Job Discussion Forums

mep3 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 212

How much more difficult is it to get a job at Qinghua University than at the rest of them (because it's #1)? Thx ..... M

cj750 · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 3081 Location: Beijing

no diffrent than the rest

prof · Joined: 25 Jun 2004 Posts: 741 Location: Boston/China

I expect working at "Tsinghua" will be very difficult to get in to nowadays.

mep3 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 212

That makes two opposite responses -- no criticism of either of you two. It just makes me even more curious!! Anyone else have an idea? M

cj750 · Joined: 27 Apr 2004 Posts: 3081 Location: Beijing

Do an experiment ..contact them and ask about future employment..

prof · Joined: 25 Jun 2004 Posts: 741 Location: Boston/China

Yes, contact them.

See if they have any positions open and ask what qualifications they want.

adamsmith · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Posts: 259 Location: wuhan

all the foreigners I know who work at tsinghua have Phd's, except a couple working in the business area who have MBA's from some big name schools. I would say it is pretty difficult to get into along with Beida.

China.Pete · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 547

Phd's teaching oral English is not unheard of at top-ranked Asian universities. That being the case, these may have one of the poorest English language teaching environments in their market area. In Thailand, one PhD was observed to be lecturing a class of students at the prestigious Chulalongkorn University while they read newspapers, and largely ignored him.

In China, I recall an ex-college professor from the U.S. being interviewed on CCTV-9. Listening to his answers, it was obvous that, notwithstanding his credentials at home, he didn't have a clue about ELT. Since these schools tend to attract the best students overall, however, their English ability will probably still be better than average anyway.

Curiously, it is some private schools, rich in money but often poor in students' English ability, at least in my experience, that have been most active in fostering a good ELT environment. Degrees were not as important. Such schools may actually prefer to measure teachers more by their results in the classroom.

Oh yeah, in response to the OP's question, these places tend not to advertise, so you'd probably have to know a current or former employee, or, better still, someone at a foreign university who knows someone working there, to give you an entree.

Shan-Shan · Joined: 28 Aug 2003 Posts: 1074 Location: electric pastures

prof · Joined: 25 Jun 2004 Posts: 741 Location: Boston/China

Tsinghua and a few others are getting PhD's for 6,000 RMB/month.

Over the past few years, most have been Americans.

mep3 · Joined: 05 Feb 2003 Posts: 212

For someone with a PhD, is Qinghua much more difficult to get hired on to than other schools? Also, I see that you wrote that they don't advertise. Does that also mean they only hire by invitation (e.g. they must contact you; you can't contact them)? Thanks ....mep

China.Pete · Joined: 27 Apr 2006 Posts: 547

"(Y)ou wrote that they don't advertise. Does that also mean they only hire by invitation (e.g. they must contact you; you can't contact them)?" -- Mep

If that 6,000 RMB/month sounds really enticing, there's nothing to prevent you from sending in your resume. But knowing a current or former employee would tell you when they are hiring, what their requirements are, and what sort of approach to use (and with whom). It may also assuage concerns THEY may have regarding your suitability for the position.

"For someone with a PhD, is Qinghua much more difficult to get hired on to than other schools?" -- Mep

Not necessarily. But since both the school and you, as the would-be hireling, are probably motivated by the possibility of boosting your egos (reputations) through this arrangement, it doesn't take a PhD to figure out that one or the other of you could easily end up dissappointed.

Shan-Shan · Joined: 28 Aug 2003 Posts: 1074 Location: electric pastures

If it is indeed only 6,000RMB for a PhD, I presume that only three types apply:

1: those excavated from tombs who wish another turn at life

2: PhDs with a major in "Life"

3: those so desperate for recognition that they go abroad, make what a North American high school drop out in China could muster at the pedagogical game, and brag to friends back home in e-mails that they work at China's "top" university "teaching" English

adamsmith · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Posts: 259 Location: wuhan

many of the Phds that I had met working at tsinghua and beida are not geting the proverbial 6000 Kuai, They are working here on an exchange program and are collecting their salary from their home university. At the same time a chinese prof from that sool will be teaching back in the other country.

Kurochan · Joined: 01 Mar 2003 Posts: 944 Location: China

I remember looking at the Qinghua and Beida salaries a few years ago and being shocked that they were like 3,500 a month.

I would assume they have a lot of recently retired overseas faculty working there too. If you're getting a pension from your school or Social Security payments, a year in China could seem fun and interesting, and the salary wouldn't matter.