Or was it education for hire? That’s the good thing about this wonderful egalitarian German higher education system over here. Everything is so, well, egal (whatever). Studying doesn’t cost anything in Germany, you see, or next to nothing.

Except… When it comes to the ones how happen to be more egal/equal than you are. They are the folks who are in the position to pay Herr Dr. Professor (take you’re pick, he’s both) a little bakshish on the side for “supervising” their doctorates and thus guaranteeing academic success.

“They were told simply that paying the money would go a long way to ensuring their Ph.Ds were in the bag.”