Bill Gates to meet Edinburgh whizkid Mohshin Syed

A SCHOOLBOY who has been tipped for the top has landed a chance to rub shoulders with the world's richest man.

Drummond Community High School pupil Mohshin Syed. Picture: Neil Hanna

Drummond Community High pupil Mohshin Syed will meet multi-billionaire Bill Gates during an all-expenses paid visit to New York.

And Mohshin has been declared one of the “brightest young students in the world” by The Junior Academy, part of the prestigious New York Academy of Sciences.

Mohshin, 15, is among only ten teenagers singled out from a group of 50 talented youngsters from around the world who have impressed The Junior Academy with their science skills.

The top ten students were especially chosen after displaying “excellent performance” during a series of challenging research tasks.

Now fourth-year pupil Mohshin is preparing to head to New York later this month with his father, takeaway boss Shahjahan, and mother Meherun, a nursery nurse, for his meeting with the world’s richest man and his wife, Melinda.

Susan Cook, acting headteacher at Drummond Community High, said Mohshin was among the school’s most talented pupils.

“He is a very capable student but also a lovely lad,” she said. “Everyone is delighted for him and very excited.

“Teachers had been asked to nominate particularly talented pupils who might go forward to try for The Junior Academy. Mohshin’s science teacher knew he was exceptionally good, so suggested he might take part.”

During a gruelling selection process, Mohshin had to complete a research project for consideration.

The Junior Academy sifted through thousands of applications before choosing their top 250 students in the world.

The students were then split into groups for a series of online lessons, with the top ten being offered the prestigious scholarship.

Mohshin, who has just sat six National 5 prelims, scoring 95 per cent in his maths exam, said: “At first I didn’t believe I had been chosen. I’m looking forward to going to New York. I do study hard, but I try to do other things, too, like play badminton.

“But I know that if you want to get good results you have to study hard.”

Mohshin, who lives in London Road, is following in older brother Sami’s footsteps. In 2011, he was declared the “most gifted pupil ever” at Drummond Community High School after achieving a remarkable six A grade Highers in a single year.

He taught himself Higher physics while attending classes for his other five Highers, after realising there wasn’t room in his timetable.

Sami, 21, is now studying medicine at Edinburgh University and has already completed a biomedical science degree.

Mr Syed, who works seven days a week running the Shahi Manzil takeaway in Willowbrae Road, said: “We are all very proud of my son. But I’ve no idea where he and his brother get their brains from.

“Mohshin likes to study. Some nights I come home from work after 11pm and he is sitting with his books out, reading.

“We have always told our sons that if they do the best they can, they will have a happy life. It is good to try your hardest during your childhood and then the best things will come to you when you’re older.

“I work seven days a week, from 4pm until midnight, and I am happy to do that because I know I’m doing the best for my children.”

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