PNN congratulates second oldest PhD candidate (76) on obtaining her doctorate

The PhD Network Netherlands (PNN) attended Christine W. M. Schunck's defense yesterday in the Auditorium of Radboud University Nijmegen. Schunck received her doctorate for a dissertation on the church history of Curaçao, entitled " Intolerant Tolerance: The History of Catholic Missionary Work in Curaçao 1499-1776."

Schunck began her PhD in 1986, but her research was delayed several times for both personal and academic reasons. When she defended her dissertation, Schunck was 76.5 years old. At her advanced age, Schunck is likely the second-oldest female PhD candidate in the Netherlands to publicly defend her dissertation. There are more elderly male PhD candidates; the oldest man to ever complete a dissertation was the 92-year-old classicist Han Douwes.

On behalf of PNN, Vice-President Martijn Stoutjesdijk presented the newly-minted doctor with a bouquet of flowers. "We find it wonderful to see how even an elderly researcher can still make a significant contribution to the scientific debate," said Stoutjesdijk. "It was a pleasure to watch Ms. Schunck defend her dissertation with great expertise and humor."