Job Discussion Forums

[spanglish]

New job posting up on Dave's today - a fellowship opportunity, teaching with INTERLINK at Al Yamamah University and getting an SIT masters in the process. 50% tutition reduction, $2500/month for the first year, $3000/month for the second year. Anybody know anything about these organizations? It looks like it might be a decent way to break into the Middle East and get a good masters degree.

[veiledsentiments]

Go to the Saudi board and do a search. Be sure to choose the option "search for all terms" and try Al-Yamama and Interlink and SIT.

You won't find much positive. You will get an MA... and some experience for the CV. If you can put up with the job and the living situation long enough to finish the degree, it might be OK. One problem may be the rumors that Interlink could be losing the contract... don't know how that would affect your studies.

VS

[spanglish]

Thanks, I'll do a search.

[Alvi]

[veiledsentiments]

The thing is that there are MA programs with Fellowships where you don't have to pay any tuition and receive a stipend. That is what I did with AUCairo. There are also many US institutions who offer them... google is your friend. I believe that SheikhNBake did one in the US. In these, you teach for no pay...

These programs are really a win/win... they get a cheap teacher and you get a cheap MA. I'd look around and see what is available and then decide whether this program appeals to you. As I said above, the one concern to me is whether Interlink will be able to keep their contract with Al Yamama. Any MA students will be the last to learn what is going on... (right after the rest of the teachers. )

VS

[scot47]

See what Cleopatra has to say about Yamastan and Interlink. Or send her a PM.

[veiledsentiments]

The thing is Scot... while the job and organization may suck... it may be worth putting up with to get a cheap MA. For an American, the chance to complete an MA and not only not end up with a huge loan to pay off, but to even have some savings is a huge benefit.

VS

[Alvi]

[Citizenkane]

When I worked at Al Yam, it was widely rumoured that the Saudi ministry of education does not recognise the SIT MA. If this is the case, it's probably also true that the other Gulf ministries won't recognise it either. Something to be borne in mind by anyone considering this MA with a view to working elsewhere in Saudi or the Gulf.

As to the fellowship itself, I left Al yam before it really got off the ground, but from what I hear there is serious discontent among teachers involved in it. Can't give specifics, but there do appear to be problems with the program.

As for the possibility of Interlink losing the Al Yam contract, this has been rumoured ever since I joined the college several years ago. And yet Interlink is still there. Like many people, I find this rather baffling given the unpopularity of the Interlink program, but for reasons I don't at all understand, it has managed to survive.

[veiledsentiments]

Wasta?

I know people who are teaching around the Gulf who have MAs from SIT - and some have them taught in Saudi too. It has been around for quite awhile and is common among some of the older ex-hippy, ex-Peace Corp types. I suspect that the rumor that it wasn't recognized might have come from those who particularly disliked the sort of touchy/feely system of SIT.

Not my cup of tea either, but then I find that we all have lots of opinions on methodology.

VS

[Citizenkane]

Of course people are teaching in the Gulf with MAs from SIT - but because many or even most jobs (at least in Saudi) dont actually require an MA, it's still possible that the degree is not recognised. If an MA is not a requirement as far as the embassy is concerned, official recognition of the degree doesn't really matter. Rumour had it - accurate or not I really don't know - that the Saudi ministry simply does not recognise SIT MA's, and the guy who runs the show in Interlink was informed of this. I really don't know the reality of the situation, and of course these things can and do change.

As for wasta.. usually non-Saudis don't have much of it, and the Interlink gang are all non-Saudi. Word on the ground - and again, I don't work there anymore so perhaps I'm not the best source - was that there were complicated, um, 'business arrangements' between Interlink and the then President of Al Yam. People expected things to change when the President resigned about a year ago, but so far they have not - in fact Interlink is still actively recruiting, so it doesn't look as though they are going anywhere. This despite the fact that students constantly complain about the program, and it is almost universally disliked by university staff and faculty.

It really is a bit odd, even by Saudi standards.

[veiledsentiments]

[naturegirl321]

They put their advert up again. I honestly thought it would be good, simply because SIT is part of it.

[veiledsentiments]

[desertdawg]

I must concur with Citizenkane. Unlike some other posters, I have worked extensively in KSA. A lot of jobs don't need an MA and even when it's specified it can be worth applying. Fortunately I have done very well in the Arabian Gulf without an MA.

Institutions can be fickle in regard to recognising qualifications in order to give you a few more barrels of oil every month for your toil. An indirect example of this was KFUPM's pay scale a few years ago. I was made an offer with a relatively low salary as they didn't recognise the majority of my work experience. Service certificates and/or specific higher education past employers were required.

If possible I would recommend getting info directly from the horse's mouth. And a few out of the herd if you can. They can tell you the realities of the programme and life afterwards. Before applying for/accepting any job you should always be furnished with contact details of present/past employees

Good luck!