There is a similar system in Japan known as the ronbun hakase (which roughly translates to "thesis doctorate", more information can be found at https://en.wikip

There is a similar system in Japan known as the ronbun hakase (which roughly translates to "thesis doctorate", more information can be found at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronbun_hakase https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronbun_hakase [in English] and https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8D%9A%E5%A3%AB https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%8D%9A%E5%A3%AB [in Japanese]). Speaking from a STEM perspective, traditionally many industrial STEM researchers in Japan were hired immediately after completing their bachelor's or master's degrees and had lifetime employment at their companies. Over their careers they would build a portfolio of peer-reviewed conference and journal papers. If the contributions made in the portfolio are equivalent to that of a PhD, then the researcher may submit the portfolio to a university, have it evaluated by a committee, and (if it passes) be conferred a PhD. (Some universities may have extra steps such as writing a formal dissertation and giving a thesis defense.) I've been told by Japanese university professors that the bar is generally much higher for a ronbun hakase. I work for a Japanese company and I know a few researchers who earned their PhDs this way. While it's less common these days (I'm seeing more people being hired from standard PhD programs [known as katei hakase], and I'm also seeing companies sponsor students who go to school as part-time PhD students), and while there has been discussion for the past two decades about phasing out the ronbun hakase method, it is still around at many universities. I heard from my former PhD advisor (at an American university) that Germany also had a PhD by publication route, but I don't know the details.