Belgian boy, 9, to enroll in PhD program at US college

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - A 9-year-old Belgian boy, Laurent Simons, will study doctoral-level electrical engineering at a U.S. college after his parents withdrew him from a Dutch university.

He parents said Tuesday they made the decision after Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE), declined to let their son graduate on an early schedule.

Laurent's father, Alexander Simons, portrayed his withdrawal from TUE as a response to the university's alleged attempt to block his son's enrollment in the U.S. school concurrently.

"The way they treat things, it's not correct," he said. "Laurent is not their belonging."

But the university rejected the allegations. "We never try to keep our students to ourselves. It would never be a motivation to frustrate somebody."

"His supervisors enjoyed working with him, not only because of his enormous talent, but also because he is a very kindhearted and inquisitive boy," a university spokesman told the CNN network.

The parents of the 9-year-old boy didn't reveal the American university that Laurent would attend.