Working in East Africa – Uganda

Like much of East Africa, Uganda is one of the most favourable job markets for academics either looking to gain a foothold into academia after a PhD or mid-career academics seeking to take a break from their home country. Experts say given the level of liberalization Uganda and East African economies underwent in recent years,  the higher education sector is more or less an open market. The Ugandan government has opened up the higher education market, with foreign and private universities now setting up stalls across the country so as to meet the demand for university education.

Uganda is a beautiful country fondly referred to as “the pearl of Africa”, English is the official language and the country already attracts a growing community of foreign expatriates, especially those working with NGOs and management consultancies.

Life as an Expatriate Academic

“My suspicion is that foreign academics from credible institutions have a better opportunity to join the academic field in these countries compared to nationals attempting to join, especially in public universities. But again it is a field where those with the requisite qualification are very welcome, if there is opening,” says Emilly C. Maractho, a development economist and lecturer at Uganda Christian University.

Ronald Elly Wanda a British academic shares Dr Marachto’s view. Unable to secure an academic job in Britain, Wanda moved to Uganda in 2010 to teach at Marcus Garvey University in Uganda, where he has since risen to the position of an executive director of a new department.

Wanda says the market is favourable to scientists and engineers, especially those with a PhD because of the recent discoveries of oil across East Africa.

“The oil sector is relatively new and it’s promising to yield huge profits for state treasuries,” he says. “As such universities have also begun to embrace academic disciplines in these areas, and the market is wide open for academics in geology and related disciplines.”

Wanda also points out that security is another big area, and those whose research focus is on security, especially academics from the social sciences, humanities and the natural sciences may want to seek teaching opportunities in Uganda and much of the region.

Cultural Values in Ugandan Education Sector

Dr Marachto advises that you should be aware organizational culture varies from university to university, especially also if they are public or private. She says what is guaranteed is that the cultural shock is manageable and people have respect for visitors.

Teaching Requirements

Isaac Kiiza Tibasiima, an academic at Uganda’s premier institution Makerere University, points out the key requirements of being a lecturer depend on the level at which you join a university. Professors, he says, are required to have done mentorship of more than five PhDs and a lot of outreach work in their field in addition to publishing, teaching and innovations.

“This is the same for associate professors,” he says. “Lecturers generally must have a PhD except for medical fields where senior lecturers can have an MSc or a masters of medicine degree. Assistant lecturers are likewise expected to have a masters degree.”

Job Expectation

So, what is remarkable about working as an academic in this part of Africa?

“There is a consensus amongst archaeologists that human life has its origin in the East African Rift Valley. As a political scientist, I find the region pretty exciting as it means I really get my teeth on real issues and see at first hand the end product of  my research,” says Wanda. “Poverty here is naked; communities are authentic and people’s resilience as well as their sense of determination is inspiring. I find the place culturally organic and intellectually rewarding,”

Dr Marachto points out the expectation is usually that you will do as much classroom work as possible and still do research.

“This is the hard part considering the number of students involved, especially in public universities,” she says. “I have taught in both public and private universities in Uganda and interacted with several academics in Kenya and Rwanda, even Tanzania, the expectation is more or less the same although the environment varies.”

You are not going to be a dollar or pound sterling millionaire by being an academic in Uganda. A lecturer with a PhD earns about US $1000 a month, and a senior lecturer earns more than that. But career-wise, experts say there is a lot you can do beyond the classroom.

“Consultancy work comes hand-in-hand with being an academic,” says Tibasiima. “One likewise has the choice to be stuck in the lecture room. The career prospect depends on your field, expertise and willingness to take on extra jobs in the booming consultancy field.  The academic has the choice to go beyond the classroom and do something even bigger with their life.”

Wanda agrees: “Yes, there are plenty of opportunities for progression in East Africa, provided you are hard-working and can overlook some of the small challenges that the region faces.”

Source Information : https://www.jobs.ac.uk

Working Overseas: How to Use Erasmus Opportunities

Whether it’s wanting to be closer to the centre of the action in your field of research, wondering whether students are more engaged elsewhere, or just wishing for sunny Spain on those rainy British days, there really is a way to turn your dream of working overseas into a reality.

You have probably heard of the Erasmus educational exchange programme for students, but surprisingly few UK academics know that staff are eligible for Erasmus transfers as well. That includes both teaching and non-teaching staff, at any university that holds an Erasmus charter—this includes some FE employees as well, if their employer is in a collaborative provision agreement with a universities.

