An 11-year-old boy has obtained a bachelor’s degree in physics at the University of Antwerp.
Young graduate, Laurent Simons, from Oostende, Belgium, has successfully completed a three-year course in one year, whilst also taking master’s courses on the side.
He is also reported to have outperformed other students by getting the highest distinction possible.
An Antwerp University spokesperson said: “Simons has been studying for his bachelor’s degree in physics since March 2020, and he now graduated with 85%, which is the highest distinction.
“This year, he also took some courses from the master’s program. After the summer, he will officially start his master’s degree”.
Immortality is Laurent Simon’s goal
Simons, in an interview, noted that he put all other work on hold to take courses in classical mechanics and quantum physics, as he “wanted to know everything about these subjects right away”.
“Immortality, that is my goal. I want to be able to replace as many body parts as possible with mechanical parts. I have mapped out a path to get there. Quantum physics – the study of the smallest particles – is the first piece of the puzzle.
“Two things are important in such a study: acquiring knowledge and applying that knowledge. To achieve the second, I want to work with the best professors in the world, look inside their brains, and find out how they think”.
Simons studied at TU Eindhoven when he was nine years old, and would have been the youngest person ever to obtain a diploma in higher education, however, he left due to disagreements with the Dutch university before graduating.
He also previously studied at UGent where he already obtained credits, meaning he could obtain his bachelor’s degree with a shorter program at Antwerp University.
Why Laurent Simons dropped out of Eindhoven University
The parents of Laurent Simons, wanted him to graduate before his birthday on 26th December so he could be the first university graduate under 10. But Eindhoven University told them there were still too many exams Laurent needed to take before the targeted time.
His parents refused an offer of a mid-2020 graduation date and immediately removed him from the course.
Laurent was supposed to complete the three-year electrical engineering degree in just 10 months so he could meet his birthday deadline.
Alexander Simons, Laurent’s father, told Dutch media the university had criticized him for frequently courting media coverage of his son.
“If a child can play football well, we all think the media attention is great. My son has a different talent. Why should he not be proud of that?”
However, a statement released by the Eindhoven University of Technology stated it would not be feasible for Laurent to complete the course before turning 10, while also developing “insight, creativity and critical analysis. If he were to rush the course, his academic development would suffer”.
The university also cautioned against placing “excessive pressure on this nine-year-old student” who, it said, had “unprecedented talent”.
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