A PhD at 21?

This story in the Star inspired as well as made me a little depressed.

"Chan Yaoban, 21, who graduated with a PhD in Mathematics and Statistics yesterday, is the youngest student to be conferred a doctorate since the university began awarding the postgraduate degree in 1948."

I was just entering college when I was 21. I'm now 30 and am only in my 2nd year of my PhD program. When I graduate (fingers crossed) in 2009 I'll be almost 34. Where did I go wrong?

But seriously, Yaoban's achievement is pretty remarkable. Not only because he managed to get his PhD at such a young age but what he's doing with his brains and knowledge.

"Chan continues to work at the university as a post-doctoral fellow on a joint project with the Australian National University to develop a statistical method to identify protein anomalies in the brain, with a view to diagnose schizophrenia and bipolar disorder."

The article didn't mention his current citizenship status but it's likely that he's either a New Zealand or Australian citizen. I'd be certainly interested if his parents kept his Malaysian citizenship for him and applied for an NZ or Aussie PR. And if I were an enterprising VC in one of the local varsities, I'd try to recruit him to work back home in Malaysia.

His story is very similar to the story of Dr. Chua Choong Tze, currently teaching at the Singapore Management University (SMU) which was highlighted in an earlier blog by Tony. I managed to find this old Straits Times article on Dr. Chua and I thought that I'd reproduce it in its entirety because it highlights a few salient points.

Just 23 and an assistant professor at SMU (Straits Times, July 20th, 2003)

"AT A time when most fresh graduates are pounding the streets looking for jobs, one 23-year-old man has a six-figure paycheck waiting for him. Dr Chua Choong Tze, who finished his studies in May, will start teaching at the Singapore Management University (SMU) next month.He will be an assistant professor of finance and the youngest assistant professor in Singapore.While his boss, SMU provost Tan Chin Tiong, would not say exactly how much the university is paying him, he let on that, on average, a person with Dr Chua's credentials can earn at least US$100,000 (S$177,200) at any good American university for a nine-month contract.And he added: 'We are out there recruiting top people, we are paying top United States university salaries.'Dr Chua, who has a doctorate in statistics from the prestigious Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, is something of a whiz kid.He was the first person in his department to complete his bachelors, masters and PhD degrees in five years. Most students take five years just to complete their doctorate.He comes with glowing credentials from his professors, including his Wharton adviser, Dr Dean Foster who said a member of the US National Academy of Sciences had said Dr Chua's five year schedule was only reasonable for 'the greatest statisticians'.For his doctoral thesis, Dr Chua created a new interest rate model that attempts to give more accurate forecasts of interest rate movements.Prof Tan said: 'Dr Chua's age doesn't come into the picture. A top PhD in finance is a rare commodity.'His credentials are impeccable. And big-name professors have written very strong recommendations for him.'Dr Chua, a Malaysian, has long had his heart set on Singapore. His wife, elder brother, who is an accountant, and friends all live here.He studied at Raffles Institution and Raffles Junior College on an Asean scholarship - an Education Ministry scholarship that brings the best brains in the region here.The younger son of tax officers, Dr Chua graduated with first class honours in economics in two years.He doubled his workload and completed his basic degree in half the usual time to save money. It was the height of the Asian financial crisis then, and his parents could 'hardly afford a US education'.He started working on his PhD in his third year.He said of his doctoral classes: 'It was scary at times. Sometimes, I had no idea what was going on in class. I basically had to catch up myself.'And unlike most PhD students, he started on his dissertation while attending doctoral classes.He wanted to finish his PhD fast, to come home to his Singaporean fiancee - now his wife - a 23-year-old civil servant he met at Wharton.As a PhD candidate, Dr Chua also had to spend time teaching other students.Still, he found time for romance, hanging out with friends and at least seven hours of sleep a day. Holidays were spent travelling to Europe and around the US.'There's enough time to do all these things. You just don't waste time doing stupid things like chatting on ICQ or surfing the Web for no reason,' said Dr Chua. 'I'm very focused.'This articulate young man will stand in front of hundreds of students around his age, teaching them all about corporate finance.'I think my age is an advantage as we are from the same generation, and it's easier to build a stronger rapport.'Teaching is about engaging students and making things relevant,' he said.Dr Chua will also concentrate on his research work, which includes improving his interest rate model.And he wants to do more.He said: 'I'm interested in youth development... I want to make a difference, cliched as it sounds.'"

A few points to note.
1) SMU went all out to recruit him including offering him a generous financial package
2) Singapore had a head start on recruiting him because he was formerly an ASEAN scholar at RI and RJC (both Tony and myself are alumnus of both schools) and his wife, brother and friends are all in Singapore
3) He wants to make a difference over and beyond his immediate field of expertise. (He's on the board of management of a charity called Youth Challenge in Singapore)

I'm really happy for Malaysians like Dr. Chan Yao ban and Dr. Chua Choong Tze. They've obvsiouly harnessed their intellectual and have reaped the rewards early in life. But more importantly, they seem to want to put their intellect to serve the larger community. I wish them all the best. My only slight peeve is that they are not directly serving the community in their homeland of Malaysia.