Hello!
I'd like to share an experience of an interview with a Saudi Arabian university.
Firstly, I'm near completion of a PhD (into chapter 6, over 71,000 words written overall, intention to submit given for August 2010 at a good UK university, external examiner now approached and agreed, etc.). I have experience of lecturing/module leadership in UK universities prior to take up of PhD. I also have peer-reviewed publications, presented research at conferences. So I applied for a faculty position at a SA university (to teach at its female campus).
Upon invitation to interview, I emailed and asked the nature of the interview, how many interviewers would be on the panel and if a female would be among them - I also asked about dress code, because I do not normally wear a head scarf. No reply was received to this email.
At the interview, which took place in London last week, there were two men. One did introduce himself as the human resources person who had invited for interview, the other chap did not have the good manners to do so, though he was referred to as a "Dr" and typed into a laptop during the interview.
The interview questions were bizarre; the human resources chap informed he was 56, that he had an interest in doing a PhD and did I think he was too old for this. I thought this must be a trick question, I replied honestly that I thought he was not too old to learn, research and contribute to knowledge. He said his colleague, the other interviewer in the room had told him that there was no point to do a PhD because he had four years left to work, the retirement age being 60, what did I think about that. I replied, again as honestly as I felt about this, that he did not have to take up a PhD with the view of a paid position, he could volunteer once he retires if he wished, and if he had found a subject he truly enjoyed and wanted to study to depth there was no reason why his age should hold him back.
This interviewer asked me to help him find a university in the UK where he could do his PhD by distance, he gave me his private emails writing them down on a piece of paper - I mentioned to him I had his university email as he had emailed the invite for interview, but he said as he was away from campus/country it was easier for him to access his private emails - why he thought I'd use my time to help him is, well, not clear to me.
Also, both interviewers asked me to assist them with recruiting female candidates as they had a shortage, they asked me to ask my friends to apply - again, not sure why they felt I would use my time to help them do their job.
I don't know why I am so disappointed as I have read and know about the Saudi Arab male attitude towards women, which is nothing to do with the actual religion the country purports to practice.
I was not given an opportunity to ask questions, when I pointed this out, that I had questions I was told they had another interviewee - a waiting male, despite the fact they had allowed an earlier interviewee, also male to have his interview go way into the time of my interview, mine started late. I did not get as long as they earlier interviewee, I was not given an opportunity to tell them about my skills. They glimpsed my CV and publications list, made assumptions not allowing me to clarify. I was put down during the interview - I do not have a Masters, though I explained that in the UK you can begin a PhD with a first class honours Bachelors degree.
The whole interview was unprofessional, or maybe it wasn't. Maybe it is because I am comparing the experience to normal interviews I have had in the UK.
The interviewers left me with the instruction to get "experience certificates" from my previous employers going back 12 years, and to email the human resources guy with other prospective female candidates and assistance with finding a PhD for him. All this for a possible position as an 'Instructor' at their university!
I left the interview taking a really long walk on a lovely London day to calm myself down, thinking, they can go to hell, the cost/benefit is not worth it. An instructor's position at a Saudi Arabian university is just not worth it to me, especially as my expected PhD is from a UK university ranked inside the Top 200 of world universities according to the 2009 Times Higher Education, a list, incidentally, which does not feature any Saudi Arabian universities. I had applied because positions are so scarce in the UK, and had seen the faculty position advertised in the Times Higher.
What are the experiences of other female applicants to Middle Eastern/Gulf state universities?
Although this is frustrating, it is not the worse you could imagine. I personally know some people who applied for advertised positions at Saudi Universities, went through the interview, offered a job, asked to supply so many documents which must be attested by many different governmental organizations, went through rigorous medical examination and attested the results, received the KSA visa, resigned from their jobs and were about to relocate to KSA and SUDDENLY they received email from the intended universities informing them “WE REGRET TO INFORM YOU THAT WE HAVE DECIDED TO FREEZE THE JOB FOR FINANCIAL/DEPARTMENTAL REASONS”. After that the staff of those universities never replied to inquiries from those victims telling them why such decision came so late.
