A nine-year-old child genius Laurent Simons from Belgium is on his way to bagging a bachelor’s degree at an unbelievable age.
The boy is a student at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE) where he is studying electrical engineering.
According to his father, Alexander Simons, Laurent is set to finish his degree in December and has plans to embark on a PhD program in electrical engineering while also studying for a medicine degree.
The child genius has also been described by staff of TUE as “simply extraordinary.”
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According to his parents, Lydia and Alexander Simons, they thought Laurent’s grandparents were exaggerating when they said he had a gift, but his teachers soon concurred.
“They noticed something very special about Laurent,” said Lydia.
Laurent was given test after test as teachers tried to work out the extent of his talents.
“They told us he is like a sponge,” said Alexander.
There has been no explanation as to why their child prodigy is capable of learning so quickly despite Laurent coming from a family of doctors. His mother, Lydia is of the theory that:
“I ate a lot of fish during the pregnancy,” she joked.
Although proud of his incredible achievement, his parents are also careful to ensure that he enjoys his childhood like every other child
“We don’t want him to get too serious. He does whatever he likes,” said Alexander. “We need to find a balance between being a child and his talents.”
Laurent said he enjoys playing with his dog Sammy and playing on his phone, like many young people.
The TUE has allowed Laurent to complete his course faster than other students. Sjoerd Hulshof, the education director of the TUE bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, in a statement said:
“That is not unusual. Special students that have good reasons for doing so can arrange an adjusted schedule. In much the same way we help students who participate in top sport.
Laurent is the fastest student we have ever had here. Not only is he hyper intelligent but also a very sympathetic boy.”
Laurent told CNN his favorite subject is electrical engineering and he’s also “going to study a bit of medicine.” However, unlike most 9-year-olds, he has already worked out what he wants to do with his life: develop artificial organs.
It is gathered that some prestitgious universities from around the world have shown interest in Laurent’s progress although his family is coy about naming which of them he is considering for his PhD.
“The absorption of information is no problem for Laurent,” said his father. “I think the focus will be on research and applying the knowledge to discover new things.”
Before he embarks on a PhD after finishing his current degree, he has plans on taking a vacation to Japan for an undoubtedly well-deserved break.
THE GUARDIAN