Job Discussion Forums

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

Horizontal Hero:

I empathize with your huge time delays dealing with uni admin. I've never come across such a lengthy lag as you have had, but from my own experience it does stretch into months. Thankfully mine was much less than yours, but I can understand why you complained to the VC!

About publications, I don't know if any Tamkang Press journals are on the SSCI list, and I would suspect they aren't - could be wrong - but the MoE loves anything in SSCI journals so if you do go to Taiwan and are ambitious then that's the way to go. There are stories of academics in Taiwan literally busting a gut to publish in the SSCI as their promotion process hinges on that one thing. Incredible as it sounds Taiwan academia is gripped by the SSCI, and to be honest it's no bad thing as it provides an international measurement of academic quality. Sad thing is most academics in Taiwan will never be able to hit the SSCI mark as they don't have the library materials to write quality papers, and don't have the time to crank out papers as the system places so much emphasis on teaching. If you're at Tamkang Uni then at least you'll be in surroundings more akin to researching and publishing. The fact they have their own university press is no bad thing either!

Horizontal Hero · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 2:01 pm Post subject:

Horizontal Hero · Posted: Sun Jun 17, 2007 2:25 pm Post subject:

Miyazaki · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 635 Location: My Father's Yacht

Personally, I think you're nuts for wanting to come and teach in a university in Taiwan Very Happy

But first things first. Didn't you do your PhD while you were in China? If so, that would mean that you obtained your degree at distance. Distance education, as you also know, is not recognized in Taiwan.

How are you going to get the MoE to recognize your degree?

Second, Taiwan has very little to offer a trained, experienced teacher with a Ph.D. The salaries arer just so low compared to, say, Korea or Japan or Hong Kong.

Yeah, I definitely can see why your wife would be pissed.

Also, in my view the quality of life in Taiwan is not all that good when compared with, say, Korea or Japan.

Sure, do what you gotta do, but I wouldn't give up my wife to go and live and teach in a place like Taiwan.

Why not a faculty position in a place like Seoul, Tokyo or Osaka?

I'm wondering, why move from Hong Kong?
Salaries are pretty good there I hear.

Overall, how do you is life in Hong Kong. I've also heard it's quite crowded and expensive.

My thinking is that Hong Kong would be a step above Taiwan in several aspects.

Horizontal Hero · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 12:18 am Post subject:

Nope, my PhD is technically on campus - and already authenticated according to Taiwan MOE procedures, so I don't see what the MOE could do to deny it. What are they going to do - ask for air tickets to Oz to show how much time I spent in the uni library?. Just because I did a lot of it offshore doesn't make any difference. The libraries in HK are a hell of a lot better than my uni library back in OZ - and databases are the same the world over. Oxbridge PhDs are usually 100% dissertation, no coursework, as was mine. I produced a thesis, it was examined by academics from Princeton, California State Uni and The Uni of Western Australia. They liked it. I got a PhD.

HK is claustrophobic. Overcrowded and too small. And yeah, its expensive compared to TW and esp. China. It gets tiring battling for a seat in a restaurant or coffee shop every damn time. But a year or three here is OK. Most of the uni jobs I'd be likely to get here are in English teaching - and not my preferred choice. But I'd stay for a good job, for sure. The downside again is my wife hates the place, and refuses to live here! She also refuses to live in Japan. Maybe Korea is a goer! Actually I have connections in an institute in California. The director of a program there will likely give me some adjunct work, but probably not for a semester or two. That might be the best 'foot in the door' gig going for me - and it's in my field.

The Tamkang job would be experience under the belt, and that's about all. But looks like it's better to leave it. It's frustrating, but probably better to wait for the right job... if it ever comes.

Serious_Fun · Joined: 28 Jun 2005 Posts: 1171 Location: terra incognita

Horizontal Hero · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 2:45 am Post subject:

Oh?

Sorry then. I must have misread your tone.

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

HH:

I don't wish to be the bearer of bad news but unless your wife changes her attitude it's not going to make your life any easier wherever you work. I would kindly remind her if you were based at a uni in Shanghai or Beijing how worse off you'd be. You certainly would not have a salary comparable with either Tamkang Uni or the present post you have in HK if money appears to be her present deity. Anyway if you live in Damshui in Taiwan housing is much cheaper than Taipei. Also there's many high-rise developments on the MRT line out to Damshui in places like Beitou and Guandu. In fact the skyline along the suburban part of the MRT is much higher than in Taipei city-proper.

Good luck regardless!

Horizontal Hero · Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 2:30 pm Post subject:

Ah, yes, the wife. People always want to move up in the world, not backwards. My slary has gotten bigger and bigger every year since I came to Asia. I think my wife assumes it will keep going that way.

And financial security is BIG in the minds of Chinese people - much bigger than for westerners. China is now a VERY materialistic country. Consumerism is the new God, driven by the relentless push for 10% GDP per annum by the Party. And many Taiwanese are not much better from my memory (though not nearly as screwed up by education, brainwashing and politics). We seem reckless to them: they seem boring and conservative to us (well, many seem that way to me). Hong Kongers are the worst of the lot as far as conservatism goes. Trust me on that one. Laughing

I'm an idealist, head in the clouds kind of guy. My wife is a far more practically minded person. She probably has a point with the salary in TW and our future. But it's a tough call...

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

I seriously don't think you have much to worry about re getting an offer. Calming your other half down might be a different venture. Seeing as you have a Phd - v. useful - teaching experience - helpful too - and publications - bingo! - they're hardly likely to turn you flat. As Taiwan's educational system is run largely by administrators if you fulfil the above criteria then you're in. What's more, and you might read differently on other sites, as you have a PhD you are sought after. All departmetns have a MA to PhD ratio and so need PhD holders. This is especially true for general english language centers who are stocked with MAs and have very few PhDs. I'd even go as far as to say these general language centers are a source of contention for other departments who wish to being in taiwanese MA holders but can't as the english centers have taken up most of the overall uni ratio. Just to end, you also have the rigth publications. I read somewhere about it's important to mention anything you've written on a cv, including letters to newspapers!! yeah, I'm sure that doesn't insult the higher level institutions. Stick with the peer reviewed stuff.

mep3 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 212

forest1979 in regards to Taiwan academics not having the library materials to publish, or being at a disadvantage in that regard.. Do libraries at most big universities in Taiwan have the MLA Online Bibliography? What about medium-sized universities? Thx .... mep

forest1979 · Joined: 10 Jun 2007 Posts: 507 Location: SE Asia

mep3 - It's an impossible question to answer. Taiwan has 150+ universities and the vast majority of them I suspect will have online access to certain bibliographies but I can't say whether it's the MLA version.

Miyazaki · Joined: 12 Jul 2005 Posts: 635 Location: My Father's Yacht

mep3,

Not all universities in Taiwan are equipped with the resources for teachers to conduct research, even though they may require you to research and publish.

On the other hand, some of the schools like NTU and NTNU have very good libraries. In fact, NTU is a world class library. If you're interested in doing research while you're here, you might spend some time at the NTU and NTNU libraries.

Both schools have TESOL / Linguistics libraries, in addition to their main libraries that also have MLA and ERIC, etc. databases, TESOL / Education / Applied Linguistics / SLA resources (Journals, on-line dissertation consortium, conference proceedings, books).

I'm not sure about the availability of database, online and other relevant resources at other universities outside of Taipei, however.

Some schools here take their libraries seriously.