Working in China as an English Literature Lecturer

With over 2,000 universities and approximately 5,000 years of written history, China offers many opportunities for academics, particularly early-career lecturers.

This post is based on my own experience of working as an English literature and culture lecturer in one of China’s top universities. My experience may not be the same as those in other universities or regions.

My role as an English literature lecturer is much broader than it would be at home. I, therefore, suggest that English lecturing is possible for English-speaking PhD-holders from across the humanities.

Students

To enter university, most students have to complete the gaokao examination, a section of which is usually on English language. As a result, students who achieve a place at the top universities have a high level of English and are able to tackle the same texts as native-speakers, although they may require more time and teacher input. Students can have up to ten hours of classes a day, so they are often unable to put in the same amount of preparation into your class as you would expect. Likewise, English majors often study literature, culture, language, and translation. Therefore, you may also have to teach some language classes.

Generally, the students are hard-working and interested in the texts they study. In my department, lessons are two hours long and are expected to include both a lecture and an interactive tutorial. Students expect a good balance between teacher-led and student-led components.

The Department

Non-Chinese-speaking lecturers often have an ancillary role in their departments.  This has both benefits and disadvantages. Foreign lecturers have few administrative duties within the department, and usually are not subject to the same REF requirements as Chinese lecturers. On the other hand, the teaching load is comparatively high, there is little support for research, and the breadth of teaching may be a challenge.

Teaching

Foreign lecturers may have a wider range of classes than they would have at home. For example, my specialism is British Romanticism, but I teach general literature, modern American literature, academic writing, culture, and public speaking. Although this can be frustrating, it also gives early career researchers an opportunity to broaden their knowledge-base and skills.

Research

Although it can be difficult to get hold of monographs, the majority of online sites, including jstor for articles, and forums for keeping in contact with academic networks, are accessible.  The Chinese summer holiday coincides with most Western ones, meaning that it is possible to attend conferences and other research events. Despite the high teaching load, the lack of administrative work means that an early career lecturer has more time to work on their research than someone in a comparable role in the UK.

Subjects

As English lecturers are expected to teach a wide range of classes, academics from across the humanities would be as well suited to this role. PhDs in history, philosophy, modern thought, and cultural studies would be particularly useful.

Conclusion

China offers many exciting opportunities, both personal and professional, for academics, especially early-career researchers or those with a particular focus on teaching.  In addition to work, living in China also provides a wonderful opportunity for learning about an ancient culture, and even learning a new language!

By Anna Fancett, Lecturer of English Literature, Language and Culture at Xi'an Jiatong University

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

Examination Boards

Examination Boards in the UK are the official bodies that set and mark exams for qualifications such as GCSE's, A levels and BTEC vocational qualifications. Jobs with examination boards are well suited towards candidates with teaching or lecturing experience, as well as a degree or postgraduate qualifications.

Careers with Exam Boards

Typical roles within Exam Boards include:

• Examiner (marking submissions in accord with set guidelines)
• Principal Examiner (produces question papers and marking schemes)
• Moderator (direct assessment of component parts of an exam, such as coursework)
• Chair of Examiners (ensures standards are maintained from year to year)
• Project Manager (analysing the efficacy of exams and proposing changes)

Some of the above roles are only available at certain times of the year. Examiners, for example, are commonly employed for the summer months when the standard GCSE and A-level test are taken. There are also opportunities for employment following the mid-year exams, usually taken in December.

Examination Board Employers

There are a number of Exam Boards in UK. Some of them are educational charities, others are run by profit-making companies, while others are run by local authorities. The JCQ (Joint Council for Qualifications) is a collaboration between a number of different Exam Boards.

• Edexcel
• AQA
• OCR
• Cambridge Assessment
• SQA
• CCEA
• WJEC
• City and Guilds

Finding a job 

Vacancies are advertised on the websites of each exam board (see above for links). Some exam boards require you to register with them if you want to be used for specific examinations. It can be a way to earn some extra income for current or trainee teachers.

Jobs are also advertised externally. Check jobs.ac.uk for vacancies with exam boards. You can also find information to help with your job application on the Career Development website.

Benefits of working for Examination Boards

A career with examination boards can be rewarding in that you will have a direct impact on education in the UK. Examiners are required to use analytical thinking, and a complete knowledge of specific subjects is essential. Extra money can be earned by marking exams if it is carried out in addition to a salaried position. You could also pursue examinations as a career choice if you want to be involved in setting exam papers or regulating examination boards (a career with the Department for Education may also be viable).

