92-year-old student dedicates six hours daily to his art doctoral thesis

An industrial engineer with 13 children and 39 grandchildren, now a PhD candidate at UIC, researches surprise and artistic creation.

Image of a hand writing in a notebook, with books and art supplies in the background.
IA

Image of a hand writing in a notebook, with books and art supplies in the background.

A 92-year-old student, with a life full of personal and professional achievements, dedicates six hours daily to handwriting his doctoral thesis on the phenomenology of surprise and artistic creation at the International University of Catalonia (UIC).

This individual, who already obtained a degree and doctorate in Industrial Engineering in 1956, decided to enroll in Fine Arts at the age of 83. His motivation was to find an artistic activity while his wife was in a residence. After seven years, he earned his degree at the University of Barcelona (UB), coexisting with much younger students.

"Every time I go to see my family doctor, he tells me he wishes his blood tests were as perfect."

the student
Currently, he continues his academic training at the UIC, where he investigates surprise as the principle of philosophy and knowledge. His thesis, which he writes by hand and his secretary types, aims to paint more and better. Despite his age, he enjoys good physical and mental health, and maintains an active social life with his family, which includes 13 children, 39 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.
His professional career includes having crossed the Atlantic 500 times to work in the United States and Latin America, in addition to being a lecturer at IESE, where he still serves as an emeritus professor. Despite his impressive biography, he defines himself as a normal and humble person.