The education ministry in China 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…>
Written by Mark Crowley
Dr Mark J Crowley is an Associate Professor of History, and holds the distinguished Hubei Provincial ‘Chu Tian’ Research fellowship for the period 2014-2018 at the School of History, Wuhan University, China. He obtained his BScEcon Hons in Politics and Modern History at Cardiff University, an MSt in Modern History at Oxford University and his PhD from the University of London’s Institute of Historical Research, where he held an Arts and Humanities Research Council Collaborative Doctoral Award with the British Postal Museum and Archive. He has worked in China since March 2010 and at Wuhan University since March 2011. He is the co-editor of 2 volumes, Consuming Behaviours: Identity, Politics and Pleasure in Twentieth Century Britain (with Erika Rappaport and Sandra Dawson) published by Bloomsbury in 2015, and (with Sandra Dawson) Home Fronts: Britain and the Empire at War, 1939-45 (forthcoming with Boydell and Brewer, 2017). He is also the author of Post Office Women at War, 1939-45: Gender, Conflict and Public Service Employment (forthcoming with Bloomsbury Academic, 2017) as well as 10 journal articles on an eclectic range of topics concerning Britain in the Second World War, including women’s wartime experiences, gender inequality, public service employment, the British Home Front at war and trade unionism.
My First Year Teaching in China
Foreign academics will face a series of challenges but also many opportunities in their first year teaching in China. In many disciplines, the appeal of hiring a foreign academic is that he/she can teach through the medium of English, and speak the language of the quality of a native speaker. Moreover, they may offer a…>
Managing The Chinese Education System
In any education system, academics are answerable to the government. Audits, form-filling and declaring their research agendas form a routine part in the life of an academic who is required to complete these administrative tasks. It is true that China is no exception. Administrative tasks form a significant part of the work schedule. The complicating…>
China Provides The Career Gateway To The World’s Academia
When I arrived in China to begin my academic career in 2010, I really didn’t know what to expect. As a historian I was aware that the nation had…
The Debate About Academic Freedom in China
Recent political developments in China have attracted significant attention in the western world and have posed wider questions about the potential rise of authoritarianism in the country. While the decision by the Chinese Communist Party to approve the right of the sitting president to remain in post for life (replacing the previous two-term limit) raised…>
The Lessons Western Universities Can Learn From China
When I moved to China in 2010, many university officials were eager to hear my thoughts on the areas that Chinese universities could improve and learn lessons from their western counterparts. In many ways, the western education (especially the UK university system with its long history) is regarded by many within the Chinese system as…>
The Importance Of Social Media To Your Academic Visibility
As a tool of academic networking, social media has become an almost indispensable feature of academic life. It is possible that its importance varies according to your standing within the profession. For older and more established scholars, some remain reluctant to experiment with social media, believing that their status within the profession is sufficient for…>
Publishing Articles, and the Debate Over ‘Open Access’ Publications
Academics, and those aspiring to enter into the academic profession, are most probably familiar with the phrase ‘publish or perish’. The need for academics to publish is integral to applications for jobs, promotion to permanent positions and to obtain research funding. Publishing peer-reviewed journal articles are a key part of this process. However, in recent…>
Getting Your First Book Contract
The publication of an academic book, especially a monograph, is still regarded as the ‘gold standard’ in British academia, especially in the humanities.
Why Joint-Degree Programmes Between British and Chinese Universities is a Positive Development
Recent political and economic developments have brought China into the spotlight on the international stage. Initiatives driven by the government such as the ‘one belt, one road’ policy means that China is planning for deeper influence on the international economic stage. It would logically follow that in this respect, increased influence in the field of…>