Is the Ph.D. thesis a magnum opus?
If it is, why the 4-year deadline? Shouldn’t it much rather be a proof of competence, a way to show that you are capable of setting up and carrying out a research project and interpreting the results? Many professors and supervisors got their Ph.D.s at a time when they could do this while they were already in steady employment at the university. They did their Ph.D. research partly in their own free time, but there was no time limit for the thesis work. This still leads to conflicts between supervisors and AIOs. The supervisor wants the AIO to “just check out a couple more things.” The AIOs often do not dare stand their ground and point out that they really have to finish their research within the 4 years before their contracts expire. In this way, several months of work can be added to a Ph.D. degree programme. Is a Ph.D. programme an education only to become a scientist? At the moment, large groups of university masters are being brought into the universities as AIOs. Surveys show th
