‘You don’t feel out of place’: Luciano Anastasi starts university at 64

At the age of 64, Luciano Anastasi – a former Chief Information Officer at MAPFRE MSV Life and Head of IT at APS – has commenced a university course in medieval and modern European history. 

Although he comes from the world of tech, Mr Anastasi has long been drawn to medieval history, exploring this passion through a dedicated website and Substack.

In an inspirational LinkedIn post, he reflected on his experience since returning to university, not to chase a qualification but out of pure curiosity. 

“My professional life has been rooted in IT, and I completed a master’s degree at fifty through distance learning. That experience was valuable – but it was solitary. Structured. Efficient. This is different. This is alive,” he said. 

“There is something deeply energising about being physically present on campus.”

“The conversations before and after lectures. The spontaneous debates. The shared sense of purpose. And perhaps most of all, the students.”

“I find myself surrounded by young people – bright, driven, full of ideas. They carry with them an optimism that is both humbling and contagious. Listening to them, learning alongside them, you cannot help but feel hopeful. They will shape the world in ways we can only begin to imagine – and improve it in ways we quietly hoped for but never quite managed ourselves.”

Mr Anastasi said he was surprised to realise that he doesn’t feel at all out of place as a 64-year-old mingling with much younger students. 

“If anything, you feel privileged. To be there. To still be learning. To still be curious,” he said.

“So, if you are reading this and wondering whether it is ‘too late’ to start something new – whether that’s university, a course, or simply a long-delayed passion – let me gently say: it isn’t. Not even close.”

“Learning does not belong to any age group. Nor does growth. Nor does reinvention.”

“If anything, there is a certain clarity that comes with time. You choose what you truly care about. You engage more deeply. You are less concerned with proving something and more interested in understanding.”

“And perhaps that is the greatest gift of all.”

Cover photo: Luciano Anastasi/LinkedIn