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[luder]

And, as I've explained before, foreigners are not paid different salaries in every university in Korea--this is actually illegal. I am paid exactly the same as my Korean colleagues (actually, I'm given an extra stipend tax-free as part of their initiative to attract foreign scholars).

It pays to look at every individual university, instead of making nationwide stereotypes.

Yes, we are well aware that YOU are paid the same as Koreans. Nonetheless, the same type of pay is only on offer at a limited number of Korean universities. We're talking at most 5%, and that's a very generous figure.

While only a limited few treat their foreign faculty fairly, the vast majority of them don't.

Have you ever wondered how much your Indian colleagues get paid at your university? After all, I'm presuming you're Caucasian since you did indicate that you're not a Korean. Not to mention the notion that receiving the same pay as Koreans basically excludes you from the Indian category.

Of course, non-Korean = Caucasian. Thanks--I might use this as a great example of a false syllogism in class today.

Uh, embittered historian, Kukom may have expressed himself clumsily, but I think you know, as everybody who reads his post knows, that the argument he is making is not the "false syllogism" you diagram. You have deliberately dropped one of his premises. What I understand Kukom to be arguing is: You are non-Korean but are paid as much as (or more) than a Korean. Therefore, you are white.

Now, this argument too may rely on unfounded assumptions, but instead of examining and perhaps disproving these assumptions you reply with a post that smacks of "protesting too much" and that thus inadvertently lends credence to all of Kukom's points.

[embitteredhistorian]

And, as I've explained before, foreigners are not paid different salaries in every university in Korea--this is actually illegal. I am paid exactly the same as my Korean colleagues (actually, I'm given an extra stipend tax-free as part of their initiative to attract foreign scholars).

It pays to look at every individual university, instead of making nationwide stereotypes.

Yes, we are well aware that YOU are paid the same as Koreans. Nonetheless, the same type of pay is only on offer at a limited number of Korean universities. We're talking at most 5%, and that's a very generous figure.

While only a limited few treat their foreign faculty fairly, the vast majority of them don't.

Have you ever wondered how much your Indian colleagues get paid at your university? After all, I'm presuming you're Caucasian since you did indicate that you're not a Korean. Not to mention the notion that receiving the same pay as Koreans basically excludes you from the Indian category.

Of course, non-Korean = Caucasian. Thanks--I might use this as a great example of a false syllogism in class today.

Uh, embittered historian, Kukom may have expressed himself clumsily, but I think you know, as everybody who reads his post knows, that the argument he is making is not the "false syllogism" you diagram. You have deliberately dropped one of his premises. What I understand Kukom to be arguing is: You are non-Korean but are paid as much as (or more) than a Korean. Therefore, you are white.

Now, this argument too may rely on unfounded assumptions, but instead of examining and perhaps disproving these assumptions you reply with a post that smacks of "protesting too much" and that thus inadvertently lends credence to all of Kukom's points.

I'd rather steer the discussion back to the topic of the OP. We've already heard about Korea, Japan, Australia, and the UK. I'd love to hear about more.

[the_walrus]

Payscale for CNRS here:

http://www.sg.cnrs.fr/drhchercheurs/concoursch/chercheur/carriere-en.htm

[the_walrus]

Just found this, which is dated, but looks quite good, not least because it includes info about compulsory deductions (though still not entirely comparable, since in e.g., UK these cover your health insurance while in US they don't):

http://www.worldsalaries.org/professor.shtml

[the_walrus]

Okay, this looks like everything you could want, at least if you want to compare country-to-country:

http://www.bc.edu/cihe/publications/pub_pdf/salary_report.pdf

[embitteredhistorian]

Wow. Thank you, the_walrus--absolutely wonderful stuff.

