Twenty-eight students pursuing doctorate degrees at Nankai University in North China's Tianjin were given only diplomas to certify that they have completed their courses, but were denied the certificates for their degrees because they did not meet requirements.

It is newsworthy because very few doctorate degree students have suffered the same fate. But it does not mean that all those who already have their doctorate degrees have necessarily met the requirements for the highest degree.

What is sad about this particular piece of news is not only the fate of these poor students, but also the phenomenon that only the losers from the top-notch rank of highest degree students can cause such a fuss.

It should be quite normal for students to have their studies terminated when they do not meet the requirements of presenting their dissertations or finishing their courses in time. So why are we making such a fuss about the fate of these 28 students and Nankai University's decision?

It is because it has been taken for granted for quite a long time that it would be unimaginable for such high-calibre students who have been admitted for doctorate degrees under particular professors to fail to live up to the expectations of their tutors.

Their failure in obtaining degree certificates would be considered not so much a shame on themselves as a disgrace to their tutors. So in many cases, their tutors would try their best to help their students with their dissertations.

From this perspective, to get a doctorate degree or not has become a matter of face.

Many of the 28 students who failed to get their degrees were pursuing them as a sideline. That means they only had their spare time outside of work for academic study.

The fact that they spent nine years studying but still could not finish their dissertations makes us doubt their earnestness in and devotion to their study  and even their motivation for pursuing the degrees.

It is possible that they were interested in obtaining the degree certificates only, rather than any knowledge, since the added qualification could help them land a promotion or a better job.

It has become a problem for institutions of higher learning to tighten their thresholds and enrol doctorate degree students who care about knowledge rather than about degrees.

The number of doctorate degree students enrolled annually has increased from more than 20,000 in the year 2000 to some 50,000 last year nationwide.

However, the general decline in the quality of doctorate degree students is of great concern.

In Nankai University alone, 469 of all 2,028 doctorate degree students do not get their degrees within the required three years.

According to the degree rules, they can only stay on campus for six years at most, but the 28 students have already studied for nine years. The termination of their study may be a signal that something is being done by universities to tighten quality control of doctorate degree students.