Choose your destination.

Where can you go? All EU and EEC nations, plus Turkey, have institutions that are part of the main Erasmus programme. A full list can be found through the British Council (www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus-where-can-you-go.htm); your employer may already have existing Erasmus links that you can leverage on.

There’s also the Erasmus Mundus programme (eacea.ec.europa.eu/erasmus_mundus), which aims to take the benefits of European higher education further afield. Erasmus Mundus can help you set up knowledge and staff transfers between your home base and universities outside Europe.

What you’ll be doing.

Erasmus is an EU initiative with set goals and priorities, so expect some hard graft along with new views from your temporary office window.

You may be teaching or working within a research team. You may be carrying out and disseminating the results of projects on topics like widening participation or distance education, or building links between local communities and higher education. It’s also possible to focus your Erasmus activity on receiving training in a foreign business, or setting up networks between or beyond FE/HE.

Funding is available for short preparatory visits, where staff from one institution meet those from another to talk over potential collaborations. These are a great, no-risk way to get started.

Erasmus transfers can be as short as five days, although four to six weeks is typical for teaching assignments.

What’s in it for you?

Benefits can include a chance to work in top European research centres, improve your language and intercultural understanding, and add global employability skills to your CV.

Past participants say the greatest boost has been to their enthusiasm for academic work. Staff come back revitalised and full of new ideas. They’re also equipped with membership in expanded professional networks. This can lead to improved recruitment of overseas students and staff, and enhanced office, boardroom or classroom performance.

Importantly, your costs are all paid through the Erasmus programme.

An introductory leaflet and staff case studies are available through the British Council (www.britishcouncil.org/erasmus-staff-opportunities.htm), which administrates Erasmus for the UK, but your journey really begins by chatting with your university’s Erasmus coordinator.

Perhaps the only danger to the Erasmus transfer route is to your employer: your experiences and contacts may lead you to actively consider employment outside of the UK. If that thought is already in your mind, Erasmus can give you a free trial of your plans.

Source Information : https://www.jobs.ac.uk

Working as a Contract Researcher

Working for a university, but only in a part-time capacity? Seeking work with a university? Perhaps you’re bored with your current post, or feel the need to try your luck in another industry without taking a huge risk? Branching out into working as a contract researcher may be for you. Despite current rhetoric about eschewing "experts," government departments rely heavily on the research expertise of academics to gather and analyse data, as do voluntary sector organisations, companies and universities.

What is a contract researcher?

When a company, NGO, government office or university department needs to buy in the perfect person to carry out necessary research, contract research staff (CRS, also known as FTCS—fixed-term contract staff) is what they usually go looking for. These posts are generally temporary because they are tied to a specific funding package for the research, whether that’s a research grant or a finite project or plan.

Experienced university staff and recent MA and PhD students often have precisely the skills that employers and research project managers seek—all you need to do is locate an appropriate possibility and package yourself to fit.

Getting the job

Often, CRS posts are advertised; those based within universities almost always are. Begin your search on sites like jobs.ac.uk and with universities in your local area. That said, occasionally university CRS posts go to known colleagues or former students, and are either advertised only briefly or the intended CRS names are included in the funding bid. This means that letting colleagues and former lecturers know you’re seeking contract research work can help—offering to help with putting the bid together is one way to ensure you get a piece of the pie if it succeeds.

Other posts, such as those with NGOs and businesses, may or may not be formally advertised. A charity, for example, may approach an academic whose research is in their field to supervise or carry out a research programme or to write a report based on existing knowledge. Here, contacts are everything—if there are organisations or businesses that operate in your area of expertise or routinely partner with researchers in your current department, find ways to make your ambitions known. Contact-making opportunities include sector conferences and public service task forces.

Pros and cons

Many people find that life on a series of fixed-term contracts comes with its own set of challenges. It can be difficult to obtain a mortgage unless you have a partner in full-time permanent work, for example, and typically the fruits of your labour are the contract givers’, not yours. It’s important to start seeking the next contract around the middle of your current one, and to pursue all opportunities to turn ‘temporary’ into ‘permanent.’

For those stuck in part-time work or trying to get a foot in the door at a university, however, CRS work can offer an opening. You’ll have to work hard to make the most of it: for example, you may be eligible for tuition fee remission if you’re working for a university, so try to make progress towards a PhD if you don’t have one already. Contract posts can be isolating, so make a point of joining faculty groups and attending research events to maximise your chance of meeting people who can recommend you for a permanent post, or at least another contract.

