions, e.g. court opinions. With a pension one has lost in Germany all rights to continue working at the university. Some German states allow to submit an application to obtain special status for further research.The retirement under the old law, which was valid until 1975 and which I still make use of, no longer applies to over 90% - estimated value - and people die out. For pensioners it can then only be private agreements that are made. A paid teaching assignment at one's own university (very rarely) or at another university can of course be carried out as a pensioner.

Of course it is important that the younger generation gets their chance in the individual academic professions as well as at the universities. At the moment this is very bad in Germany for instance regarding teachers, because the need to get teachers in the common system of schools is tremendous. Thirty years ago, many people who passed their teacher's examination changed professions because the state didn't hire anybody anymore.

I see the problem rather in the fact that male applicants in many areas have much worse chances of obtaining a professorship than female applicants. But exactly this is what the law and society want. That's why I would much rather suggest to a daughter "Become a professor! You have chances" as a son.

Hein Retter

The retirement age for professor is 70years in Nigeria.

You cannot even die in Ukraine, there is not enough pension to bury. Many are looking forward to retirement to receive a pension and salary (even the smallest).

Pensioner will not be able to live in retirement, even proffesor

Viola Vambol

Yes, everyone will understand that these are not "normal" living conditions, your argument makes sense. Until 1990, and even afterwards, I had closer contacts with colleagues from various socialist countries, and once I interviewed students from these countries about the financial situation and reputation of teachers. I myself fled the GDR as a teenager, so I know life under socialism from before that didn't change much until 1989. Unfortunately, it was the case that professors were hardly paid better than workers in somewhat higher positions, i.e. measured against the long period of study for a profession at the university, this was not worth it. And the reputation of the teachers at all schools or universities was - in the private opinion of the people at that time - unfortunately not very high. In my opinion, a disdain for higher occupations prevailed, steered by stately ideology: The socialist state spread the claim to be a state for workers and farmers - see the first article of Soviet Union's Constitution. Academic occupations, were strongly controlled by the state. The universities were overloaded with ideology. Normal teachers could perhaps make a modest living if they worked as a married couple (this was nearly always the case), but with rearing up some own children it became difficult. I know that many teachers and university professors needed a second or even third job to survive (Often professors had jobs at more than one university). And this development can occur much more strongly in Ukraine today, but I am not sufficiently informed about it. One can only hope that this situation will improve. - I have forgotten: You are quite right that also with socialist conditions nobody could have a living with the retirement payments of the state, they had to work mostly, furthermore, additionally.

Dear Hein Retter!

You are completely right.

We say "Hope dies last." )))

We will work and hope for the best and pray to God for health for our retirees.

I remember that my attitude to this question changed. In the beginning, I regretted that the EU-wide university reform was accompanied by so much anger and bureaucracy that I did not want to go along with it. Anger damages health in old age. So I applied for emeritus status. That was the right decision, but sometimes I missed the conversation with my faculty colleagues and staff between door and hinge (as to say), but it was okay that I left, younger colleagues should come, who might be able to do everything better.

What is your opinion about the retirement age of Professors from active teaching and research work?

Setting a retirement age for professors is depending on each country / university's considerations e.g. productivity, competency, niche area of research, costs, funding etc. My personal opinion is no retirement age for professor as long as they are contributing to knowledge through their contribution in teaching, research, consultancy etc. May be some universities can formally set a retirement age but upon retirement, those contributing professors can be engaged as part-timer or on contract basis etc.

In my country, the age of retirement is 60-65 years and it is an appropriate age for the retirement of professors as well.

For a professor? Life-long service if they are physically, mentally and academically capable.

However, they need not be overburdened with several theses to assess otherwise we may lose them soon.

More importantly, higher institutions must have a system of allowing the senior members in grooming the junior faculty staff.

after 60 teacher should be assigned academic and research based assignments till 70. Administrative tasks should be assigned till 60.

