1 – Leave your preconceptions at home Don’t let what you see and hear about China and its people in the news influence your judgment. China is rich in history and culture, but it is still a developing country. A lot of progress has been made in many respects,…>
Career Development
National Natural Science Fund Grants – Processes and Applications
About the grants. In mainland China, most personal research support for discrete projects is provided through the National Natural Science Fund in the form of NSFC Basic Research Grants. The NSFC grants are aimed at promoting and financing basic and applied research in China and cover all natural sciences,…>
A Beginners Guide to Key Terms in Chinese Higher Education
211 Programme The 211 programme confers “National Key University” status on its member universities and colleges. The top 6% of China’s universities are included in the programme (the name of which refers to the top 100 universities in the 21st century). The 211 members together receive 70% of total science…>
A Guide to Research Grants in China
According to the Department of Science and Technology, Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, by 2013 the total research funding in China had snowballed into 179 billion dollars. The government will continue to sink more money for scientific research in 2014. Though it is not publicly stated,…>
Academic Work In The Netherlands: What You Need To Know
The Netherlands can be a fantastic place for academics to work: salaries are relatively good, holidays generous, and there is a rigorous research culture, especially in science and technology. What do you need to know to take advantage of these opportunities? The structure of Dutch higher education. There are three…>
9 Tips For Engaging Students In China.
1) Be nurturing and encouraging. Chinese students tend to be very reserved, but they respond well to positive reinforcement and become more proactive once they feel they are in a safe environment where they won’t be judged or criticized. Chinese students often perceive the simple act of asking a question…>
Chinese Government Initiatives for Recruiting Academic Staff and Developing the HE System
In the last two decades the Chinese government has introduced a number of initiatives aimed at building world class universities. These include the 211 project and the 985 project which were targeted at developing the research capacity of the Chinese higher education system. In addition, the government introduced the Changjiang…>
Understanding your role as a Lecturer
There was a time, not so long ago, when academic contracts contained no formal job descriptions, other than a vague injunction to ‘perform the wishes of the Head of Department’. This may no longer be the case, but reading a job description, or ticking a few boxes at annual performance…>
A Senior British Academic in China
Martin Stannard. Senior British academic and Coordinator of Overseas Staff in the School of Foreign Languages English & American Literature and American Culture Lecturer Beijing Normal University, China You may have been in academia for four or five years now and considering overseas opportunities to enhance your career or…>
Using Research Skills Outside Academia
So you enjoy research. But you are unsure if an academic career is right for you. How else can you use your research skills? You may find a research post outside academia that uses the full range of your skills – perhaps in a biotech start-up or social policy ‘think…>