Monday 2 August 2010

second job

Few months ago, I began my second job in another university. This time I got lucky. I was hired as a editor assistant of a database project in the History of Ideas in Modern China. My major is not in Chinese history, but modern history connects each other in a sense that modern histories of various countries interacted with one another.

The project is interesting as to its research part; however, my job was much more than that. There are so many clerical and administrative chores such as writing official documents and managing fourteen part-time students that I got exhausted quite easily. Research is fun though. Especially there are two legendary, renowned professors in the project, supervising the graduates. They were born and grew up in mainland China in the 50s. They met in the University of Peking, got married and were prosecuted during the infamous Cultural Revolution in the 1960s. They survived
They are the intelligentsia of contemporary China.

One of the reason they hired me was my research background. They need something new. Nearly all of their students work on Chinese history or major in Chinese literature, chiefly in classic Chinese literature. I study European/ British history, and this provides some new point of view, supposedly. They want me to work as an assistant and be part of the research team as well. Therefore I am both a full-time assistant and a part-time graduate.

Another reason that I work here is its goal, constructing a database of the history of ideas of modern China. I reckon it worth doing and I am willing to be part of the great work. There are few useful academic databases in Chinese history, either classical or modern history.

All in all, this is a rather interesting work and I enjoy it a lot. I believe I’m gonna have a great time this year.

:)

4 comments:

njmimi said...

Glad to hear that you are happy about your work :) It's time for me to find out what I want to do.

Unknown said...

It's not easy for everyone and I know this job is not permanent in any sense. That's what I do for the gap years. Need not to worry, and you'll get over it. I'm sure of it.

njmimi said...

Gap years?:p are you thinking about PhD??

Unknown said...

off course i am. I'm still thinking the subject of my thesis. I'm getting anxious whenever I think of it.

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