The U3L is celebrating its 40th anniversary at Frankfurt's Goethe University this year. U3 – what? U3L, the "University of the Third Age," offers study opportunities for "young seniors." For those who are no longer sitting at office desks but could still do so. For all those who feel more like "seasoned veterans" than "old codgers." In other words, those who resonate with Udo Jürgens when he sings that life really begins "at 66 years."

Not everyone is equally enthusiastic about this format of learning at an old age. The interaction between young students, focused on obtaining certificates in seminars, and retirees who are not pursuing master's degrees is not entirely without tension. It starts with the temperature in the shared seminar room ("It's drafty in here!") and extends to the length of presentations ("I have prepared an additional 80 pages on the Hambach Festival").

Friction occurs specifically in the Historical Seminar, where the percentage of silver-haired students is traditionally relatively high – especially in events covering the Vormärz (the Age of Metternich) or the Bismarck era. In these classes, someone from the older generation may be playfully mocked as a "witness to the times." However, overall, U3L is highly esteemed. University professors celebrate it as an "educational gem," a "stroke of luck," and "lifelong learning at its best."

Beyond the University of the Third Age, there are obviously plenty of other events at the university open not only to young students but also to guests. My personal favorite: the lecture series "Interdisciplinary Forensic Medicine," where all adult age groups are fairly represented in the auditorium. Whether it's about detecting drugs in hair samples or bone findings in the city forest (which, fortunately, usually turn out to be remnants of deer or roe deer during autopsies), scientists analyze what is primarily the concern of the tabloid press.

Even those seeking answers to more far-fetched questions can find opportunities for discussion with experts in the open program of Goethe University, such as in the upcoming days with "Gendering Cardiovascular Medicine – do women's hearts beat differently?" And the university sometimes even offers immediate practical life advice, such as in the civic lecture on men's mental health or the event "Tips for Buying a Telescope," to which the Physical Society invites promptly at the beginning of the festive season.

Needless to say, in the extensive program of Goethe University, there are also numerous topics that should be of particular interest to bankers or finance professionals, such as game theory or "Artificial Intelligence in the Management of a Joint Stock Company."

And if that's not enough, there's also the adult education center (VHS) with its information and training offerings – from "Effective Time Management" to "Authentic Leadership – From Colleague to Manager," as well as courses on analyzing quarterly reports from companies (explicit note from the speaker: "Bring a calculator!") or the granular examination of course charts in the seminar on chart analysis.

Last but not least, at the Frankfurt adult education center, you can also learn a language: not just English, French, or Spanish, but also Korean or Hungarian. Or even "Better German," a special offering for German speakers who may spend too much time on their smartphones and, therefore, want to become more confident in speech and writing and "learn from misstakes," as the VHS program pointedly states.