Here one could speculate whether the degrees would be completed a more rapidly if Finnish universities collected Then large tuition fees wouldn't be too attractive to be enrolled in a university for a long time without graduating. It is now common to work part-time while carrying out the studies, or take a break for a year or two in the middle of the studies e.g. for working or starting a family. Another factor lengthening the studies is the compulsionary military/civil service 12 months military, 13 months civil) that Finnish males have to complete before the age of 27 After completing the doctoral degree it is not always easy to start one's career in research. Usually there are no open positions in the universities so one is obliged to find financing elsewhere. The most important funder in science is the Academy of Finland. It is an institution owned by the state and governed by the Ministry of Education, with the sole purpose of advancing scientific research and its exploitation in Finland. In 1997, the research appropriations of the Academy of Finland amounted to $U.U 120 million, and this is the source for about one third of all outside funding in the university research of science. Other sources include funds from private foundations and companies(20%), commercial services(30%), and foreign sources(15%). European Union is providing many possibilities that have only recently been realized by Finnish researchers