Nine-year-old boy drops degree program to pursue PhD in Electrical Engineering

Laurent Simon, 9, has dropped his degree program at the Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE) in the Netherlands to pursue a PhD in Electrical Engineering in the US.

It has emerged that there was a dispute between his parents and the administration over the graduation date.

His father, Alexander Simons, wanted Laurent to obtain his bachelor’s degree at the age of nine through an accelerated program that would last for ten months, even though the course lasts for three years.

However, Laurent received an offer for a doctorate degree at a university in the US before the completion of his course, and his parents opted for him to grab that opportunity instead.

"Sometimes you have to make choices. If he lets it go, you never know if he will get that opportunity again," said Simons.

Nevertheless, TUE said the door is still open for him to resume his studies at the institution.

According to CNN, Laurent’s father declined to name neither the institution nor the start date.

"We don't want to have pressure on him," he was quoted by CNN.