Job Discussion Forums

[fregona]

Hello,

I am looking for information on Guanxi University. Has anyone taught there before. Can you comment on your experiences, living conditions, etc.?

I am a Canadian with degrees in Education and History, although I havn't taught in over 10 years. I have kept up my certification. I was recently laid off by the government and thinking of trying something new and different.

Thanks for your time
John

[Kurochan]

Hi there --

I was offered a job there about five years ago, and went to visit the school.

Here are a few impressions of the town and the school:

Nanning is not one of the most modern cities in China, although it is not the most podunk either. It isn't rich, but it's not poor either. There is a nice park and a nice minorities' museum, but there are some parts of the city that seem sort of primitive.

I found people around the university were not super friendly. Then again, I only visited for about four days, so you could take this with a grain of salt.

Nanning is hot, but there is not as much air conditioning, which might or might not be okay for you.

As for the school, I only saw the outside of the foreign experts' dorm, which seemed nice enough. I spoke to one other teacher there, and he said each teacher's apartment has two air conditioning units, so you will be able to be pretty cool when you're at home.

The other guy I spoke to seemed nice enough -- he was sort of a hippie-ish young British guy.

The pay was good, for the time anyway. It was 6,000 RMB a month + free housing, which I think it would be basically impossible to spend all of there. You could definitely save half of that, unless you had an extravagant lifestyle.

The campus was pretty nice -- large, pretty, lots of foliage. It had a relaxed vibe.

I did notice that a noticeable majority of students were male. This is because Guangxi is more central, less modern, so there is still more pro-male prejudice.

The classrooms were okay, but basic -- ceiling fans, blackboards.

Oh -- Nanning is famous for its fresh fruit.

I don't know if these tidbits will help you, but these are things I remember from Nanning. Bear in mind that I haven't been there for several years.

[Kurochan]

In the end, I decided not to go. It was because I had an offer from a really good school in Shanghai, not because I had any beef with the university. Also, I am really sensitive to heat, and I had trouble with the lack of A/C in Nanning.

Also, if you are interested in Chinese minority culture, or going to Vietnam, I think Nanning would be a good place to be.

[Neilhrd]

I have been in Nanning for more than four years. I like it as a place to live. I have been offered jobs elsewhere in China but choose to stay here even though I could get a higher salary in Shanghai or Beijing.

The city has modernised a lot in the last few years and is still developing very quickly. But it is still less crowded than Shanghai or Beijing and the people are friendly and helpful on the whole. That includes the police and visa authorities who are generally laid back and rarely bother foreigners.

The cost of living is rising but you can still have a decent life on an FTs salary. There is very little heavy industry which means it is probably the least polluted major city in China. . There are plenty of bars and nightclubs if that is your thing but how good they are I wouldn't know. I am too old for that scene. When I first came here there wasn't much in the way of highbrow culture, But it is improving and there are some wonderful places to visit in Guangxi if you are the outdoor type. Nanning is hot in summer but most buildings have air conditioning these days. On the other hand it never gets snow in winter which is a bonus for me.

As far as schools are concerned the picture is less rosy. The general standard of state education in Guangxi is awful and shows no sign of improving. This means that even in University you will be teaching basic English for the most part. I have never worked at Guangxi university but I live close to it and have talked to many people who have worked there. It is the prestige place to go in this part of China but it is wildly overrated by parents and in fact the academic standard is not high. There are some capable and enthusiastic students but there are a lot who have rich parents but are immature and unmotivated. It is one of the older Chinese universities, founded in 1934, so parts of the campus are dated. But the grounds are quite pleasant. Traffic around the entrance can be a hassle but it is in the city and there are frequent, cheap buses to the city centre. That is a plus point worth considering as some of the newer Chinese universities are miles from nowhere. The classroom facilities are basic by western standards but again this is normal in China. On the other hand Guangxi University does have a semi decent library which is not always the case.

The English department has a bit of a reputation as a revolving door. You hear a lot of anecdotes about grades being faked behind foreign teacher's backs, interference with course content, administrative incompetence etc However these are problems in most Chinese universities and I don't think Guangxi is any worse than normal.

