Table of Contents

ABSTRACT

When a professor retires, there might be a choice of what age he/she chooses to retire in some cases, but in some other cases, there’s a nominal date of retirement and not many faculty members are allowed to go on. In either case, there is some degree of choice as to whether one wishes to continue on, either as a full time or part time capacity. It is sobering to find that in Hong Kong, with the sky rocketing property prices (nearly increased up to five fold in the last decade), even a professor’s salary and benefit package does not seem to be enough to cover the high standard of living and guarantee a comfortable retirement, so for those who did not purchase a property until they retire in recent years, many choose to work as long as they could in whatever capacity. Of course, this wish to stay on is in additional to their original calling which make them consider that they are extremely lucky and enjoy a very special privilege, i.e., to have the chance of doing research, something that is fun to start off with, and they have been lucky to be paid to do something they really enjoy and so they like to continue. However, in the case in which a professor does have a choice, to retire while they are still in their golden period, or not to retire until the grants run out, is somewhat similar to an actress, especially a female actress, whether she wishes to retire when she is still beautiful and the audience remembers her youthful face, or whether she should struggle to be on the stage, and retire in her ripe old age, after all the wrinkles come out and people would only remember how she might bitterly beg to work on the stage and fight with thousands of actress-hopeful, and think of her as a yesteryear movie star, being old, bitter and unattractive.