To start, I wish you all a wonderful New Year 2025!
The year
that passed (2024) marked my first year as a “retiree”, or “pensionist”, since
my academic (and overall professional) career officially ended on 31.12.2023.
So it is perhaps natural to ask, what’s the scoop?
In a blog
posted on 1.1.2024, I attempted to give a review of that career, see HERE. In
it, and among other things, I predicted that it would be unlikely for me go to
a Greek ”καφενείο” (coffee place) to play backgammon (using a popular Greek
phrase for what retirees are supposed to do). And indeed, I sadly confess that
I did not play backgammon in 2024, neither at a Greek καφενείο (of the many I
have been) nor anywhere else. In fact, I have not played backgammon for many
years, so whenever I do it again I will surely be rusty.
The few years that preceded my retirement were transient, in
the sense that when I decided to retire (decision was made in mid-2020), I
planned a “phased” retirement, which entailed a gradual reduction of work from
September 2021 until the end of 2023. Upon agreement with my boss (also known
as the PSEXIT agreement), official working hours were gradually reduced during
that period, and until they went all the way to zero from 1.1.2024 on. I
figured that this would be better than an abrupt transition from 100% to zero
in one day. I was right, it was definitely better, however at times I got the
impression that the reduction concerned only the salary and not the actual work
output. To be fair, I surely had more time to engage in extracurricular
activities. Travel was one of them, and indeed I had more time to travel for
leisure, and I fondly remember that period for all that extra travel,
especially in France. I even received a “fouetteur” certificate for whipping chantilly
in Chantilly. And visited the Normandy beaches.
Another extracurricular activity was painting, and indeed
during the transition period I made a number of paintings, see HERE. All of
these paintings are now in Sifnos.
So the phased scheme worked just fine. More significant, two
important research projects were completed during that period, MBM SUSHI and AEGIS,
the latter being my last project (among 55 or so).
Did the phased period result in a reduction in the (per year)
number of papers, citations, or bibliometric stats? Not really, quite the
opposite was actually (and surprisingly) the case. Momentum probably.
Then as of 1.1.2024, I joined the retiree club. Did my academic activities shut down? Not really. Among other things:
·
Continued to co-supervise a PhD
·
Gave a number of invited lectures
·
Taught two short courses (in Greece and Norway).
·
Evaluated some proposals to the EU
·
Reviewed a number of papers (much reduced)
·
Co-authored a number of papers (none as main
author)
·
Participated in a research project (not mine)
·
Continued to follow the IMO discussion on
carbon emissions L
·
Even received an award for a 2023 paper
My bibliometric stats marginally improved in 2024, see HERE. But I am sure that soon they will be abysmally bad.
In terms of extracurricular activities, there was some
travel, including the US, Denmark and France. We even went to a Celtics home game,
which they actually lost. And we watched the solar eclipse up in New Hampshire
(huge traffic jams).
I also celebrated, with other former colleagues, the 50th
anniversary of my graduation from NTUA in 1974.
Sadly, there was no painting in 2024. But I have plans, as
soon as our house ceases to look like a warehouse (it may take a while).
All in all, and as far as I can tell, I am still standing.
PS (NEW) CAREER VIDEO PODCAST HERE
