FIRST PERSON

Returning to Teach in China

A political scientist shares the changes and continuities he found 20 years after his first teaching stint there

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By DENNIS V. HICKEY

Last spring, I was a Fulbright scholar at the China Foreign Affairs University in Beijing. It was not my first stay in China; back in 1989-90, I taught in Nanjing at the Johns Hopkins University's Center for Chinese and American Studies. But my wife and I wanted to return and experience firsthand how the country has changed.

Well, it has definitely changed. And it hasn't. I'd like to share my observations about the changes and continuities for those of you who might be considering a teaching stint in China — with the proviso that we lived only in major metropolitan centers, so some of what I'm about to say may not apply to all areas of the country.

Changes. When we lived in China almost 20 years ago, it was a dreary, polluted nation with two forms of currency (one for locals and one for foreigners), subsidized food coupons, and a largely poverty-stricken and regimented population. Today many, though not all, restrictions on the populace have been lifted. Food coupons and "special foreign exchange currency" are found only at antique markets. And the increasingly prosperous population — particularly the younger generation — is fashionably attired.

Financial transactions are no longer difficult. It is easy to set up a bank account and use an ATM card. Private enterprise abounds. The horrible state-owned restaurants and hotels that once dominated the country are increasingly rare. Excellent restaurants are everywhere and reasonably priced. Dairy products — once considered a peculiarity — are now common.

Participating in the Fulbright Program as a "guest lecturer" proved to be an invaluable experience. It enabled my wife and I to return to Nanjing and discover that it is now a modern city. We also visited other regions. In each instance, we saw cities bustling with economic activity.

The Chinese seem more confident and nationalistic than in the past. At the elite level, relations between the United States and China are at their best in decades. At the popular level, however, there is a strong suspicion that America wants to keep China backward, poor, and divided. I was there as Olympic fever was building. Students and ordinary citizens were outraged at calls overseas to "free Tibet" and at CNN news reports alleging that the turmoil there mirrored disturbances in Beijing almost 20 years ago. Efforts to derail the Olympics by foreigners were deemed disgraceful. Rather than fuel those sentiments, Chinese authorities quietly sought to control the outrage, lest it spin out of control and escalate into antiforeign riots.

Communication is much easier than in the past, due in large part to the Internet and the explosion in computers. We used our laptop to regularly telephone America at a cost of roughly two cents a minute. Laptops are inexpensive, but most educators bring one with them.

Another change is the open affection that students and other young people display. Pop music often blares from crammed dorm rooms (undergraduate rooms are still overcrowded with six or eight students living in a space that might comfortably house two). Cellphones, text messaging, and iPods are also popular. And students seem to know how to get around government restrictions on the Internet — the so-called great firewall of China.

Unfortunately, foreigners are no longer as immune as they used to be from robberies or muggings in China. That is a worrisome development, but crime remains miniscule when compared with America. And most crime is nonviolent. Pickpockets continue to ply their trade throughout the country, just as they have for centuries, and counterfeiters are so prevalent that banknotes are usually carefully examined during any financial transaction.

Medical services have improved, too. It is now possible to find modern medical facilities. However, I would strongly recommend that you enroll in some sort of supplementary medical insurance program. Certain companies operate modern clinics in major cities and provide evacuation insurance at a reasonable cost.

Getting around China has improved considerably. As an "elite" member of a frequent-flier program of a major U.S. airline, I am intimately familiar with lengthy delays and other problems associated with flying. We encountered no such problems with air travel in China — although security was tight. The trains ran on time, too. This was not the case 20 years ago.

Finally, foreigners do not attract the stares, pointing, or attention that we used to in China's large cities. Moreover, people do not push or shove on the street as much as before. (Boarding a bus or subway is an entirely different matter.) An increasing number of people appear willing to queue up and form a line (although jumping the line remains common). On this trip, unlike in 1989-90, I even witnessed young people on the subway voluntarily give up their seats to elderly passengers.

Continuities. Happily, we discovered that Chinese students remain extremely respectful toward professors — foreign or otherwise. I did encounter a few complainers and whiners; that appears to be a universal phenomenon.

For visiting professors, interaction with Chinese faculty members remains minimal. During 1989-90, my contact with Chinese academics was almost nonexistent. We had more contact this time, but it was limited to visits with Chinese scholars I had met previously at academic conferences. I was told that Chinese educators don't even meet much with one another; many teach their classes and then either go home or to their other job.

American faculty members are often counseled that Chinese students have been taught to plagiarize. But I only encountered one or two solid cases of plagiarism. Perhaps it was the format that I required for a semester project (students wrote a highly structured foreign policy "briefing book" rather than a term paper) because other educators told me that my experience was the exception, rather than the rule.

American faculty members are also warned in orientation programs that they might be monitored or watched by Chinese intelligence. In both 1989-90 and in 2008, my wife and I were advised that we might be more closely watched than others due to our close connections to Taiwan (much of my research focuses on Taiwan and my wife is from the island).

Perhaps we were watched. But unlike in 1989-90, our mail arrived at our apartment unopened.

University officials in Beijing advised me that I could discuss any sensitive political topic in the classroom so long as I emphasized that there were other interpretations of events and personalities besides the ones I was offering. However, I would urge you to refrain from expressing support for separatists, for banned religious movements (especially the Falun Gong), or for terrorist organizations. A little common sense on these matters goes a long way.

China remains a polluted country. But the government now makes noises about addressing the issue. Still, pollution remains one of the worst aspects associated with life in China and helps explain why the U.S. Department of State classifies Beijing as a "hardship post." According to some estimates, millions perish each year due to illnesses complicated by air pollution. Furthermore, almost all foreigners drink only bottled water (many even consider boiled water risky). And public sanitation remains a concern.

The Chinese speak many different languages and dialects. English is not one of them. It is still advisable for anyone spending time in China to make an effort to learn some basic Mandarin Chinese. It makes life much easier and the locals do appreciate the effort.

Finally, advanced planning is still required for any extended stay overseas. Finding a competent housesitter is critically important. Online banking and automatic bill payment make life easier. Information about the availability of schooling for children should be obtained long before your departure. And it is wise to be sure that you and your prospective institution agree about the required teaching load well before the beginning of a semester.

Get all the information you can about your living quarters (heat, air conditioning, washer, location, etc.) before arrival, either from the university itself or from others who have taught there. Be prepared for surprises on the housing front. Upon our arrival in Beijing, our university informed us that we had been assigned a nicer apartment. That was a welcome development, but it caused confusion as friends and relatives kept trying to contact us at the address we had initially been given.

Too many Americans believe that they can remake China. They engage in condescending behavior based on preconceived stereotypes or prejudices. Remember that you are a guest in a country with one of the oldest civilizations in the world and that you may need to make an effort not to become "the ugly American."

Dennis V. Hickey is a professor of political science at Missouri State University and the author of numerous scholarly books and articles on politics in the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.