Nine-year-old mathematics prodigy* March Boedihardjo, an Indonesian-Chinese boy living in Hong Kong, was admitted* by Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU) last week, becoming the youngest college student in the city.

The case of Boedihardjo, who moved to Britain after his elder brother was accepted at Oxford University two years ago, opened a debate in the SAR about whether gifted children should be pushed so far ahead of their physical age.

But after a week of deliberation* by four universities to which he applied about whether he was mature enough to cope with college life, he was offered a place by HKBU.

Acting president of HKBU Franklin Luk announced the decision at a press conference* together with Boedihardjo, who flashed a victory sign as he entered the room.

“I’m quite lucky,” said the boy, who spent two years at a private college in Oxford.

Next month, he will join other students who are on average 10 years older than he is, to start university life.

The university will specially design a five-year curriculum* for Boedihardjo which, when completed, will see him awarded a Bachelor of Science in Mathematical Sciences as well as a Master of Philosophy in Mathematics.

His father, Tony Boedihardjo, an ethnic Chinese originally from Indonesia, recognized his son’s intellectual gifts early, yet still wanted to keep him in a local primary school. But when March Boedihardjo’s brother, Horatio, won a place two years ago at Oxford at the age of 14, he decided the three of them should move to Britain.

The young genius*, who made funny faces and played with the microphone during the hour-long briefing, said that he had never been worried about dealing with classmates who will be much older than he is.

“When I was in Oxford, all my schoolmates were over 18 and we often discussed mathematics problems. I think I won’t have problems in communicating* with people older than me,” he said.

Boedihardjo said his biggest fear was the attention he would get when he started university.

“There is a lot of pressure on me,” he said.

Asked what he did in his spare time, he said: “Most of the time, I like to read books, but on the weekends I like to go out to play with friends.”

“We can play games together but academically*, we can’t communicate,” he said

Asked why he had not gone to school in the United Kingdom, he said: “Because my father does not have sufficient money.”

(SD-Agencies)