Have You Been Offered $60,000 to Accept a Student into Your PhD Program?

Alex Guerrero, professor of philosophy at Rutgers University, received an unusual email the other day. It was from the American Advanced Educational Association (AAEA), and it concerned an “opportunity to collaborate… in Ph.D. recruitment.” They write: Here is how our process typically works: We pre-screen prospective students based on your specified criteria. We send you the candidate’s CV for your consideration. If you’re interested, we’ll arrange an interview between you and the student. Please be kindly advised that the candidates we recommend are expected to meet the admission standards of both your institution and your department. If you decide to accept the student, we provide a one-time donation (separate from the student’s tuition fees and stipend) of USD 60,000 per student to recognize your time, mentorship, and institutional contribution for supervising the student during their whole Ph.D. time. The donation will be gifted in full once the student receives a formal…