Student, 20, seeks Ph.D

Press, 25 February 1988, Page 6

Student, 20, seeks Ph.D

By

DEBORAH McPHERSON

At an age when most university students are barely completing their first degree, David Tan, aged 20, has just completed his second and is off to Britain tomorrow for further study. Mr Tan, of Christchurch, has just completed his Ph.D. thesis in electrical engineering and is awaiting the result. Mr Tan was hailed as a child prodigy after he entered the University of Canterbury at the age of 13. By the time he was 16 he and completed a bachelor of science degree and was keen to take up post-graduate study. His work has been rewarded with a post-doc-toral research fellowship to study at the University erf Cambridge and a lectureship at the adjoining Churchill College, which would provide his income. During his three-year research, Mr Tan will examine the complex problem of the stability of spacecraft. In spite of several years of advanced study at such a young age, Mr Tan shows no sign of "burnout.”

He said he enjoyed his years at university and had not been made to "feel a freak.” He had also made many good friends and led a normal

student life. He attributes his success to the encouragement and support of his parents, as well as the challenging problems provided by his lecturers. The university liaison officer, Mr Eric Beardsley, said the university had been concerned about whether Mr Tan would be able to cope with the demands of study and university life at such a young age but these fears had proved groundless. “In fact, he has a personality that has helped him to cope well,” said Mr Beardsley. Mr Tan did not spend all his time at his books. He was also a keen soccer player and enjoyed music "as a hobby.”

Gifted children run in the Tan family. Mr Tan’s sister, Audrey, aged 13, a talented ballet dancer, is already following in her brother’s academic footsteps, having started a stage two mathematics correspondence course through Massey University. There was no pressure on her to do what he had, emphasised Mr Tan. His brother, Michael, was only four years old and so it was “too early to tell” where his talents lay. As to the future, Mr Tan is relaxed but undecided, and still keen to purSjie all avenues of learning.