AI Insight
China has introduced a new doctoral program pathway that allows PhD candidates to graduate by producing practical products or applications instead of traditional research dissertations. Nature interviewed three students from the inaugural cohort who are pursuing this alternative route to earning their doctorate. This represents a significant shift in how doctoral qualifications can be earned in China's higher education system.
Why it matters
This alternative PhD pathway could better align doctoral education with industry needs and practical innovation, potentially making advanced degrees more accessible and relevant to applied fields. The model may influence how other countries structure their doctoral programs and could help address concerns about the traditional academic focus of PhD training versus workforce demands.
Understand the Science
Nature, Published online: 09 July 2026; doi:10.1038/d41586-026-01242-z
Nature spoke to three students from China’s first cohort of PhD candidates who are allowed to graduate with products instead of papers.
Source: Graduating without a thesis: meet the people getting ‘practical’ PhDs in China