AKIPRESS.COM - A Belgian child prodigy who had hoped to graduate from university in the Netherlands this month has dropped out.

The parents of Laurent Simons, nine, wanted him to graduate before his birthday on 26 December so he could be the first university graduate under 10, BBC reports.

But Eindhoven University told them there were still too many exams Laurent needed to take before then.

His parents refused an offer of a mid-2020 graduation date, and immediately removed him from the course.

Laurent was supposed to complete the three-year electrical engineering degree in just 10 months so he could meet his birthday deadline.

A Belgian boy graduated secondary school aged eight after completing six years' study in just a year and a half.

Laurent Simon has an IQ of 145 according to his parents, he collected a diploma with a class of 18-year-olds last year.