A grandfather who has held a senior position in the World Bank and travelled the globe will today crown his lifetime's achievements by becoming a North-East university's oldest PhD graduate.

The event at Newcastle University will also mark a homecoming for 76-year-old Bill Sheldrick, who will be able to use the title Doctor after graduating.

It is more than 50 years since he left King's College, Durham, which eventually became part of Newcastle University, with two engineering degrees that launched him into a successful career in the international chemical industry.

Armed with his latest qualification _ a prestigious academic award for original research work_ a second career beckons: academia.

Mr Sheldrick, who studied full time and paid the course fees himself, said: "I don't like the word retirement.

"I think it's right that you move on to make room for other young, talented people who want to get a foot on the career ladder, but I still think there is plenty of room in the world for people with experience and expertise."

Born in 1925 in Chester-le-Street, County Durham, Bill became a pupil at the town's grammar school, where he met his wife, Dorothy. He left in 1943 to join the Royal Navy during World War Two.

After the war he was accepted onto the second year of the three-year Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering. When he successfully completed this, he joined the first intake on the new MSc in Chemical Engineering and worked for ICI and Fisons Fertilisers. In 1975, the World Bank asked him to take over the new post of head of the Fertiliser Unit, a job based in Washington, USA. His doctorate describes an original mathematical computer-based model to measure nutrient flows in soils for 197 countries between 1961 and 1996 and is a particularly important tool for developing countries where soil nutrient depletion could lead to mass famine. Mr Sheldrick said: "I am looking forward to spending some more time on my hobby now the PhD is over. I love trains - I've travelled all over Europe, the United States, India and China by rail - and I've modelled the American Pacific North West railroad in a room above my garage."