Tips for new CRSers

Joining a union can help to protect you (and the rest of us) from poor employment practices. You’ll certainly want to be quite careful about your job description—be clear with your line manager about what you are there to do (research and closely related administration) and what you are not there to do (unrelated administration and, in most cases, staff training or teaching—unless that has been explicitly agreed). Outside of the HE sector, some CRS work is freelance. This can be tricky to negotiate, as you may be offered a flat fee to produce a piece of work rather than an hourly rate or a proper employment contract. If so, consider carefully how many hours may be needed to do the work, and make sure the fee offered is sufficient. Also, make sure you get credit for your work whenever possible, through named authorship or inclusion in the official list of contributors to documents or projects.

Source Information : https://www.jobs.ac.uk

Belgium Country Profile - Business Etiquette

Organisational structure

Belgium is an affluent and modern country, home to multinationals, government organisations and businesses from all over the world. This means that business culture is also highly diverse, with many nationalities influencing how things are done. However, Belgian businesses in the Flanders region are considered to have a more Dutch attitude to business, with a flatter, egalitarian structure. Businesses in French-speaking Belgium tend to be more hierarchical, similar to business culture in France.

Management style

Management styles differ according to region and type of business. Managers can range from being authoritarian, where a senior team take decisions and delegate tasks, to more egalitarian with a spirit of consensus. However, across Belgium you will find that there is a commitment to teamwork and participatory management, where even though decisions are made at the top, each team member is involved in the process. Belgian managers are known for being thorough, facts, figures and solid research are integral to the decision-making process.   

Formality

Belgians are considered to be quite formal and conservative in their approach to business. You should therefore use titles (Mr, Mrs, Miss in Flanders and Monsieur, Madame, Mademoiselle in French-speaking companies) until invited to do otherwise. French-speaking regions tend to be more formal than in Flanders and take a French approach to business, where you should show deference to superiors.

Relationships

With a long history of international trade and multiculturalism, Belgians are known for being skilled negotiators and are used to working with foreigners. However, this does not mean that social conventions and politeness are overlooked, Belgians are flexible and will aim to strike a deal which suits everyone. It’s also worth bearing in mind that Belgians like to keep their work and private lives separate, so try not to encroach on their time outside of working hours.

Dress code

Belgians take personal appearance very seriously and looking polished will help you to earn respect. Smart and conservative attire for work is expected. Men generally wear expensive and stylish suits with a tie and women a trouser or skirt suit or smart dress.

Greetings

When greeting your Belgian colleagues in all regions, a handshake is appropriate for both men and women. The French custom of ‘air kissing’ is not common in the workplace, even in Wallonia. Kissing and hugging is usually reserved for friends and family.

Punctuality

Punctuality is very important in Belgium and good time-keeping is essential if you want to make a good impression. Meetings always start on time, so it is expected that if you are going to be late, you call ahead to apologise.

Meetings

Depending on the business setting, meetings tend to be formal and well-structured in Belgium. You can expect meetings to start with some polite small talk but then to follow a strict agenda thereafter. Meetings are focussed on the dissemination of information to staff and are often led by a team leader or manager. That said, they often involve people from many different nationalities - particularly in Brussels - so you can often expect quite a mix of cultures and styles at the meeting table. Always ensure you are always on time to meetings and prepared with the correct facts, figures and documents.   

Cultural sensitivity

Belgium is divided linguistically, but Belgians see themselves as Belgians, rather than Dutch or French. Try to avoid making negative comments or comparisons about the culture of each region and how they compare to each other (or France and the Netherlands). Belgians are also quite reserved and do not take kindly to overly personal questions.

Business language

The main business languages in Belgium are Dutch, French and German. However, Belgium is a country of expats and also home to a vast range of international companies. Therefore, English is often used as a ‘bridging’ language in both professional and personal settings. You will find that most Belgians speak English very well. When emailing or telephoning, always use the language of the region (Dutch in Flanders or French in Walloon) but if you are not confident in either – stick to English.

Source Information : https://www.jobs.ac.uk

Belgium Country Profile - Travel

Driving

Belgium has an extensive road network comprising toll-free motorways and dual carriageways. Speed limits on motorways are 120km/h (70mph) and 50km/h (30mph) in residential areas. Although roads are well-maintained, Belgians have a reputation for their fast and aggressive driving style so new expats should take extra care, particularly in Brussels. Signage can also be a problem – in the Brussels region signs are bilingual but in the different regions, they are in either Dutch or French. So it’s a good idea to be aware of place names and other driving rules in both languages before setting out.

