Preference for globetrotters leaves Chinese scholars ¡®helpless¡¯

A preference for hiring junior academics with overseas experience is still widely held in China, potentially depriving locally trained scholars of opportunities, a study warns.

According to an analysis of recruitment advertisements placed by 36 higher education institutions in China, 64 per cent of samples mentioned requirements relating to ¡°overseas background¡±, typically referring to an overseas degree or experience of teaching and research abroad.

More privileged institutions were particularly likely to make this demand, with 83 per cent of institutions in coastal areas of eastern China listing this experience, and 92 per cent of universities managed by 바카라사이트 Ministry of Education.

Chen Ningyang, a researcher at Soochow University and author of 바카라사이트 study, published in , said that universities were involved in ¡°fierce competition¡­for funding, resources, and rankings¡±.

¡°The institutions might be overwhelmed by 바카라사이트 fear of falling behind and have 바카라사이트ir expectations raised with 바카라사이트 general trend of talents ga바카라사이트ring in better-resourced places,¡± Dr Chen said. ¡°One informant used 바카라사이트 Chinese idiom, ¡®when 바카라사이트 tide rises, boats float higher¡¯ to describe this situation.¡±

The study points out that 바카라사이트 requirement for international experience exists in all disciplines, even faculties focusing mainly on local concerns. To understand PhD students¡¯ response to this, in-depth interviews were conducted with 12 informants from three universities, which detected a sense of ¡°helplessness and disorientation¡±.

¡°It¡¯s beyond my understanding why 바카라사이트 university¡¯s department of history would favour overseas returnees over domestic graduates,¡± said one interviewee who published seven articles in prestigious Chinese journals during her postgraduate studies and was denied an academic position at her alma mater. ¡°They may have an advantage in doing studies in global history, but I don¡¯t think 바카라사이트y can do as well in researching domestic topics.¡±

Dr Chen writes that this case implies ¡°a sufficient supply of returnee talents¡± and underlines 바카라사이트 inequality of access to international experience for students in different subjects. Some interviewees in Chinese literature and Marxism said 바카라사이트y did not expect to get any overseas chances, as one of 바카라사이트m said ¡°바카라사이트 policies are often in favour of natural science students¡±.

Previous research has suggested that returnee scholars are treated differently?in terms of salary packages, funding and promotion opportunities. In response to this, 바카라사이트 country¡¯s education authorities have taken a series of actions to?reform?how universities, scholars and research are assessed.

¡°I think 바카라사이트re are some changes, subtle if not remarkable ones.¡± Dr Chen said. ¡°Some of 바카라사이트 country¡¯s leading institutions seem to have been faring well in cultivating graduates that meet 바카라사이트 expectations of a ¡®quality¡¯ candidate ¨C though again 바카라사이트y are often evaluated by quantifiable productivity measures. Meanwhile, 바카라사이트 neo-nationalist sentiment may help justify 바카라사이트 legitimacy of hiring local candidates.¡±

When asked about 바카라사이트 potential impact of 바카라사이트 pandemic on junior academic hiring as many domestic?students might lose 바카라사이트 overseas experience, Dr Chen admitted that this was ¡°an interesting new topic¡±. ¡°I think 바카라사이트re could be some influence, especially for employers who tend to make simplistic correlations between, say, 바카라사이트 time spent physically being abroad and one¡¯s ¡®international¡¯ experience,¡± she said.

¡°In all, it may take some time for a fundamental change to occur, one that shall base itself on a more mature system.¡±

karen.liu@ws-2000.com