Mi Criterio es que no debe obligarse a esos profesionales a retirarse a la edad de retirocomún para otras personas. En Cuba a los profesionales destacados en las ciencias la investigación o en la pedagogía se les da una categoría de Profesores Consultantes y se mantienen vinculados a su actividad hasta que ellos decidan desvincularse y se les trata con respeto y los más jóvenes siguen sus pubicaciones para sus trabajos. Para mi está claro que siempre que una persona pueda aportar con su creatividad al desarrollo de la sociedad y se sienta con fuerzas para asumir ese reto debe continuar trabajando aunque sea de forma parcial en lo que es especialista. Es lamentable como se pierden saberes de personas que han sido destacados en su labor, porque son olvidados o porque las personas que llevan esos trabajos desconocen el papel que esos profesionales jugaron en un momento determinado para el desarrollo de una actividad, como por ejemplo en el deporte. Hay entrenadores muy conocidos que siempre son nombrándolos y agasajados, pero alguien se ha preguntado cuantos fundadores del deporte en Cuba despues de 1959 aún están vivos y practicando deportes o que pudieran aportar al entrenamiento de las nuevas generaciones. Lo mismo sucede con maestros, pedagogos, historiadores que ya porque se retiraron por edad no son tenidos en cuenta. hay un profesor a quien he admirado tanto por su pedagogía y conocimientos que es Alejo Alejo, una personalidad de la Historia del Arte, para mi asistir a sus clases era asistir a un recorrido por la historia, y en su forma de impartir los contenidos se comunicaba con todos viejos y jóvenes. hay muchos ejemplos en las ciencias médicas en la que ellos con su experiencia ayudan al disgnóstico certero aunque ya no puedan quizás operar. Mis felicitaciones a todos los que se mantienen activos a pesar de la edad, pues el conocimiento no envejece, y lo deben dejar plasmado para las nuevas generaciones.

May be 70

How long can you be productive? How long will your health hold out? These questions have different answers for each individual. Would you force out Einstein at 65? (Although I am not claiming to be anywhere near that intelligent) If a professor is meeting their obligations and wishes to continue to work, why not?

I think a teacher or researcher should take retirement when s/he do not get interest to acquire new knowledge.

Age is not an important matter in this regard. It may be in thirties or forties also.

Thanks a lot Dr Michael, Dr Zainab, Dr Josef, Dr Pankaj and Dr Prabhjot for sharing your valuable response.

Thanks a lot Dr Parisa, Dr Azzawi, Dr Edwin, Dr Hein and Dr Rohini for sharing your important contribution.

Thanks a lot Dr Subhash, Dr Olutosin, Dr Ahed, Dr Carl and Dr Karthik for sharing your valuable thoughts.

Thanks a lot Dr Segun, Dr Jumoke, Dr Oluwaseum, Dr Han, and Dr Abdullah for sharing your important contribution.

Thanks a lot Dr Viola, Dr Dickson, Dr Abhimanyu, Dr Lourdes, Dr Mohanad and Dr Shibabrata for sharing your valuable views.

Generally, retirement is at 65-67. However, I believe that continuing work on research, or some project, or temporary teaching would be great. On the other side maybe regular teaching with everyday obligations could be diminished. Of course, everything depends on the needs of the University, and health. I believe that a man can work until around 70s ... but still afterwards to enjoy the science and life.

In my opinion, the retirement should be around 65 on teaching but on research, there is no age limitation up to 80-s. Of course, one important thing is that the young researchers should have more space and be involved on teaching and research. If the young ones will feel a bit excluded or left on the shadow, they may easily take another profession and create a gap of HR (at least, this is the case in Albania).

I think all answers given here are reasonable. Sometimes the difference between the salary during full employment and after retirement plays a role if the difference is very large.

Hein Retter

Prfessors’ health also plays huge importance.

Neurologic diseases often take their toll on older professors.

I think that professors can teach and do research until 70 or more. It depends on health and ability. Some professors can do research until 90.

Thanks a lot Dr Sanja and Dr Tanja for sharing your valuable views.

Thanks a lot Dr Hein and Dr Senad for sharing your valuable contribution.

Thanks a lot Dr Dennis and Dr Nabil for your contribution.

Some people may be active for longtime after the official age of retirement (around 65). It depends only on their physical and mental health. But speaking about scientific research - there cannot exist a retirement.

I live in Bulgaria and we have a big problem with elderly colleagues. The problem is that there are good professionals among them with very good state of mind but the law forces them to retire soon after the stated age (maybe about 2 years after prolongation). In the same time the salary level in the academic field is humiliatingly low. So few young specialists want the position. Therefore a huge precipice emerges. The professional experience of the older professor leaves unfollowed. The profession continuity is interrupted. And that is an irrecoverable mistake. So our higher education system is not prepared for such a step.

