Odds stacked against PhD candidates, researchers

Most of the country's students, who, in the majority of cases, begin their research at university for a doctorate without pay, are forced to take a second job to make ends meet, according to academic experts.

The result of this part-time research is a delay in the completion - if it is completed at all - of a doctorate which can lead to lower standards and minimize the chances of a research or academic career in Greece or abroad. 

"Those who manage to complete their doctorate, having started with big dreams, usually end up as cynical and unpaid researchers in the laboratories of the teachers with whom they completed it," Aristotle University professor Loukas Vlachos said in comments to Kathimerini.

According to official estimates, more than 5,000 doctorate candidates and researchers currently find themselves at the mercy of the state and their university in...