12-year-old ‘genius’ admitted to Egyptian university

A 12-year-old primary school student will skip high school and go straight to university in 2024 after meeting the entrance requirements of Egypt’s Zewail City of Science and Technology (ZC).

Yahya Abdel Nasser Muhammad Elnajaar is currently in grade six in the official language school in the Damietta Governorate in the far north-east of Egypt. His admission to ZC was announced earlier in December by Ayman Ashour, Egypt’s minister of higher education and scientific research. He will start his university career in the second semester of the 2023-24 academic year.

To gain admission, Yahya not only had to prove his understanding of basic concepts in mathematics, physics, chemistry and biology, but also passed an English test and an interview to judge his character.

Professor Salah Obayya, the director-general of research institutes at ZC, told University World News that Yahya is the youngest student to gain early admission to the university after “meeting standards requirements and examinations, regardless of age and educational stage”.