Job Discussion Forums

niro · Joined: 06 May 2009 Posts: 4

Hi,

I am looking for some advice about Khalifa University (KUSTAR).

- Working conditions (teaching and research).

- Salary and benefits.

- ...

Thank you very much.

niro

Zoot · Joined: 15 Jun 2007 Posts: 408

A couple of months back there was a long thread on this uni. Find it and read up - I think it has a good reputation.

marianthelibrarian · Joined: 19 Apr 2009 Posts: 25

Dear Niro,

Are you asking about teaching English in the foundation program or about other faculty positions?

niro · Joined: 06 May 2009 Posts: 4

Hello L_in_UK,

I am asking about other faculty positions.

Tom Le Seelleur · Joined: 27 Dec 2007 Posts: 242

Niro
To help can you help me answer
Have you applied, interviewed, accepted, been offered?
Which campus - AD or Sharjah
What discipline
Which company - Khalifa University or IAT
What qualifications do you have (PHD?)
Have you got family?
Tom

marianthelibrarian · Joined: 19 Apr 2009 Posts: 25

Dear Niro,

I don't imagine you will find much information here or anywhere about working conditions or research at the *new* KUSTAR institution, as I believe they won't really be going in full swing until this Fall term (Khalifa University is another matter, and frankly I'm a bit confused with all the merging of educational instiutions). That said, I've had excellent experiences so far with the HR folks and the search committee, and the interim campus in Muroor is a very nice environment. Can't speak for the lab situation, but I expect that where there's money there will be labs. Lots of labs. And have a look at some of the tech news they post on their website - that should give you an indication of how cutting edge they are in terms of research.

I can also tell you that KUSTAR is not providing housing outright - at least not based on what I've heard - but rather a lump sum allowance. From two data points, it looks to me as if a single person could survive just fine on the salary + allowance package, but it isn't going to get you a three-bedroom villa on the island. I suggest not settling for the first offer.

On a different note, if you've got a PhD in, say, Material Science, I think this board is probably not appropriate for you. Better to try the Chronicle of Higher Ed's 'working overseas' forum - although again, due to the newness of the institution, I don't think you'll find much there either.

Splitting Hairs · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Posts: 99

What are the conditions like for an English teacher. Do you really need a PHd? Are there any vacancies at Sharjah or Abu Dhabi? What kind of students do you get - do you teach them TOEFL and IELTS?

marianthelibrarian · Joined: 19 Apr 2009 Posts: 25

Hello Splitting Hairs,

I can't tell you anything about conditions, but I can tell you there are two different types of English teachers - those teaching English in the Foundation program, and those hired as faculty for the humanities department of the university (teaching composition etc). For the latter, KUSTAR specifies a PhD in its job postings.

Splitting Hairs · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Posts: 99

What are the pay and conditions like for the Foundation English teachers and what qualifications do you need? Are both campuses any good?

Tom Le Seelleur · Joined: 27 Dec 2007 Posts: 242

Splitting
There are two contracts at Kustar for EFL teachers. The teachers in Abu Dhabi are sub-contracted to IAT and are offered contracts via them. The teachers in Sharjah are direct hire. You are offered contracts depending on experience and how you fit in at Sharjah. I don't know the contracts offered by IAT but in Sharjah you get housing, flights, education allowance, medical insurance and salary. There are only 6 ESOL teachers in each campus.
Tom

Splitting Hairs · Joined: 20 Sep 2007 Posts: 99

What about holidays? How long do you get? What do you teach - TOEFL? what are the students like. Are there going to be any vacancies?

Crimson · Joined: 03 Jul 2009 Posts: 8

I am just joining this forum, and thought my comments could be useful to someone. I was recruited by IAT for a new Kustar university in AD last year. Given it was new, I made allowances for several oddities in their isalary offer and accommodation allowance. The former was an initial offer of 9,000 AED!!!! I have 28 years experience and a MA TEFL Reading full-time. I also worked for HCT in RAK and Dubai for six and a half years. The salary was renegotiated to 15,500 AED and I was offered the job as Senior Lecturer. Regarding the latter, I was told what my allowance, also raised, would be (125,000) and that it would be in cash. I queried this as I have never had a collation of salary and accommodation. The only reply I got was that I could meet my target salary by saving out of my accommodation allownance!!!! Warning signals, but I believed that I was safe, since my appartment in Dubai four years ago was 65,000 AED. They lied. All I could get for that money in AD was a bedsit, as rents had tripled!!!!

Added to this, they forgot to renew my hotel room after five nights, and I had to sleep in another colleagues' room. They did book the room for another five nights, but with the whole group of eight, again there was a threat of not paying for the hotel. TWO teachers were already sleeping in the rooms of colleagues. ONE teacher used the return part of his ticket and flew back home. The whole group were totally stressed out by the time I arrived, later than the others. When stating on the phone in the UK that the contract mentioned five days in a hotel, I queried this, as it took me six weeks to find a place in Dubai, and I was already in RAK!!! I was reassured.

With the second five nights coming to an end, and no flat, or clear guarantee of a hotel room, I resigned. No food costs were paid, so all of that was out of my pocket, as were the shipping costs of boxes from the UK to the UAE, two weeks of hotel rooms while I waited for my boxes to arrive in order to send them back to the UK, and a return flight to the UK. I have had several contracts at universities around the world and I was shell-shocked!! Down from my savings by thousands of pounds. Yes, it was my decision to resign, but I am not going to have this level of stress due to lies at the very start of my contract. Other younger teachers could not reverse their decisions for various reasons, although another one did after a few months and she just disappeared.

I almost lost my house to tenants in the UK, and managed to get it back. It was totally empty as I had packed up my entire home for letting, bore the costs for all that, too. I also did not have a job in the UK as I had resigned the previous summer to prepare for a contract which they stated would start mid-August, but the building had not been completed, and term started on Ocober 5 08. As they obviously did not want to pay for hotel rooms, they kept delaying, giving bureaucratic reasons.

The UAE has certainly changed at some institutions. My best advice is to avoid two- institution ventures if you want to avoid what I faced.

Compared to my experience at HCT, it was the worst experience I have ever had. HCT put me up in a hotel for six nights, gave me five thousand pounds for furniture, and a stack of money for my food allowance. I also was taken by my buddy shopping and to my new three-bedroom appartment.. I expected things to be different at Kustar/IAT, but need I say more...except that for all the expense, I am glad that I left.

Best of luck from Crimson.

If anyone out there has an opinion on AUS, I'd be grateful. I've heard that it is a good place to work.

veiledsentiments · Joined: 20 Feb 2003 Posts: 17644 Location: USA

I would have sent a PM since this hijacks the thread topic, but you still need the 25 posts...

You will not have any problems with AUS. IMHO, they are the best employer and university in the Gulf... bar none. You will be teaching sexually integrated, mixed-nationality classes... which are great fun!! Terrific housing on campus.

VS