Drivers with a valid European Union licence are permitted to drive in Belgium without exchanging their licence for a Belgian one. If your licence was issued in a non-EU country, you must apply for a local licence after six months driving in the country. The minimum driving age is 18.

Taxis

All Belgian taxis are metered by law and can be recognised by their roof signs (they come in many different colours according to the city or company). It is not common to hail a taxi from the street and drivers are not permitted to pick up passengers within 100 metres of a designated taxi rank.

Buses and coaches

Belgium has an excellent rail network, therefore buses are only generally used for short distances in urban areas. Bus routes are managed by three companies: De Lijn (Flanders), TEC (Wallonia) and STIB (Brussels). Single tickets or discounted travel cards (see MOBIB smartcard below) for use on all public transport can be purchased from any rail or bus station.

For longer distances, Belgium has a number of privately-operated coach companies which connect towns and cities as well as travelling to neighbouring countries. See the Eurolines website for more information.

Trains

Despite its compact size, Belgium has one of the most extensive rail networks in Europe. Trains are fast, frequent and punctual. The network is operated by Belgian Rail (NMBS/SNCB) and comprises high speed InterRegio/Intercity trains and efficient local trains. High speed trains also link Belgium with France, the Netherlands, Germany and Switzerland, with the Eurostar connecting Brussels with the UK and France.

You can purchase an electronic MOBIB smartcard which can be used for multiple journeys on the entire public transport network.

Trams and light rail

The cities of Brussels, Antwerp, Ghent and Charleroi all have efficient and cheap tram/light rail systems. You can also take the scenic Coastal Tram along the entire length of the Flemish coast (42 miles). Brussels is the only city to have a metro system (Brusselse metro/Métro de Bruxelles), consisting of four lines which connect central Brussels with the outer suburbs. The metro is operated by the Brussels Intercommunal Transport Company (STIB) which also runs the city’s buses and trams.

Air travel

Belgium has five international airports, the busiest being Brussels Zaventem Airport, eight miles north of the city. Being at the centre of Europe means that the country is well connected to almost all major world destinations. You can also take short hop flights across Europe. Brussels Airlines (a subsidiary of Lufthansa) is the largest national carrier yet most budget and national airlines fly to and from the capital. Belgium is a very small country so there are no domestic flights, unless you choose to travel by private plane or helicopter. For journeys across Belgium – take the train.

Other ways to get around

Like their Dutch neighbours, Belgians are passionate about cycling. Flanders in particular is considered a bicycle lover’s dream, with flat terrain and hundreds of national cycling routes and paths. Many railway stations have bicycles for rent and you can also reserve one to be waiting for you at the end of your train journey. Care should be taken when cycling around Brussels, where cars rule the roads.

Source Information : https://www.jobs.ac.uk

Belgium Country Profile – Working Practices

Working hours

By law, workers in Belgium can only work a maximum of eight hours a day and 40 hours a week. This is higher than many Western countries and probably accounts for the fact that Belgian workers are the most productive in the EU. Employees generally work from 8am-6pm Monday to Friday with an hour’s lunch break. Working conditions vary according to region, with the Dutch-speaking regions tending towards a more flexible approach than the French-speaking areas. Maternity pay for mothers is calculated as 82% of a person’s salary for the first 30 days after giving birth which goes down to 75% after that. Fathers are entitled to ten days paternity leave which must be taken within four months of the child’s birth.

Holidays

Workers in Belgium must have worked as a salaried employee for the year before a holiday can be taken. May expats are therefore unlikely to be entitled to a holiday in their first year of employment, unless an agreement can be reached with the employer. The number of days a worker can take off depends on the amount of time spent at work the previous year. This generally equates to four week’s holiday accrued over a full year of work.

Public holidays

There are ten public holidays in Belgium as well as several unofficial holidays, including the December Solstice and Christmas Eve, which many employers recognise.

Public holiday dates 2018

New Year’s Day: 1st January

Easter Sunday: 1st April

Easter Monday: 2nd April

Labour Day: 1st May

Ascension Day: 10th May

Pentecost Monday: 21st May

Belgian National Day: 21st July

Assumption of Mary: 15th August

All Saints’ Day: 1st November

Armistice Day: 11^th November

Christmas Day: 25^th December

Visas and eligibility

All citizens of the EU/EEA can travel freely to Belgium and do not need a work permit. Generally, all citizens from outside EU/EEA countries require a visa to enter Belgium and a permit to work. If this applies to you, then you will need to apply for one of three visas, depending on your reason to enter Belgium. The visa you will most likely require if you intend to work in the country is a long-term visa for which you will need a firm offer of employment. Applications for visas must be applied for in your home country before arriving in Belgium. For more information, visit the Belgian Foreign Affairs website.