Your skills as a researcher or academic will be put to good use by exam boards. The ideal employee needs to be:

• Able to work under pressure
• Able to meet tight deadlines
• Highly competent in the chosen subject
• Capable of analysing exam papers against standard criteria
• Capable of concentrating for extended periods

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

Working for a Scientific Start-Up Company

When I think about my time in industry, the first thing I remember is the excitement I felt when I received the phone call from the CSO (Chief Scientific Officer) telling me that they would love it if I joined their team. In the job advert, they said they were a synthetic biology start-up company, and they were going to change the world: now I was on board!

The feeling of accomplishment never left me throughout my time there, and beyond. They made me feel important and very much part of their team from day one.

The company was small at that time, and even though the roles of everyone were very established, we had one goal in common: the success of the company and we worked united towards it. In any scientific, industrial start up you will usually find that the enterprise is divided into at least two defined sections: the business oriented one and the scientific team, with the CSO bridging the gap. We were very lucky also to have a fantastic computational team at work.

Life in a start-up is frenetic but very satisfying. The pace is fast, and the stakes are high. And, if compared to academia, the pay is better, too. Teamwork is central and when your teammates are as passionate as you are, the moment you accomplish something important together, it is the most rewarding of the feelings.

So profoundly different from the slower, somehow less focused, but also freer academic environment, working for a start-up is hectic at all times, and you need commitment to the cause. You can expect days of great joy and days when you are so tired you think you will not have the strength to get home.

But believe me when I tell you that I would never trade my start-up experience for anything in the world. There I learnt to be highly organised, to defeat procrastination, the effectiveness of collaboration and the importance of team-play. 

Furthermore, I had the opportunity to work with some of the most talented and visionary people in the field of synthetic biology.

For all these reasons, my decision to leave was one of the hardest. At that time, I had to go with the flow and academia had been calling me back. Nevertheless, I brought back with me everything I learnt during my time in the company and the experience deeply shaped my future attitude towards science.

I would encourage everyone, even the most academically oriented of you, to spend at least one year in industry, maybe in a flexible and challenging start-up environment.

The experience will almost certainly be tough, but it will enrich you from a personal and scientific point of view and it will open your eyes to a world that you might have not even started to imagine, yet.

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

Working As A Researcher For A Service Provider

If you work in health, education, social care or other fields where companies are involved with providing a service to the public, opportunities abound for conducting research directly for service providers. It’s a great way to marketise your academic expertise or make a career switch, but there are a few things you should know first.

Marketing yourself.

Your academic CV may impress when applying for university posts, but you’ll need to accentuate practical experience and people skills when selling your skills to service providers.  Highlight research projects that have involved working directly with service users or working professionals, as well as your involvement in Continuing Professional Development workshops, conferences or courses.

Be sure to provide examples (and samples, if appropriate) of past research that has been used as the basis for policy or service change, or that has resulted in a practical product for use in the workplace—such as a staff training programme, video, pamphlet or device.

Be ready for cooperation.

There is a huge amount of practical knowledge in almost every service provider. Both staff and clients have experiences that can enrich your perspective—and sometimes challenge your assumptions. Service provider-based research works best when outsiders bring fresh perspectives and skills, but spend time observing and listening before weighing in with suggestions.

Accordingly, build this into your project plan. Individual interviews, focus groups, case reviews and observations are all good techniques to try. Every programme has its own culture, and how you engage with it will determine how effective your research is in effecting change.

Project plans should be written in clear language, avoiding “academicese,” with sensible, workable objectives that map onto the service provider’s stated goals. These can often be found in their mission statement or key policies; alternatively, it may be a good idea to map onto appropriate government frameworks or directives for the sector.

A few key cautions. 

Service providers are competitive businesses, and this applies equally to charities that have service-provision arms. Confidentiality is therefore important to them. Often there is a hope that commissioning research will boost their market position, and that means you may not be able to tell the world about your findings. You may need to sign a confidentiality agreement, and you must consult before publicising your work in any way, including on a personal Web site or in academic publications or conferences.

Most service providers do not run year-round research programmes, so your contribution will usually be on a project basis. For that reason, don’t expect to rely on any one form for a stable income.

Finally, the larger and more established the service provider is, the harder it can be to effect change.  Positive contacts with front-line staff, and practical outputs they can use, can often make more of a difference than policy recommendations. For that reason, always try to build bridges between your research and everyday practice within the organisation while you are carrying out your research project. It will leave you with a good feeling to know that even if your policy ideas were not taken on board, you’ve had a bit of impact where it really counts.

source information: https://www.jobs.ac.uk