Job Discussion Forums

[HunanForeignGuy]

One of my colleagues here in GZ, who is not a member of this Board, has asked me to post this inquiry.

He is considering a position at Yunnan University for the next academic year and would appreciate receiving any comments from persons familiar with this university.

He has had offers from universities in Shanghai and Hangzhou but seems to be attracted to Kunming and to Yunnan. He' a young American guy (2, with a Master's degree, an excellent teacher (many awards from the uni where he is now, etc., etc).

Your comments re Kunming and/or this uni would be most appreciated and I will pass them along to the young prof.

All the best,


HFG

[7969]

as you may know, kunming is one of the most popular tourist cities in china, the weather is most agreeable, hence its nickname, the city of spring.

along with nice weather almost year round, your friend can probably expect a lower salary than most other parts of china, since yunnan isnt wealthy and the large number of tourists passing through seem to make a ready market for english teachers for local schools.

chinatefl.com used to list the salaries of schools that they advertised, along with all other bonuses, they dont do that any longer, but yunnan and guangxi were always among the lowest salaries on offer.

7969

[7969]

hmmmm pretty quiet here.

[no_exit]

I live in Kunming, and have been here for four years. Yunnan University is probably the best university in the province, but that isn't saying much. The pay will be low, but your friend probably realizes that already if he has gotten offers from YNU as well as schools in Shanghai and Hangzhou. The universities here tend not to pay much over 4000 a month, if that. That is, however, more than enough to live comfortably in Kunming, as the cost of living here is pretty low. Yunnan University itself is located in a pretty central location, right in the midst of a bunch of Western cafes and bars, and you will see tons of foreigners in the area, as all of the Universities are located within a few minutes' walk from each other, and every school has an abundance of foreign students as well as a few foreign teachers. Lots of non-University affilated expats choose that area to live in as well, as it is very easy for a new resident to cultivate a social life living so close to the "scene." So if your friend is looking for an escape from other foreigners, or a more "Chinese" existence, this would NOT be the place to go! Yunnan University also has a branch out by the lake, and although I imagine he'd be based at the main campus, make sure sure to ask.

Nothing bad to say about Kunming, except that it does have a lot of foreigners for a city it's size. I like this part of living in Kunming -- you get to meet people from all over the world here, seriously, but some people, who want a more "authentic" China experience find Kunming a bit heavy on the foreign influence. The weather is generally good, and there are tons of travel possibilities for someone based in Kunming, so those are plusses as well. Kunming tends to be one of those cities that lots of people fall in love with and have a hard time leaving, so that's something to consider as well.

If your friend has any specific questions about Kunming, feel free to PM me.

[jammish]

Kunming definitely seems a great place. I am in Dalian now, which is nice, but the cold winter just lasts too long. And Kunming has a better bar scene - probably the best bar scene I have seen in a chinese city yet.

[Nauczyciel]