Being prepared in China, says one researcher, can mean "the difference between a headache and a productive day." Acclaimed by readers, this friendly and practical volume—now updated with important new information—offers all the details academic visitors need to make long-term stays in China productive, comfortable, and fun.
Academic opportunities have been revived in the years since the Tiananmen Square event, and the book opens with an overview of what we have learned from our academic exchanges with China, the opportunities now available, and resources for more information.
To help visitors prepare for daily life, the book covers everything from how to obtain the correct travel documents to what kinds of snack foods are available in China, from securing accommodations to having the proper gift for your Chinese dinner host.
Frank discussions on the research and academic environments in China will help students, investigators, and teachers from their initial assignment to a danwei, or work unit, to leaving the country with research materials intact. The book offers practical guidelines on working with Chinese academic institutions and research assistants, arranging work-related travel, managing working relationships, resolving language issues, and—perhaps most important—understanding Chinese attitudes and customs toward study, research, and work life.
New material in this edition includes an expanded section on science and social science field work, with a discussion of computers: which ones work best in China, how to arrange to bring your computer in, where to find parts and supplies, how to obtain repairs, and more. Living costs, health issues, and addresses and fax numbers for important services are updated. Guidance is offered on currency, transportation, communications, bringing children into China, and other issues.
Based on the first-hand reports of hundreds of academic visitors to China and original research by the authors, this book will be useful to anyone planning to live and work in China: students, researchers, and teachers and their visiting family members, as well as business professionals.
Table of Contents
Front Matter
1. Research, Study, and Teaching in China
2. Preparing for the Trip
3. Settling In
4. Research
5. Teaching
6. Study
7. Services Available
8. Leaving China
Glossary of Chinese Terms
Appendix A: Funding for Graduate and Postdoctoral Research in China
Appendix B: Language Study Programs in the People's Republic of China
Appendix C: Colleges and Universities Accepting Direct Application from Foreign Students
Appendix D: General Guidelines for Direct Application to a Chinese College or University as a Self-Sponsored Student and Excerpts from 'Regulations Concerning the Admission of Foreign Students in Chinese Schools'
Appendix E: Visa Application for Foreigners Wishing to Study in China
Appendix F: The People's Republic of China Visa Application Form
Appendix G: Physical Examination Record for Foreigners
Appendix H: Organizations Sponsoring English Teachers in China
Appendix I: Application for Teaching Positions in China
Appendix J: Sample Contract for Teachers
Appendix K: American Express Emergency Check Cashing Locations
Appendix L: Approximate Costs of Hotel Rooms, Food, Internal Travel, Services, Clothing, and Medical Care, Fall 1993
Appendix M: Selected Reading List and References
Appendix N: Trial Procedures for Foreign Organizations and Individuals to Use Chinese Archives
Appendix O: Packing it in: Preparing for Fieldwork in the PRC
Appendix P: Student Advisory Resource Centers and General Reference Holdings
Protocol Between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the People's Republic of China for Cooperation in Educational Exchanges
Index
