Hexi University

China / Gansu / Zhangye /
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Hexi University is in Zhangye city, Gansu Province. It was established in 1958 as a teachers' training college.
www.at0086.com/Hexi-University/
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Coordinates:   38°56'51"N   100°26'30"E

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  • http://www.hxu.edu.cn/
  • He Xi meant west of the river. The river is Yellow River. He means river, Xi means west. It is also not a university but college of further education of some sort. There is another Hexi University is in Changsha.
  • The two characters that make up Hexi means He (river) xi (west). So it means west river. Nothing to to with the Yellow River (Huang He). Actually applies to the Black River (He He) - can't do pinyin here but pronounced He Her after which the Hexi Corridor (part of the old Silk Road)- which runs very near to Zhangye where Hexi University is located. Teresa is correct when she says Hexi University as it is called in English is not a university in the western sense. As of 2012 it offered no post graduate courses, but does offer undergraduate degrees in agriculture, chemistry, physics, teaching, biology, and a few others. The Chinese name is Hexi Xueyuan which means College, but the main entrance has University on the sign in English. The first deception.
  • Foreigners can teach English there - they have about 8 a semester. However be warned. While the students are great, the corruption is extensive and touches all area of student lives. And foreign teachers if they let it. E.g. Teachers 'squeeze' students for money in exchange for good marks. E.g. Agriculture students are sent away in holidays to work for no pay on the industrial farms run by friends of the lecturers (no food provided and very rural so to place to by it - and very poor accommodation also - sharing a floor for example). Foreign teachers are not wanted by the place but are required by Beijing dictates. So the treatment of foreign teachers is pretty poor. Basically ignored, lied to, and they try to exploit you in various ways such as shipping you off to schools in the weekends - for which the people in the foreign affairs dept. get money but none to the foreign teacher. I suggest if you want to teach in China you look at Hexi as a last resort. Strong Party presence and students who are not members or prospective members (i.e. Student Union members) are second class citizens.
  • Interesting to read comments made by someone who does not understand China and tries to form his opinion based on western values. This is impossible. My wife and I worked here for 2years and had a wonderful time. Our Chinese co-teacher was very helpful with the teaching problems, even assisting with doctor visits, opening bank accounts and we had many happy meals together. Other tutors and students were giving their time helping out with Chinese language study, cooking, shopping, friendship and were a source of real information about China. Of course you come across things that will never happen to you in New Zealand or other western countries. But Hexi is a well organised university, still developing new buildings to cater for the 12000 students, a huge staff and beautiful grounds, although it is rather bleak in winter with temperatures down to -25! It is a full university since 2 years the contract was signed with the local medical college. For the 12 foreign teachers , when we were there, are great apartments, bedroom, study, computer, kitchen, everything one needs and warm in winter. There are even bikes waiting for you. Indeed the wages are low but life in western China is incredibly cheap and especially younger teachers managed to save money to take home. And last but not least, quite a few foreign teachers extended their stay or came back to work at Hexi for another term or longer!
This article was last modified 13 years ago