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[hkacademic]

also, beware the age cap problem mentioned in re Singapore elsewhere. they force you to retire at 60.  exceptions can be made but you have to:


1. be full or even Chair professor (and already making a lot of money!)

2.  have superb connections and guanxi locally in your school.

its idiotic and counter-productive, but the way it is.  given the glacial pace of change.... not likely to change for the next 10-20 years I'd guess.

[gomer_pyle]

also, beware the age cap problem mentioned in re Singapore elsewhere. they force you to retire at 60.  exceptions can be made but you have to:

hkacademic: thanks for your response....sounds like HK univ. may not
be the best option.

It looks like I am going to be the tech guy in the basement forever. :(

[normative_]

Just be aware that the Chinese state doesn't tolerate dissent, and autonomy or not, Hong Kong is still controlled by Beijing. They've shown it again on the weekend.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/chinese-artist-ai-wei-wei-arrested-in-latest-government-crackdown/2011/04/03/AFHB5PVC_story.html
 

[gomer_pyle]

HK academic:

Thanks for your opinions so far. I am still somewhat interested
in CUHK as it's the only place I think I have a chance of getting
a faculty position.

Even w/ the 2-year contract, might be worth a shot. The only
thing I am concerned about is funding.

I am in the sciences, heavy computer modeling. Need $ to buy
computers (lots of them). Also, I could publish a few papers on
my own each year w/o grad students or postdocs.

Question is: if funding is so hard to get, that means, grad students
and postdocs are hard to come by. How important is it to mentor
grad students and postdocs as part of the process of getting contracts
renewed.

Thanks....

[hkacademic]

HK academic:

Thanks for your opinions so far. I am still somewhat interested
in CUHK as it's the only place I think I have a chance of getting
a faculty position.

Even w/ the 2-year contract, might be worth a shot. The only
thing I am concerned about is funding.

I am in the sciences, heavy computer modeling. Need $ to buy
computers (lots of them). Also, I could publish a few papers on
my own each year w/o grad students or postdocs.

Question is: if funding is so hard to get, that means, grad students
and postdocs are hard to come by. How important is it to mentor
grad students and postdocs as part of the process of getting contracts
renewed.

Thanks....

Yes in theory there should be funding available for this.  Perhaps in place, but more likely funding that you apply for and get -- I mean in your IT/comp sci fields.  There are lost of grants available for technology and more corporate and scientific ventures/projects.

Again these arent my fields so I may not know squat ultimately but I have seen such grants and funds at my uni and city-wide.  (I recall them b/c they are useless to me personally in the arts and humanities; there is a reason why HK has no culture aside from things intimately connected to money and the market).

One big catch though is that if you are on a 2 year contract... it'll take you a year to get the results of any grant application.   So I am not sure how this would work-- unless the 2 year thing is kind of like an auto-renew.  Personnel reviews and personnel actions take a very long time here, in my experience.  so really the 2 year thing is stupid unless they change it up. 

but in short anyone who applies for a hk job should  express lots of interest in applying for and securing grants for their projects.  INcl in the liberal arts and sciences.

my advice is still the same to anyone thinking of working in HK-- do go ahead and apply!  Nothing ventured nothing gained.... You can ask these concrete questions later.  Also I am hoping that the more HK schools try and hire abroad the more likely they will figure out how to do this properly.

[gomer_pyle]

HKacademic

Thanks again for your insight.

My field is quite esoteric...don't think corporate sponsorship would
be an option.

In your humanities field or in general, do you need to supervise
grad students in order to have contracts renewed?

My concern is that the only source of grants is from RGC. If I don't
get anything and have no students or postdocs, would that be grounds
for contract not being renewed?

Thanks....

Yes in theory there should be funding available for this.  Perhaps in place, but more likely funding that you apply for and get -- I mean in your IT/comp sci fields.  There are lost of grants available for technology and more corporate and scientific ventures/projects.

Again these arent my fields so I may not know squat ultimately but I have seen such grants and funds at my uni and city-wide.  (I recall them b/c they are useless to me personally in the arts and humanities; there is a reason why HK has no culture aside from things intimately connected to money and the market).

One big catch though is that if you are on a 2 year contract... it'll take you a year to get the results of any grant application.   So I am not sure how this would work-- unless the 2 year thing is kind of like an auto-renew.  Personnel reviews and personnel actions take a very long time here, in my experience.  so really the 2 year thing is stupid unless they change it up. 

but in short anyone who applies for a hk job should  express lots of interest in applying for and securing grants for their projects.  INcl in the liberal arts and sciences.

my advice is still the same to anyone thinking of working in HK-- do go ahead and apply!  Nothing ventured nothing gained.... You can ask these concrete questions later.  Also I am hoping that the more HK schools try and hire abroad the more likely they will figure out how to do this properly.

[rheaseo25]

the best place to work in Asia, suits well for expat.

[crkens]

I'm here now, and it's great fun.  However, don't believe everything you are told, especially on this forum.  Always remember, all rules in China are local and negotiable, and while contracts are for you, they are not necessarily for them.

[q8prof]

I've been teaching at an American-style university in the Arabian Gulf for the last six years.  Overall it's been a great experience and I've saved quite a bit of money but I'm ready for something new. 

I finished my PhD in English from a reputable state university in 2001 and have been working here in the Gulf since 2005.  I've moved from rank-and-file English prof to English program lead for four years and now I'm directing the Academic Advising Center.  I've maintained a respectable although not robust publishing record which is overall nothing to be ashamed of considering the insane amount of teaching and service I've provided to my very young university.

I have excellent teaching evaluations as well as a couple awards as well as loads of service experience, ie. curriculum development, writing of accreditation documentation, etc. etc. 

I'm an advanced Assistant Professor right now and will be applying for promotion this year to Associate. 

I've been seeing a lot of ads for English positions at the universities in Hong Kong and am applying to them for a Fall 2012 start.  My current university offers three-year contracts and I'm comfortable with that.  I also get a full housing subsidy as well as a round-trip ticket home every year.  What can I expect as a salary in Hong Kong and what kind of housing subsidy might I get?

[jqames]

If saving money is important to you, I'd suggest you go elsewhere.  I've worked in the Gulf, and after HK I'd never return.  I think it's the best place in Asia for an expat.  As far as salary goes, it depends on how they evaluate your credentials.  The housing subsidy will be insufficient.  Have you ever been here?  You might want to come for a visit and look at the cost of apartments first hand.  I'm sure others will chime in with their opinions.

[q8prof]

I haven't decided yet how important the money is or how far I'm willing to accept a reduction in income to make the move and I mean that sincerely.  It's a struggle.  I'm bankrolling large sums of money every year thanks to the generous Gulf package but I'm feeling that I might be getting to the point where taking a cut in income in exchange for living in a more open interesting place is a good move. 

My preliminary research seems to indicate that Hong Kong and Singapore are both places where I could be very happy living and working and where I could still save money every year.  Maybe it's not quite as much as I can in the Gulf but still more than in the SF Bay Area which is where I'm from.

Can anyone give me a ballpark estimate of how much I might be able to earn and what the housing subsidy would be?  I realize it's only an estimate but that will help.

[gomer_pyle]

Can anyone give me a ballpark estimate of how much I might be able to earn and what the housing subsidy would be?  I realize it's only an estimate but that will help.

I don't know if this is too late.....for an asst. prof., you should be able to get $HKD 700k/a at a minimum and a housing allowance of $HKD 100k/a at a minimum. I believe housing allowance lasts 10 years. 1 USD = 7.7 HKD.