If you are Canadian you could also think about the Sino Canadian School which is a private school within the grounds of the University. I have never worked there because they only employ Canadians and I am British but it has a good name. There are also two other universities, Guanxi University for Nationalities, where I work, and Guangxi Medical University which are worth considering.

[fregona]

Thanks Kurochan and Neilhrd for your replies. I appreciate it.

Neilhrd, the position I am considering is with Sino Canadian College. A lady (retired school teacher from Canada) who taught there for 2 years, including both of her children is hiring for this school. I spoke to her recently and she indicated that it was a good first job to try and get your feet wet. I was recently laid off and considering a change and putting my degrees to use. Just not sure if it something that I can handle, moving across the world and living in another country.

The weather does sound great though. I live in Northern Ontario, Canada where the temperature in the winter hits -40C with a lot of snow. It would almost be like living in the Caribbean.

Also, this may be a weird question but are there a lot of bugs/insects/cockroaches? I realize there would probably be alot due to the tropical weather. I just have a little bug phobia...

again, thanks for your time and very detailed answers.

john

[eddy-cool]

Kurochan and Neilhrd have given exhaustive replies that vastly mesh with my own views on the matter (though I do not know the two schools well enough as I never applied for jobs there). So if you are looking for pertinent advice RE the teaching environment, go by their feedback!

My input concerns the city, and to a lesser extent, the education situation in Guangxi.

I think Neilhrd has said what I wanted to say (which was at variance with Kurochan;s, as regards the city): Nanning has undergone a truly gargantuan transformation over the past five or so years and is beyond recognition, save for the are along CHaoyang Lu running away from the train station. The infrastructure of the city is really great (though I hardlyknow the bars that Neilh mentioned; my best suggestion is the Biz Cafe in the shopping malls next to the Parkson department store).

I had a few dealings with upper-level government institutions - marriage registrar, PSB, notary public etc. - and I can say never have I been treated with more courtesy and professionalism in China than by members of these bureaucracies. This is a welcome boost to your morale if you live here long enough to need the services of the government.

As for the weather, yes, it is somewhat hotter there (or should I say 'warmer') than in, say, Guilin. I would compare the climate of Nanning to that of Guangzhou in Guangdong. More humid, with the onset of the hot season earlier than in Guilin (same province, 400 kms east-northeast).

But it is hot in summer anywhere in China, either very hot or scorching. Along the coast the hot weather is rendered worse by the prevailing humidity and the lack of winds. Since you asked about vermin, I would mention mosquitoes as a plague. I don't know which country's mosquitoes are worse - those I saw in Canada were bigger and far more numerous but I have a Canadian colleague here that is quite concerned about the Chinese ones.

Education in China is in a poor state anywhere in the country, more so in the poorer parts (including Guangxi) than in the richer provinces and the urban centres. Actually, the Chinese decision-makers have become aware of the woeful inadequacy of the product called 'higher education' but it will take yet more time to steer the huge ship into a better course. For you this means: Opportunities to work with dedicated educationalists on the side. There are quite a few private enterpreneurs that have noticed the gap between government goals and the reality at university exits. There is, after all, a huge demand for suitably educated workers everywhere in China. It's only the blue-collar ants that find themselves out of jobs - plus the hapless students who studied the wrong subjects such as engineering or political science.

[bradley]

neilhrd,

So how is teaching at Guanxi University for Nationalities? Is it conveniently located? How is the turnover rate for teachers?

Sincerely,

Bradley

[Neilhrd]

Sorry for the delay in replying. Work is keeping me pretty busy at the moment.

Insects in Nanning are what you would expect in a semi tropical place. There are mosquitoes and they bite but they are not malarial and every corner shop sells a variety of effective deterrents. You will see cockroaches and rats and the Chinese have a tolerance for them which westerners usually don't. But Nanning is cleaner than most Chinese cities and if you live a few floors up you can usually avoid them.

The University for Nationalities is in some ways the poor relation in Guangxi at least in terms of facilities. However the campus is a nature reserve and in my opinion the most attractive in Guangxi. At the moment there are no foreign teachers working directly for the university because they can't afford realistic salaries. I work for a private school within the campus teaching GAC to students preparing to study at western universities. I have posted extensively about this program elsewhere in these forums.