So, me personally, I have some concerns about the retirement of professors.

Thanks a lot Dr Yaseen for sharing your valuable views.

For lovers there is no retirement, they will do what they like while they are alive as long as they can. But if they want to spend the rest of their lives dedicated to the family, they need to be enabled. Of course, they have to find a place after 65, but under the condition that they do not allow the young people to progress.

The job of Researcher and Professor is for a lifetime. In the sense that it is impossible for these people to stop working. They stop only with their death. Therefore, I believe that there can not be a date set by law for their retirement. However, I believe that after sixty or sixty-five years they no longer have to deal with research management. In addition, after seventy years or seventy-five years, I think they should either retire permanently or only deal with research, hold seminars for students, publish research works and books, and take on the role of mentor maintaining a salary slightly higher than that of retirement. Since, in most cases, older professors and researchers are generally very wise people and that give prestige to research institutions and universities.

Thanks Dr Emin for sharing your valuable views.

Thanks a lot Dr Leonardo for sharing your valuable contribution.

Thanks a lot Dr Luciano for sharing your valuable thoughts.

I think that unofficially retirement age does not exist for teaching and research work. But officially it exist. An experienced professor and researcher always can guide and teach better becuause of his or her experience in domain. But in developing countries officially somewhere it acts like decreasing the opportunities for those professional who are waiting for getting job in teaching and research. On the other hand if any organization and institution has more experienced faculty then there are more chance of real and practical learings. For deciding the retirement age we should consider both positive and negative side. And the age of retirement varies from person to person depending on mental and physical capacity and health. We can't fix it for all but yes for some professors and researcher depending upon their achievement and work accomplishment there can be some flexibility in retirement age.

I think that each researcher has a biologocal retirement age.

Thanks Kirti for sharing well articulated response.

Thanks a lot Dr Abir for sharing your valuable views.

Kirti Nayal I see full agreement with my own experience. What amazes me the most, but also pleases me, is that such a simple question, which is answered worldwide under very different conditions of existence, naturally has different aspects, but basically shows a high degree of agreement.

Kind regards, Hein

Dr Hein, the needs for good teaching and research work are similar worldwide. You have rightly mentioned that worldwide Academics and researchers have lot of commonality in their thinking as well concern for continuation of teaching and research work. Experience and expertise of Senior Professors need to be harnessed as long as possible.

Actually speaking There is no Word like retirement For researchers but professors/faculty has.

however, thats depend upon person interest if after getting retirement Still he wants To be an active researcher then he can Go for it, till He is having that Affection, dedication and interest Towards it.

I want to answer this question in two parts. @Ashok Pundir.

1- Man is emotionally attached to things he does or lives with emotions never makes a man feel old , till he accepts it. so emotionally you can remain young as long as you want. And keep on working till you wish. there is no retirement at any age till the retirement is accepted. and the experience is definitely a big advantage to guide.

2- scientifically the studies says research needs the Memory, Brain processing speed, reaction time increases with increasing age. For every 15 years after the age of 24, cognitive speed is said to drop by around 15 per cent

a study says both brain and body starts slowing down after 40.

the link is

http://www.nbcnews.com/id/27243437/ns/health-aging/t/age-both-brain-body-start-slow/#.W8Xw0tczbIU

another study says

https://www.health.harvard.edu/mind-and-mood/how-memory-and-thinking-ability-change-with-age

another study says : For every 15 years after the age of 24, cognitive speed is said to drop by around 15 per cent , the link is

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/brain-test-judges-how-old-you-are-based-on-your-reaction-time-a6729966.html

hence technically, there has to be a retirement age. which has a scientifically supported evidences.

so what age that is a question of research.

Thanks a lot Dr Rahul for sharing your valuable views.

Thanks a lot Dr Sandeep for sharing your detailed and well articulated views.

Sandeep Savitaprakash Sharma Sometimes it is not a general intelligence performance, as determined by tests in published studies, that plays a role for the sciences, but special knowledge and skills that these studies, which are then also read on the Internet (but do not represent a reliable source). A professor may have a rather average IQ, but he may have the ability to train a number of outstanding young scientists. So I would not use general studies, but the academic performance of the individual at the university as a measure of the value of a professor in his or her workplace.

Hein Retter