The PhD giveaway

The discovery of a traffic in doctoral titles has prompted a wave of indignation in Germany. According to recent revelations in the press, which have led to the opening of a judicial inquiry, approximately 100 professors in a dozen universities are suspected of receiving sums of around 4,000 euros from students in exchange for the award of a PhD and the granting of the title of "Doktor." In most cases the recipients were already employed in companies where they hoped the prestigious title would boost their careers. Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung wonders "Does the affair really amount to a scandal?" The report in the daily goes on to ask whether "the professors accepted money to take on a task that would usually be considered part of their duties, or if they ignored questions of scientific quality and granted titles without demanding the necessary work?" In conclusion, FAZ argues that the story highlights the problem of "the definition of academic work in a vast universities eager to hold onto their international rankings, which depend on the number of successful graduates."