89-year-old man returns to lecture hall, successfully defends doctoral thesis after 60 years

Having abandoned his thesis in 1960, Jean-Marie Goizet returned to school after six decades, diligently studying and successfully defending his doctorate in law at the age of 89.

Mr. Jean - Marie Goizet - Photo: LE FIGARO

At the age of 89, Jean-Marie Goizet - a former notary living in the town of Lussac, near Libourne (France) - successfully defended his doctoral thesis in law, ending an academic journey that had been interrupted since 1960.

Unfinished journey

According to Le Figaro newspaper (France), in 1960, Mr. Jean - Marie Goizet started to do his doctoral thesis on the topic "Glass - modern construction material and powers in the Civil Code". This was a topic that a lecturer assigned him at the end of his university years.

However, his research journey was unfinished when Mr. Goizet decided to stop studying, become a notary and stick with the profession for many decades. In the 1990s, he retired and spent time taking care of his family's vineyard.

An unexpected turning point came in 2020 when Mr. Jean - Marie Goizet decided to return to the lecture hall where he stopped more than six decades ago.

"I left my research unfinished because I had to go to work. When I was going through old boxes, I unexpectedly found old manuscripts. I told myself: I can't let these things become meaningless, I have to continue," he said.

Mr. Jean - Marie Goizet also shared: "I always regret not completing my thesis and not being able to become a doctor of law. Some of my colleagues have achieved that, so I am a bit jealous!"

Back to school

In 2020, Mr. Jean - Marie Goizet decided to bring old research manuscripts to present to a law professor at the School of Law and Political Science at the University of Bordeaux.

According to him, the professor assessed that the topic was still too sketchy and had not been explored in depth enough. Therefore, the professor suggested that he could retain the main structure, but had to expand the research.

From there, the subject was developed into "Glass - Construction Materials and the Law", a richer and more up-to-date version, especially on legal aspects that did not appear in the 1960s.

"I had to relearn a lot: urban law, construction law. Environmental law had not even been created at that time. I was truly a student again!" - Mr. Jean - Marie Goizet said with a smile.

For five years, Mr. Jean - Marie Goizet diligently researched, often going to the library to find documents and do research. "There were times when I doubted myself," he confided.

Becoming a doctor at the age of 89

In June 2025 , Mr. Jean - Marie Goizet entered the thesis defense session before the scientific council. Despite having had many experiences in life, he still could not avoid feeling nervous.

He eventually received an excellent review and officially became a doctor of law at the age of 89.

During the ceremony, he was invited onto the stage with the youngest doctor of the class. The whole hall gave him a long round of applause, which moved him deeply.

Last September, Mr. Goizet celebrated his 90th birthday and wittily shared: "If only I had received my degree at the age of 90, it would have been even more 'cool'!"

It is known that Mr. Goizet's research work is more than 500 pages thick, built from two stages more than 60 years apart.

On the cover, he quotes the French poet and resistance fighter Claude Aveline: "Don't think you're going the wrong way, just because you haven't gone far enough."

TAM DUONG - VNA

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/cu-ong-89-tuoi-tro-lai-giang-duong-bao-ve-thanh-cong-luan-an-tien-si-sau-60-nam-2025120810444935.htm