Lu, a former professor of electrical engineering, recently stepped down from his job at a university in southwest China’s Sichuan province after hitting retirement age.
But, in a break from normal practice, the 62-year-old’s long career at the school is far from over. In September, Lu will return to the faculty – this time as a research fellow.
“The university hoped that I could continue working on some of the projects I haven’t finished, because I am one of the most experienced professors,” Lu said.
For his new role, Lu accepted a monthly salary of about 10,000 yuan (US$1,470), less than before his retirement. The school will also no longer make social security contributions on his behalf, given he is already receiving a pension. But Lu said the deal worked for him.
“Money is less of a consideration for me now,” he said. “I can’t really just sit idle, so I was quite happy when the university asked if they could rehire me.”