Since this past August, it has become easier to earn a PhD at the University of Helsinki (HU).
Doctoral degrees used to require three to five scientific publications, but now only two to three are sufficient. In some cases, a single article may be enough to meet the requirements.
The university is also reducing the number of mandatory credits for PhDs from 40 to 30, easing the workload to gain a doctorate.
Academia in Finland is now worried about a race to the bottom, but HU rector Sari Lindblom emphasises that the one-article quota is only applicable to exceptional candidates publishing in top international journals.
Lindblom argues that the university's previous requirements were too demanding.
"Helsinki has been exceptionally demanding compared to other Finnish universities, and internationally, we are far too strict regarding the number of articles required," she told Yle.
Another motive for lowering the requirements is money.
Universities receive 90,000 euros for each doctoral graduate. They also compete with one another for their share of a common funding pool, which does not increase even if every university were to produce an additional thousand PhDs per year. Helsinki's share of doctoral graduates has been declining, reaching its lowest point of the 2000s last year.
The government has also introduced a nationwide pilot programme for universities that aims to get doctoral students across the finish line in three years, instead of the current six to seven years.
The academic community has voiced reservations about fast-tracking doctoral studies.
The loosening of requirements will lead to the creation of two-tier doctorates — those who earned their PhDs before or after this pilot — according to Paula Silvén, a board member of the Finnish Union of University Researchers and Teachers.
Erja Heikkinen of the Education Ministry's science policy unit meanwhile told Yle that since the majority of university funding comes from the state, it should also be able to expect results in a certain timeframe.
“We cannot afford for doctoral training to take so long while the number of candidates grows. There's no regulated time for finishing up doctoral studies," she said, adding that discussions are underway between universities and policymakers about whether it's time to set some limits.