He’s 7, holds 5 records in SG, and attends Chemistry lectures at NTU

SINGAPORE: Students at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) may be surprised to see a classmate in their Chemistry lectures who’s a lot younger, not to mention smaller, than themselves, but it seems that Theodore Kwan is hardly fazed.

The young genius is the subject of a recent story in HEY on the NTU website, where he’s seen in a photo at a foundational chemistry lecture by Dr Sumod Pullarkat, with his rainbow-colored tablet and bright yellow Crocs, sitting beside his friends, all of whom are regular university students.

The piece says that Theodore is not a registered student and that he’s only on campus twice or thrice a week, always accompanied by either his mum or dad.

And get this: The reason why the young boy attends the lectures is to “feed his curiosity,” including his desire to know more about subjects such as molecular orbital theory, explained in the piece as “a method that uses quantum mechanics to explain electron behaviour.”

It quotes NTU Deputy President and Provost Prof Christian Wolfrum as saying, “Talent knows no age bracket. Whether sparked early or later, it should always be nurtured. NTU is committed to make learning available for all who are ready to explore their potential and make an impact.”

Fast facts about Singapore’s own wunderkind

Theodore has an IQ of 154. Before he turned 7, he received an A for a Chemistry paper in the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), the youngest in Singapore’s history to have done so. Aside from this, he holds four other records in Singapore.

Indeed, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, as the young boy’s mum, Crystal Tang, is a PhD student at NTU’s medical school.

“Theodore is very hungry to learn and has been asking for chemistry knowledge at higher levels, so we’re incredibly grateful for the rare opportunity to join these NTU lectures,” the piece quotes her as saying.

Another child prodigy in SG

Of course, Theodore is by no means the Little Red Dot’s only young genius. There is little Tanvi Trivedi, who two years ago won big at the 7th Eastern Asian Youth Chess Championship, held at Changjiang Chess Bay in Hainan, China.

Then, a Primary 2 student at Unity Primary School, Tanvi, as the Singapore Chess Federation noted, was the only member of the Singapore contingent to secure three medals across all formats in the U8 Girls category, winning the Gold for Rapid and Silvers for both Standard and Blitz.

“We look forward to her many successes ahead,” the federation added. /TISG

Read also: Singapore’s Chess Prodigy: Little Tanvi Trivedi, Primary 2 student wins big at the 7th Eastern Asian Youth Chess Championship 2023