Lecturer retires after nearly 60 years at university

The University of Sussex has bid farewell to what it said could be one of the UK's longest-serving lecturers.

Prof James Hirschfeld retired from the university after almost 60 years, during which time he taught some 15,000 undergraduates and published 80 research papers.

The veteran mathematician joined the university aged 23.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sussex he asked why people were interested in his particular career. "It seems unimportant someone retiring," he said.

Prof Hirschfeld, now 84, began working at the university in 1966, first as a junior academic and later serving as dean.

He also met his late wife there.

The University of Sussex's vice-chancellor, Sasha Roseneil, said he had "contributed enormously both in his teaching... [and] as a world-leading researcher who has won prizes for his research in geometry."

Prof Hirschfeld grew up in Sydney, Australia, with his Jewish parents having fled Germany in 1938 when he said "it was necessary to do so".

Prof Hirschfeld said he had witnessed polytechnics becoming universities, shift from handwritten letters to computing, and the introduction of tuition fees across his nearly six-decade career.

However, some things remained the same, like exams, he said.

The University of Sussex has also grown over his time, with only about 2.500 students when he began, compared to about 18,000 now, Prof Hirschfeld said.

Asked if he had a favourite moment, he said: "I have just loved it all."

He added: "Working at the University of Sussex has kept me alive, and I will miss it.

"But it's finally time for me to bow out and let younger academics take over."

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