China Personalities
Zhang Xinyang, 28, a Chinese prodigy who won a university place at the age of 10 and went to graduate school at 13 now says “sitting around and doing nothing is the key to lifelong happiness”.
Once well-known as “China’s youngest university student” and “China’s youngest graduate student”, Zhang is still financially dependent on his parents
‘Downfall of prodigy’: China’s youngest graduate student and PhD candidate at 16 still financially dependent on parents at 28, says ‘they owe me’
- At age 16, he became PhD student in Applied Mathematics at a top university in Beijing
- His view of success has changed – now he does not have a full-time job, only has a few thousand yuan in his bank account, and lives in rented apartment
Zhang Xinyang, 28, a Chinese prodigy who won a university place at the age of 10 and went to graduate school at 13 now says “sitting around and doing nothing is the key to lifelong happiness”.
Once well-known as “China’s youngest university student” and “China’s youngest graduate student”, Zhang is still financially dependent on his parents
