Job Discussion Forums

Leafy Greens · Joined: 05 Jun 2013 Posts: 9

Hello,

I am considering a position at Tsinghua University in Beijing. Can someone tell me what it is like to work there? What sort of lifestyle I can expect? What is the neighborhood like? Is there a lot of foreign staff? Should I bring my military-grade gas mask?

Leafy Greens · Joined: 05 Jun 2013 Posts: 9

I have had this thread up for a few days and am surprised that I have received no responses. If anybody can tell me what they know about Tsinghua I would appreciate it.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

We all know it has a top ranking in China (2nd?) and is in the 30th to 50th area in international.
I've never heard it mentioned on Dave's.
If you are a topic teacher then you will probably be treated very well.
As an FT ??
Make sure the fundamentals - pay, airfare, accom, teaching hours etc are in place.
They are an important component of satisfaction quite apart from the dazzling reputation.
Good on the old CV, but BJ is back to pre Olympic pollution levels.
Don't believe the official ppm reports.
Friends there say the US Embassy puts out figures which are more reliable.
Best
NS

Leafy Greens · Joined: 05 Jun 2013 Posts: 9

Thanks, NS. The pollution is spooky. I am a bit of a homebody, though. I will have a comfortable aparment on campus and I will buy a high-quality air purifier. I am sure I will be treated well. I was hoping to learn what I could expect socially. I am a semi-professional musician. I play a few different instruments and was hoping to get into a serious, but part-time band. I was hoping there would be venues in the neighborhood where I could play without too much trouble.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

I always counsel 'least downside' on the first job and if everything else is in place, then accept the pollution for Y1.
You'll find some fellow musicians among the expats I'm sure.
Put a message on a BJ expat chat board once you know you're going there.
By the time you arrive end August, you will be in conversation with a few like minds.
Don't delay, cement the deal and get those visa issues sorted. The FAO at the college will want to know they have a full complement within the next 2/3 weeks.

LarssonCrew · Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 1308

I find it funny that many Chinese think it's the be all and end all of education.

'My son's going to Tsinghua!'

And yet internationally it's a joke, laughed at.

Top 30-50? Maybe top 150-300 if the Jiaotong Shanghai list is anything to go by. Right alongside Glasgow university!

Javelin of Radiance · Joined: 01 Jul 2009 Posts: 1187 Location: The West

Leafy Greens · Joined: 05 Jun 2013 Posts: 9

In this case, the prestige of the place within China may have marketable value. Having Tsinghua on my CV may help later on if I wish to move to a cleaner city after my contract is completed.

I really don't care what other countries think of the place. I want a comfortable lifestyle and to be treated with respect.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

The CV thing is a biggie.
If Chinese reverence for this uni is high, let it work for you.
Western disdain finishes last in the things to consider IMHO.
I met a kid who passed on a place in a good uni English major programme in Dalian (2nd city in Liaoning Prov), for the Russian programme at a Beijing U.
I expressed surprise and he assured me that the BJ part mattered more than his major for his future job prospects.
His mother was traveling with him and she agreed.

it'snotmyfault · Joined: 14 May 2012 Posts: 527

I can't see how having a "prestigious" Chinese uni on your CV is going to help regarding future FT jobs.
Unless there's some secret career progression with conversational English that most of us are unaware of!
You're probably just as well off, if not better in some respects, going for your average uni or vocational college job, the students will probably be more down to earth.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

After a year just gettin out of BJ may be a big +.
Having Tsinghua on his/her CV will be a come on for an FAO in a better location.
Why do you insist on applying Western views on a Chinese issue?

it'snotmyfault · Joined: 14 May 2012 Posts: 527

^^ I presume that's addressed to me Very Happy

If you have the basic requirements for the job. White foreigner (Chinese requirement, not Western view) with degree and experience you should be able to get a job in any city in China, regardless of which snooty previous employer is on your CV.

Non Sequitur · Joined: 23 May 2010 Posts: 4724 Location: China

LarssonCrew · Joined: 06 Jun 2009 Posts: 1308

I knew Javelin would step in to try to defend.

Check a Chinese source[trust your fellow countrymen!]

http://www.shanghairanking.com/ARWU2012.html

150-200 ranking, alongside world renowned greats as

University of Leeds
University of Waterloo
University of Munster

etc.

Leafy Greens · Joined: 05 Jun 2013 Posts: 9

I appreciate the responses. What I was really hoping to find out was what sort of lifestyle I could expect; what the neighborhood is like; how other foreigners find teaching there; what kinds things there are to do. Is the pollution going to be a serious drawback? Is the expat community easy to hook up with without going on a drinking binge? The last question I ask because when I lived in another foreign country, the expat meetups generally focused around the subject of alcohol. If you were not particularly into alcohol, you could also find expat groups centred around parents (mostly women) pooling resources to raise young children. If you were not a drunk or a family guy, it was hard to make friends. Is Beijing like that? I am single and a very light drinker.