Tax

Taxation in Belgium is among the highest in Europe, with a rate of 50% for the highest earners compared to around 45% in other Western countries. Income and company taxes are collected by the state while local authorities are responsible for collecting property tax and municipal tax. Expats can benefit from a special tax status which can include generous allowances. To find out if you are eligible for tax breaks, contact The Ministry of Finance (Service Public Federal Finances).

The Belgium tax system is complex for expats but generally you will have to pay income tax on your worldwide income if you are living in the country for at least six months. Expats who meet certain criteria, for example someone employed by a scientific research centre on a temporary basis, can register to pay tax on Belgian-only related income. The tax year runs from 1^st January to 31^st December each year. You can find out more about taxes at Belgium's Official Information and Services website.

Benefits

By law, all workers in Belgium contribute to unemployment insurance which is shared by both employees and employers. EU citizens who haved moved to Belgium may be entitled to three months’ unemployment benefit from their native country. To find out if you are eligible for benefits, you can enquire at the country’s many trade-union run unemployment agencies or the state-run Auxiliary Fund for Payment of Unemployment Benefits. Contributions to the welfare state are made by employers who deduct it automatically from your monthly wage which accounts for around 25% of your pay. Expats who make contributions will be entitled to benefits, medical care and loss of work. For more information, visit the FPS Social Security website.

Pensions

The state pension (rustpensioen), is allocated to people when they reach 65 but it can be claimed earlier if someone has been working for more than 38 years. Pension contributions account for around 16% of a person’s wages, the burden of which is shared between the employee and employer. The National Pensions Office (ONP or RVP) decides the amount each person receives. A general rule of thumb, a single person will receive 60% of their average wage.

Disability

In 2009, Belgium signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which built on the country’s 1963 commitment to improve the opportunities of disabled people. Disabled rights are protected by both regional and federal law. On a community level, there are also institutions promoting disabled rights covering the Flemish, French and German-speaking communities. On a local level, people can apply for Disabled Persons Status, entitling them to an allowance and a parking card, with their municipal office.

Source Information : https://www.jobs.ac.uk

The talent programme in China

The Chinese education ministry has, over the last 15 years, invested a huge amount of money in the university system, and has developed a range of programmes encouraging professional and personal development among academics. Moreover, in recent years, the programme has focused on attracting international talent, especially those who are able to write and publish in English to ensure that Chinese universities can be considered as more ‘international’ in their approach and output. All these programmes are primarily designed to ensure that Chinese universities can increase their research output and be major players in the field of teaching and research in the global education marketplace that is dominated by the English language.

How funding in China works

Like their western counterparts, access to government funding is not always equal. The university education system in China, which has developed along the auditing lines of the British Research Excellence Framework (REF), distributes and controls access to central government fund according to their respective performance in the national research assessment exercise. Thus, universities that achieve high scores across several disciplines are eligible to be placed within the ‘elite’ Chinese universities. This, by default, gives them access to more central government funding, and the right to compete for more prestigious research projects. For example, Chinese universities are part of 2 major categories according to current government classifications: Project 211, “High-level Universities and Key Disciplinary Fields” which provides funding to 100 universities in China on the commitment that its constituent local and regional government match the funding provided by central government, with an overall aim of strengthening the international contribution of China to major research in science and the humanities. Although this includes 100 universities, the fact that there are around 3000 universities across the nation means that this project represents only a tiny proportion of the country’s universities. Project 985, “World-Class Universities” is even more selective, with current statistics showing that only 39 universities are included. The aim of this project is to foster an environment where these universities have access to large levels of funding to become ‘international’ and ‘world-class’ universities that can compete with the best universities in the world.

