Korean Job Discussion Forums

[PRagic]

http://professor.snu.ac.kr/eng/

For any who doubted that Korean universities were gearing up to start a massive recruitment effort, see the above link.

Several universities have been recruiting foreign professors here and there, but SNU has taken it up a notch. They are recruiting across the board, and are serious about providing competitive compensation and employment packages.

Have at it.

[jadarite]

Wow, a faculty page.

[PRagic]

The link I posted is a faculty recruitment page, which links into jobs across the departments. This is a massive hiring effort. What's the problem?

[postfundie]

maybe the problem is that Korean University ratings suck and they figure that the most prestigous university in the country should get it's act together.

[bassexpander]

I see 4 or 5 positions available so far this year. No information on if, after as many months, any of these positions have been filled. This is a good thing, and it means far more non-Ph.D people will be hired as well. It does not mean we will all be replaced by Ph.D's, which is ludicrous, and surely not what PRragic is trying to say.

SNU is obviously ramping-up their all-English course list, attempting to compete with Japanese schools like Waseda who have recently been accepting a very large number of Korean students (for all-English programs). The best and the brightest have often left Korea for other countries, and it's getting worse. SNU is hoping to stop the mass exodus by offering more courses in English.

Unfortunately, we have no indication at all as to what they are planning to pay for these jobs. Certainly more than an E-2 with a BA or an MA will get -- but enough to justify a Ph.D? It will be interesting to find out.

SNU's international ranking is not very high, and the one thing that's absolutely killed them in the rankings is the fact that most of their staff were graduates of SNU. If they start hiring foreigners, that will boost their international ranking.

Now if they could just keep the Korean name from being drug through the mud by researchers who falsify their scientific experiments....

This seems to be advertising time for many unis as well. I've noticed that this university (Kongdae) has been literally advertising that they hired the youngest female professor. They've launched a pretty massive PR campaign after the massively embarrassing debacle of hiring foreigners with no degrees to be "professors" there. The guy who got busted at that school (a bellhop from NY) is the reason why we all have our degrees checked now.

http://bbs5.worldn.media.daum.net/griffin/do/photo/read?bbsId=346&articleId=236593&pageIndex=1&searchKey=&searchValue=


If I'm reading this right, she's only on a 1 year contract, by the way. Is this what is in store for Ph.D professors in Korea?

She'll have it tough. A lot of people on there are already tearing her down in comments.

My wife once told me that few stories make it to that front page without someone paying a great deal of money.

[Draz]

[bassexpander]

[PRagic]

Thanks, Bass, for not reading into it too much. You're absolutely right in that I in no way meant that this is a turn for the worse for MA holders.

As for other comments and questions:

1. I think you're right in that SNU is very serious about increasing its international ranking and stemming the outflow of students.

2. The pay for these jobs, at least at the tenure track level, is pretty competitive. Assistant prof slots start at over 60 million won/year, plus they give relocation allowance and air. They also have large, new (30-55 pyung) apartments available for a song (haven't gotten exact details on this yet other than the size). For what it's worth, they have already received a load of applications from Ph.D.s in N. America and G.B. in a few of the departments where I have contacts.

3. The fact that they have senior profs who are SNU grads doesn't help their ranking, true. But I think the purpose of the recruitment in terms of their ranking is that they want to increase the number of publications in ranked international journals. They're strict about the minimum number of RECENT publications needed just to apply, and stress the research agenda in the application process.

4. Right again, Bassman. KonKuk and Korea, along with some other schools, have really juiced up their international recruiting and PR efforts. SNU, in true form, waited and then went in hard and fast. We'll have to see how it pans out. It's a good sign, though, because a lot of these positions are government funded, and if the government will fund more international scholars, then other schools might open up the flood gates, too.

Personally, I just see this as a good sign, especially for people who are doing or thinking of doing their Ph.D., and who may want to work in Korea after finishing up.

[ddeubel]

So strange to me and I wouldn't call this "serious" when budgets come and go.....

I had a good friend of mine, German who teaches in Japan, stay at my place while he taught at SNU. He's world renowned in his field and he couldn't get a penny out of them and had to scramble for corporate sponsorship so his masters students could do the course. Needless to say, after flying in for 2 years, they dropped the program. Why? No money, other priorities.....

It is all politics and not about the program and professors - imo. Maybe more is going on but I doubt it.

DD
http://eflclassroom.ning.com

[PRagic]

Alas, we can only hope...

They did say that there are different positions. You're probably right in that they PLAN to do something, but who knows if it will materialize.

The proof will be in the puddin