11/07/2026
A specialist diploma at 69, a career shift in motion, and a mindset that refuses to slow down. Meet Adrian Lau, one of Republic Polytechnic's most inspiring grads.
Back in the 1970s, Adrian joined the army as a young man from a humble background, with just a basic trade certificate to his name. Fast forward through decades of hard work in health and safety across oil and gas, shipping, construction and manufacturing, and Adrian never stopped chasing one goal: to keep learning, no matter his age.
This May, he added another qualification to an already impressive list. Six diplomas, one degree, and now a Specialist Diploma in Environmental and Corporate Sustainability from RP, earned part-time.
Why sustainability? After years in health and safety roles, he wanted to properly understand things like sustainability reporting and carbon emissions calculations, skills increasingly in demand across every industry today.
What makes his story even more remarkable is where he started. Growing up as the sixth of ten children, he remembers feeling “lost” in Primary 1, without even knowing his ABCs. That early sense of catching up stuck with him, and became fuel.
“When I was in the army, one of my aspirations was that, by hook or by crook, I needed to get a degree,” he shares. He finally achieved that in his 60s, graduating from University of Newcastle, Australia in collaboration with PSB Academy, at age 60.
Now recently retrenched and job hunting again, Adrian isn't slowing down. His outlook says it all: “Learning keeps you going. It oils your mind and you articulate your thoughts better.”
At RP, he's part of a growing wave. Senior learners aged 60 and above now make up 11.3% of the student population, more than double what it was in 2022.
Age is just a number, and clearly, so is a graduation date. Proud to have Adrian as part of the RP family!
Inspired by Adrian’s commitment to lifelong learning? Start your own journey with our RP October 2026 intake
👉 www.rp.edu.sg/lifelong-learning/october-intake/
Photo Credit: The Straits Times