Mother of grown-up daughter brushes aside critics who says she is ‘crazy’, says new educational journey means she has ‘truly woken up’

A woman from China has been hailed as an academic pioneer for embarking on a new chapter in her life by travelling to Europe to study at the age of 57.

The woman, who uses the alias Yujia Sister on social media, flew from Shanghai to Malta in mid-September, where she will attend a school with international students to learn English, the Shanghai Morning Post reported.

“If I did not do this now, I would not have the courage for it in the future when I am really old,” she told her daughter.

Yujia has been retired for two years.