[mleok]

Okay, this looks like everything you could want, at least if you want to compare country-to-country:

http://www.bc.edu/cihe/publications/pub_pdf/salary_report.pdf

Just wanted to list the new link to this document:

http://www.bc.edu/content/dam/files/research_sites/cihe/pubs/Lumbley_Pacheco_Altbach_salary_report_2008.pdf

[crkens]

  Comparing pay scales across universities strikes me as simplistic and largely irrelevant.  Who cares if you make twice as much in Tokyo as you do in Sarajevo.  I still had more money left at the end of the month in Sarajevo, and the penthouse apartment in the old town was fantastic.  I won't get into the price of food, entertainment etc.  It's probably more relevant to ascertain what cities in the world are the most expensive to live in and use that as a basis for a decision, assuming you have one.

[the_walrus]

  Comparing pay scales across universities strikes me as simplistic and largely irrelevant.  Who cares if you make twice as much in Tokyo as you do in Sarajevo.  I still had more money left at the end of the month in Sarajevo, and the penthouse apartment in the old town was fantastic.  I won't get into the price of food, entertainment etc.  It's probably more relevant to ascertain what cities in the world are the most expensive to live in and use that as a basis for a decision, assuming you have one.

That is precisely the point of the purchasing power parity approach that the report takes. It is comparing salaries based on ppp exchange rates.

[crkens]

Walrus, it is a fair point, but I didn't think that the parity factor gave the report any more credibility.  It just didn't balance with my personal experience.  It seemed to me that it was probably based on statistics, and I'm sure you know the quote, liars, damn lairs, and statistics.

[taikibansei]

Walrus, it is a fair point, but I didn't think that the parity factor gave the report any more credibility.  It just didn't balance with my personal experience.   It seemed to me that it was probably based on statistics, and I'm sure you know the quote, liars, damn lairs, and statistics.

The point in bold cuts both ways. E.g., it is quite possible to live in Tokyo--and very easy just about everywhere outside of Tokyo (including all the other major cities in Japan)--both cheaply and well. My personal experience (all outside of Tokyo) includes living currently in a 2-bath, 4-bedroom house located downtown in the best school district (and just a seven-minute walk from my workplace) for $650 US per month. Food here is often cheaper than in the US--assuming you know where to shop, can read Japanese labels, and are willing to buy what "the locals" eat/drink. (Attempting to maintain an "American" lifestyle here--or anywhere overseas really--can cost you...a lot.) Similarly, while "entertainment" can be expensive (especially if you like, say, barhopping every weekend), it certainly doesn't have to be. For example, as going to a movie theater can set you back $12 US per person, we just don't go to the movie theater. Instead, like most Japanese, we wait until the movie comes out on video. Rental videos are very reasonable here--my favorite local shop runs a 50-yen per video special (you need to rent five) once per month. That's about fifty cents (US) each for a one-week rental.

Keep in mind that salaries here, especially for someone in the humanities, are extremely competitive with the US. E.g., the link mleok provides above notes that the overall monthly salary average for Japan's national universities was 765,000 yen in 2005--pretty much the same as today.

Of course, fallout (literal and figurative) from the earthquake/tsunami/nuclear power plant disaster is ongoing, and may eventually change things forever...for the worse. Still, as disasters (natural, financial and/or political) are certainly not limited to Japan, this is unfortunately the chance you take wherever you go.

[pecky]

From personal experience I know that I was paid the equivalent of about a third more at a top university in Australia compared to a top university in the UK for the same sort of work (research only). But then again research staff seem to be valued much more in Australia than in the UK (probably because of funding structure which favours research in Australia and teaching in the UK).

[britmom]

From personal experience I know that I was paid the equivalent of about a third more at a top university in Australia compared to a top university in the UK for the same sort of work (research only). But then again research staff seem to be valued much more in Australia than in the UK (probably because of funding structure which favours research in Australia and teaching in the UK).

Where do you get that idea? I'm not sure why there's a difference in pay, but it's certainly not down to that.

[totoro]

Yeah, that was a weird comment. REF?