Reactivating Expertise: Emeritus Psychologists as Knowledge Entrepreneurs in Ageing Societies

As life expectancy and professional longevity increase (United Nations, 2019, 2023), a growing number of psychologists—many holding emeritus professorships—reach retirement age while remaining physically healthy, cognitively active, and socially motivated. At the same time, societies worldwide are facing converging psychological and labour market challenges. These include rising mental health needs, increased social fragmentation, and the rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI), which is reshaping work, identity, trust, and human–machine interaction (Floridi et al., 2018; OECD, 2021).

AI systems promise efficiency gains and decision-making support in sectors such as healthcare, education, and recruitment. Yet they also generate new concerns—particularly around job displacement, the devaluation of interpersonal skills, and the erosion of human agency in decision-making. While many routine tasks are being automated, demand is rising for high-skill, judgment-intensive roles that require emotional intelligence, ethical sensitivity, and reflective thinking—capacities that AI cannot easily replicate (OECD, 2021) where coaching and mentoring of the younger generations are needed.

These structural changes coincide with demographic transitions across much of the world: declining fertility rates, slower workforce growth, and projected shortages in several knowledge-based professions (OECD, 2023; United Nations, 2023).

This dual transformation—technological and demographic—has produced a widening gap between a shrinking supply of younger professionals and an expanding pool of older, experienced individuals no longer in full-time employment but eager to remain engaged. Emeritus psychologists represent a particularly valuable resource in this regard. Their accumulated expertise and long-term perspective are increasingly relevant in a world of accelerated change and growing psychosocial complexity. Many in this group express a continued desire for intellectual stimulation, purposeful engagement, and avenues for social contribution. Research on active ageing affirms that autonomy and meaningful participation are strong predictors of well-being in later life (WHO, 2015; Zaidi et al., 2018).

Recognising this, post-retirement engagement should not be understood merely as a means to address labour shortages. Instead, it should be considered a critical component of multigenerational social development—one that honours the capacity of older professionals to remain productive, adaptable, and socially invested. Emeritus psychologists, like many retirees, may seek a shift in pace and responsibility while still wishing to sustain a sense of recognition and relevance. Policy and institutional frameworks should support such aspirations through flexible and voluntary avenues for engagement.

This article argues that emeritus psychologists represent a largely untapped resource for responding to contemporary societal and technological shifts. Building on emerging conceptualisations of emeritus academics as entrepreneurial actors (Saner, 2025), it proposes reframing retirement not as withdrawal but as a new phase of contribution. Here, “entrepreneurship” refers not to commercial activity, but to initiative-taking, ethical stewardship, and the creative application of accumulated expertise to unmet needs.

This perspective aligns closely with the tradition of applied psychology, which has long operated at the nexus of scientific inquiry and real-world problem-solving. Drawing on the disciplinary and sub-disciplinary structure articulated by the International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP, 2019), the article highlights how psychologists across clinical, developmental, social, organisational, environmental, health, and economic domains can remain actively engaged post-retirement. Their unique combination of professional independence, ethical maturity, and lived experience positions them to serve as mentors, knowledge translators, and boundary spanners—particularly in settings where AI-driven systems require human-centred interpretation, risk evaluation, and value-sensitive governance (Floridi et al., 2018; OECD, 2021), or simply address the psychological stress induced by rapid changing social structures and human relations.

This reframing of retirement as a knowledge-based contribution phase has wider implications. For professional associations, it calls for creating platforms that facilitate emeritus engagement in teaching, supervision, policy advising, and community initiatives. For academic institutions, it suggests designing structures that allow phased participation and recognise post-retirement value creation. For public policy, it challenges ageist assumptions about capacity and productivity, contributing to more inclusive frameworks of social investment in later life.

Several directions for policy-relevant research arise from this reconceptualization:

First, empirical research should explore how emeritus psychologists can contribute to human-centred AI development, particularly in mental health, education, and ethics. Their involvement in oversight boards, design workshops, or interdisciplinary research teams could support the integration of psychological insight into algorithmic systems (Floridi et al., 2018; Mittelstadt et al., 2016).

Second, comparative research is needed to examine how professional bodies and pension systems shape opportunities for post-retirement engagement. Cross-national case studies could identify enabling policies or institutional innovations that facilitate voluntary mentoring, teaching, and applied research by retired psychologists (Saner, 2025; OECD, 2023; Zaidi et al., 2018).

Third, studies should investigate the relationship between post-retirement professional activity and well-being among older psychologists. Longitudinal research can help assess how flexible engagement impacts cognitive function, emotional health, and social connectedness in ageing populations (WHO, 2015).

Finally, interdisciplinary research is needed to integrate productive ageing models with digital and workforce transitions. Emeritus psychologists could contribute to shaping human–machine interfaces, AI policy frameworks, and training models that prioritise psychological safety, trust, and human dignity in an increasingly automated world (OECD, 2021).

If you would like to know more about this initiative, please feel free to contact us at yiu@csend.org and saner@csend.org for further information and updates.

References

Floridi, L., Cowls, J., Beltrametti, M., Chatila, R., Chazerand, P., Dignum, V., … Vayena, E. (2018). AI4People—An ethical framework for a good AI society. Minds and Machines, 28(4), 689–707. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11023-018-9482-5
International Association of Applied Psychology. (2019). IAAP divisions and interest groups. https://iaapsy.org/about/divisions-and-interest-groups/

Mittelstadt, B. D., Allo, P., Taddeo, M., Wachter, S., & Floridi, L. (2016). The ethics of algorithms: Mapping the debate. Big Data & Society, 3(2), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/2053951716679679

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2021). OECD framework for the classification of AI systems. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/ai/

Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. (2023). Demographic trends and long-term population projections. OECD Publishing. https://www.oecd.org/els/population/

Saner, R. (2025). Emeritus professors as entrepreneurial actors: Rethinking post-retirement engagement in knowledge-intensive societies in Saner-Yiu, (ed.) “Special Issue on Ageing, Productivity, and Socio-Economic Development: Policy Options”, vol. 28 (1): 19-32. https://doi.org/10.1108/PAP-08-2024-0126

United Nations. (2019). World population ageing 2019: Highlights. UN DESA. https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/

United Nations. (2023). World population prospects 2022: Summary of results. UN DESA. https://www.un.org/development/desa/pd/

World Health Organization. (2015). World report on ageing and health. WHO Press. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565042

Zaidi, A., Harper, S., Howse, K., Lamura, G., & Perek-Białas, J. (2018). Building evidence for active ageing policies: Active Ageing Index and its potential. Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6017-5

Reactivating Expertise:

"Emeritus psychologists, like many retirees, may seek a shift in pace and responsibility while still wishing to sustain a sense of recognition and relevance."