Job Discussion Forums

[Robenhiano]

Is anyone who has factual work experience from the University of Nottingham Ningbo ready to tell us the truth?

[choudoufu]

[Robenhiano]

I have heard some very bad things about this university. I might be naive, but I happen to believe in them, and want to warn people from going there. Especially people like you whoseem to believe it's Gold. That's my reason for writing what I do here. What is your reason for writing what you write, choudoufu?

[choudoufu]

[choudoufu]

all right! got it! shoulda seen it coming.

lemme guess............

now you're going to tell us the story of how the chinese foreign teachers
onion solved all your problems. and you're coincidentally going to do
some "research" and find them on the STFU blacklist. and you're going
to give us some links. is that about right?

...........bro, this is getting old.

[Robenhiano]

What is "chinese foreign teachers union"? "Old", like how?

Coudn't we please try to stick to arguing about the case?

[Denim-Maniac]

[quote="Robenhiano"]

[Robenhiano]

I happen to think that disability is something very serious. To cover up for the bad environment that the Ningbo campus offers, by offering biased grievance investigations is also very serious

[choudoufu]

[muffintop]

[vikeologist]

I'm in Ningbo. I know quite a few people who work there, or have in the past. Some people I respect have a bad opinion of the place, some others I respect enjoy working there.

None of them has ever mentioned any of this dangerous place to work stuff.

Of course, health insurance and working in a safe environment is an important part of any work contract. Very often schools say that their packages include health insurance, but when you look at exactly what they're offering, it amounts to very little. I've risk assessed work places in Britain that looked very modern and safe, but are actually very dangerous places to work. I wouldn't want to minimise these factors.

But this thread has gone in a ridiculous direction. As I understand it, the way that people have to teach is quite prescriptive, and some people feel that there are major management problems. There certainly seems to be a management or work culture that some people may have problems with. The work load is high.

Clearly if people are thinking of working there, they should carefully consider what questions they ask.

[mambawamba]

My husband worked there, we were very, very happy to leave.

He says it was a normal EAP job that was devalued by passing everyone at the end of the year. Nothing special, nothing new.

@choudoufu the teachers are seriously not making $80,000 a year. In 2009 the wage was 20,000 RMB a month with 6000 RMB for a family accommodation allowance, 4000 RMB for singles. The free accommodation is on campus staff apartments or (shudder) the Staff Hotel.

The main problem was, and by all accounts still is, management. All decisions have to be cleared in the UK so there's a delayed response to everything.

The campus was actually pretty nice, apart from the fact it was built on swampland and the lake in the middle was home to Ningbo's entire mosquito population.

[Bandaid]

I recommend people to stay away from this place. The campus is an unhealthy and unsafe place, in terms of, for instance, very slipery floors, lack of fire alarms, inappropriate temperatures etc. A few staff members each year get hurt while working, some of them so badly so that they are (completely or partially) disabled. The management does not follow work safety or work insurance laws, which means that the injured/disabled staff members will get no compensation or pension, which they are entitled to according to Chinese law.

It is, of course, possible to compalin, but the grievances that the employees submit are investigated in a very biased way, in support of the management. These investigations are conducted by managers at University of Nottingham in UK or at UNNC. Thus, the management at this University can traet their staff members in any way they prefer, and no one can successfully protest...

People claim that we should accept that this is China and that we cannot expect the same standard as in the UK. However, the University is very rich (the students pay 80,000 RMB per year), and many of the managers are British (and get support from UN UK by biased grievance investigations and by "silent support").

The least one could ask for before accepting a job offer here is to be informed that the University doesn't follow the Chinese laws and that you have no chance to be really listened to in case you complain. At least those who got hurt here regret that they ever put their foot at UNNC or got involved with the University of Nottingham in the first Place...

[fat_chris]

I'd be interested in learning more and possibly sending a resume to them in time for the 2014-2015 school year beginning next August/September.

Warm regards,
fat_chris

[Denim-Maniac]