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Belgian Boy on Track to become World's Youngest University Graduate

Article content EINDHOVEN. Laurent Simons holds his puppy in his arms and looks just like any other 9-year old boy. He then begins to describe his work at the Netherlands' university in which he has created a computer circuit that can reproduce a part of the brain.



"What we're doing is placing neurons and making connections to study what happens to medication in a part of the brain," he says of the brain-on-chip project that blends the biomedical and electrical engineering fields.



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Article content The Belgian boy wonder, who has an intelligence of 140 and a bachelor's degree as an electrical engineer at Eindhoven University of Technology next month is set to become the world's smallest university graduate.



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Article content Sammy, a 9-week-old puppy and snoozed in his mom Lydia's arms as he discussed his plans after graduation.



After completing high school in about a year, Laurent - born in Belgium but currently living in the Netherlands has enrolled in the university and will finish the three-year bachelor's program in less than nine months.



"Every professor is very excited about Laurent and for us it's a special situation, of course, because he's the youngest student in history," said Sjoerd Hulshof, program director.



Article content "The speed of his mind - we cannot imagine what's happening inside his head. He is three times smarter than the smartest student we have ever had.



Currently the youngest person to obtain a college degree is American Michael Kearney, who made the record in June 1994 at 10 years, 4 months, according to the Guinness Book of World Records.



When when he's not at university, Laurent says he walks the dog, plays video games such as Minecraft and Fortnite or posts photos on Instagram.



Nikola Tesla, the Serbian-American inventor, inspired him to study artificial organs and eventually design an entire artificial body in his lab. He said that his parents were heart patients.



International universities are offering many offers and Laurent's parents help him evaluate the options. The U.S. West Coast is an extremely popular tourist destination.



His father, Alexander, doesn't dare to predict Laurent's fate because he has smashed all expectations so far however he stressed that there was no rush.



"What he's doing now is playing with education, playing around," he said. "And we're fine with that." (Reporting by Anthony Deutsch; Editing by Alex Richardson)



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