In an achievement that has stunned the global academic community, Belgian prodigy Laurent Simons has completed his PhD in quantum physics at the University of Antwerp at just fifteen years of age. Simons successfully defended his thesis last month, making him one of the youngest PhD holders in modern history.
Simons, who reportedly has an IQ of at least 145, first gained international attention at the age of twelve when he finished a three year undergraduate physics program in only eighteen months. His rapid academic progression placed him under the spotlight and drew interest from several technology companies in the United States and China that expressed willingness to bring him into their research ecosystems. His parents, Alexander and Lydia, have consistently turned down such offers from big tech giants.
The Brussels Times reported that Simons now intends to work toward a long term goal he has often referenced. He describes it as an effort to create what he calls super humans, driven by advances in physics, computation and medical science.
News of his PhD was shared by Simons himself in an Instagram post where he wrote that he had officially completed his doctorate. Messages of admiration from across the world followed. One commenter congratulated him while reminding him to enjoy his teenage years. Another called him one of the youngest PhD holders in global history. A third urged him to remain open to the broader philosophical questions of human consciousness as he continues his work.
Shortly after defending his thesis in Antwerp, Simons travelled to Munich to begin a second doctoral program. His new research track in medical science focuses on artificial intelligence, a field he has said is integral to the work he hopes to pursue, according to VTM, a flemish television network.
Although extraordinary, Simons is not the youngest doctoral graduate on record. The Guinness World Record for the youngest PhD holder still belongs to Johann Heinrich Friedrich Karl Witte who earned his doctorate at the University of Giessen in 1814 at the age of thirteen years and 283 days.
Simons’ journey nonetheless marks one of the most significant modern examples of accelerated learning and early scientific ambition, and his progress continues to attract global attention.
Simons, who reportedly has an IQ of at least 145, first gained international attention at the age of twelve when he finished a three year undergraduate physics program in only eighteen months. His rapid academic progression placed him under the spotlight and drew interest from several technology companies in the United States and China that expressed willingness to bring him into their research ecosystems. His parents, Alexander and Lydia, have consistently turned down such offers from big tech giants.
The Brussels Times reported that Simons now intends to work toward a long term goal he has often referenced. He describes it as an effort to create what he calls super humans, driven by advances in physics, computation and medical science.
Laurent Simons' Instagram Post on getting PhD:
News of his PhD was shared by Simons himself in an Instagram post where he wrote that he had officially completed his doctorate. Messages of admiration from across the world followed. One commenter congratulated him while reminding him to enjoy his teenage years. Another called him one of the youngest PhD holders in global history. A third urged him to remain open to the broader philosophical questions of human consciousness as he continues his work.
Shortly after defending his thesis in Antwerp, Simons travelled to Munich to begin a second doctoral program. His new research track in medical science focuses on artificial intelligence, a field he has said is integral to the work he hopes to pursue, according to VTM, a flemish television network.
Although extraordinary, Simons is not the youngest doctoral graduate on record. The Guinness World Record for the youngest PhD holder still belongs to Johann Heinrich Friedrich Karl Witte who earned his doctorate at the University of Giessen in 1814 at the age of thirteen years and 283 days.
Simons’ journey nonetheless marks one of the most significant modern examples of accelerated learning and early scientific ambition, and his progress continues to attract global attention.
