Slovakia, land of doctorate tourism

Published on 25 March 2011

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Increasing numbers of foreign students are “coming to Slovakia to pick up a title” of doctor, reports SME. The Bratislava daily explains that around ten percent of the students in the country are foreigners, with specialisation by nationality: Germans study management, Czechs law, Austrians economics, and the Poles theology. The Germans are the most numerous. Most are writing their thesis from a distance and paying between three and five thousand euros for an annual course, which is a good source of income for Slovak universities. In a hard-hitting op-ed piece entitled “Academic Prostitution,” SME criticises the ease with which a postgraduate degree can be picked up in Slovakia, where it’s possible to buy one’s exams. “Some countries are geared to sex tourism; Slovakia is becoming a popular stop for those who would obtain satisfaction with an additional title."

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