The Southampton Institute is in a quandary. If the institution is to be judged on the opportunities it provides for lifelong learning, then its performance is excellent. If, however, it is to be judged on how long its students take to complete their courses, then the prognosis is less good. Guest of honour at this week's official launch of its Centre for Languages and European Studies was 80-year-old German language student Reg Chave, who started his studies at the Southampton Institute in 1975.