Opportunities available for recently graduated PhD students

For foreign academics, the Chinese talent programme provides a set of interesting opportunities for those at all levels of their academic career. For those just graduated from their PhD, there are postdoctoral opportunities available, normally for 2 years, in which there is a significantly reduced teaching requirement and no administrative responsibilities, the funding for which is provided either by regional government or the respective universities through benefactors. The programme is designed to encourage new recruits to publish at least 2 peer-reviewed articles in international journals, thus helping them to gain a reputation as a researcher of international calibre. In this context, it is important to note that the Chinese education system does not, whether it be in the humanities, social sciences or scientific fields, place the same emphasis on monograph as is evident in the US or the UK. Thus, your research quality and impact is assessed on the number of articles you publish, and where you publish. Thus, for those fortunate enough to land a two-year postdoctoral position will be blessed with extra time to concentrate on research while also gaining necessary experience in teaching, albeit with a reduced load. These are all key components in helping to build a successful career in academia. Furthermore, for those working at the Chinese elite universities, successful completion of the postdoctoral programme can help you to apply for an Associate Professorship, thus enabling you to skip one level of the career ladder, and bring the additional research funding benefits that this position bestows on you.

Opportunities for entering China as an Associate Professor

For foreign academics entering China as an Associate Professor, there is also a range of opportunities available through the talent programme. For those who have experience teaching in a western university, some universities will hope that these professors can take a range of courses to allow their students to benefit from a western-style education, and learn their main subject through the medium of English. Nevertheless, this programme will also provide access to a range of provincial and national level research awards. If you were to gain these awards, you could also use this as leverage to reduce your teaching load and to focus on research projects. One such example of a programme that offers this opportunity is the Chu Tian Scholar programme, which is divided into two levels – Chu Tian Student (for those at the Associate Professor level) and Chu Tian Professor (for those already holding a professorship at a foreign university and seeking to come to China for experience and/or change of institution). As a recipient of this award for the 4-year period at Associate Professor level, I gained immensely from the freedom and funds it provided me to pursue my research and attend international conferences to enhance my academic network.

The talent project at associate professor level normally has 2 objectives according to the desire of both the university and the recipient. If the university sees the presence of the recipient as temporary, then it is likely that there will be an even balance between research and teaching which will allow students to benefit from English-language education and the English-language research output (which can be entered for the national research audit) before the recipient returns to his/her native country. However, if both the university and the recipient see the appointment as the beginning of a long-term relationship, then it is likely that the university will provide the recipient with a range of benefits, including the opportunity to buy a university subsidised apartment (which is a massive benefit owing to the high cost of housing in China) as a means of offering long-term stability, and the hope that he/she will stay for a long time. 

Talent projects for specific disciplines

Generally, many of these talent projects are offered across the whole range of academic disciplines within the university (although, like in western universities, less money seems available for humanities compared to science), but there are also some discipline-specific programmes that exist for academics who are looking for opportunities under the Chinese talent programme. For example, the 1000 talents programme focuses on the recruitment of international talent in the fields of Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Life Sciences, Medicine, Information Science, Environmental and Earth Sciences, Engineering and Materials Science, Economy and Management, Law, Psychology, International Relations among others. The remuneration is generous, considering that the general daily cost of living in China is lower than that in many western countries. It provides a 3 years contract, with a salary of around £100,000 a year and a research budget of £300,000 for the three-year period. For those seeking a longer-term position, there is the 1000 talents long-term programme, which provides a permanent position to an academic under the age of 55 with proven international reputation. 

How the talent programme benefits China

The talent programme in China is diverse. Some opportunities are available to non-Chinese scholars only, while others are only available to Chinese scholars. Some are open to both foreign and Chinese scholars. The Chinese government is also aware that many talented Chinese individuals have left China to pursue study overseas, and have subsequently obtained jobs in western universities. In an aim to encourage these talented individuals to return to China, the Changjiang Scholars Programme has been introduced. The dual aim of this project is to encourage Chinese talent back to China and to utilise the language skills and international connections attained by these individuals when they were overseas to enhance the international reputation of Chinese universities. This is part of a long-term goal but signals the intent of the Chinese government to constantly improve and strengthen the nation’s university system.

The Chinese education system, especially the university system, is receiving large cash injections from the central government. While there is still a lot of work to be done, the Chinse government have developed a long-term plan in which they aim to ensure that many Chinese universities will be regarded as equal, or at the very least, competitive with the major American, British and Canadian universities. While it may take some time for the results to be seen, the plan is moving in a positive direction. For foreign academics, this provides a range of opportunities that you may not have considered. For sure, my experience of working in China has been overwhelmingly positive, and through the talent programme and the freedom it has provided, I have been able to produce and publish a large amount of research that will benefit me in what will hopefully be a long and happy career.

Source Information : https://www.jobs.ac.uk