The PhD Is Becoming a Corporate Training Program. Hereโs Why Thatโs a Betrayal of Everything It Stood For.
China’s new ‘practical PhD’ lets graduates skip the thesis in favor of industry-ready projects. It sounds like efficiency, but it’s a dangerous redefinition of what a doctorate meansโturning the highest academic credential into state-subsidized vocational training. This isn’t just a Chinese trend; it’s a global warning about the erosion of theoretical inquiry.