I. General Principles
1. Hiring foreign experts for teaching and scientific research serves as an important part of the international exchanges of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law. Hence, it requires our high attention and substantial efforts.
2. Guideline of hiring foreign experts is that we shall, according to the demand of training teachers and improving teaching quality, take active and steady steps to hire competent and proficient foreign experts for employment optimization in a planned way, enhance mutual understanding and academic exchanges at same time.
3. The discipline scope of employing foreign experts is that we shall concentrate on English major, then extend the scope to other professional disciplines like Economics, Management, and Law.
4. Foreign experts are mainly targeted at teaching the young teachers, graduate students and undergraduate English majors, etc. Foreign experts are in charge of improving their foreign language proficiency instead of teaching them the basic foreign language.
II. Employment
5. Under the direct leadership of president charging international exchanges, International Exchange Department of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law is responsible for the overall work of foreign experts in our university. According to the hiring initiative published by the Ministry of Education, the International Exchange Department needs to select proper experts on the basis of our school requirements in discipline construction and teaching and research, and then ensure good management and reception of foreign experts.
6. The number of hiring foreign experts issued by the Ministry of Education is person-years, namely a year, half a year and three months, counted as a person-year, half a person-year and a quarter person-year respectively. The employment term of each expert depends on the practical demand of teaching work, but fund for every expert should not exceed that for one person-year.
7. The affairs of hiring foreign experts should be reported to the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office by Zhongnan University of Economics and Law and determined through consultation. Report material shall include basic information, such as name, gender, age, nationality, work unit in your own country, highest education, major and academic title, and elaborates teaching time (beginning and ending time), tasks, weekly workload, wage rates, and other life conditions. What’s more, resume, cover letter, recommendation letter, and a copy of diploma and its Chinese version should also be attached. Those materials should be handed in at least three months earlier before the foreign experts take office.
8. Zhongnan University of Economics and Law shall apply to the Provincial Foreign Affairs Office for Foreign Experts Invitation Confirmation and Visa Notice by Authorized Organization and mail the two forms to foreign experts, by which the experts can go to Chinese embassies and apply for Chinese visa at their own expenses.
9. Once the foreign experts take office, our university shall sign contracts timely with hired experts and both sides shall follow the contracts strictly. And our university is responsible for the foreign experts’ certificates and residence permits.
III. Teaching Management
10. International Exchange Department is in charge of daily life and the service of foreign experts, and Office of Teaching Affairs, Graduate Division and the School of Foreign Language are responsible for experts’ education work and research program during the teaching period. Once the foreign experts take office, departments above shall introduce immediately them overall situation, educational policies and teaching system, and training objectives of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law.
11. Teaching tasks of foreign experts shall be involved into whole teaching plan, and necessary evaluation and timely inspection are also required. Workload per week of each foreign expert shall not be less than 12 hours. Generally, experts should obey curriculum schedule. However, if necessary, adjustment shall be approved by the School of Foreign Languages.
12. Textbooks and teaching plan of foreign experts shall be decided by the consultation between the foreign experts and the professors of the School of Foreign Languages. Overseas advanced textbooks and teaching methods are encouraged. Attention should be paid to the strict management and methods towards work of foreign experts. Any of the suggestions about education freely given by the experts should be adopted and taken into practice if feasible and beneficiary to the teaching. As to those beyond our ability or being unreasonable, we shall give patient and acceptable explanation to experts.
13. In order to help foreign experts with teaching work, the School of Foreign Languages shall designate two young teachers with good political thinking, decency, strong sense of responsibility, outstanding business and high foreign language level as assistants. Meanwhile, the two teachers shall serve as partners of foreign experts and linkmen between the experts and the School of Foreign Languages.
14. Our university shall provide needed books, tools and teaching aids for foreign experts. Our university should help foreign experts solve problems emerging during education process. School can receive gifts of teaching books and materials from foreign experts and send gifts in return appropriately.
15. We shall award spiritual or material incentives to experts with fruitful achievements. At the same time, we shall inform experts of poor working performance by proper means. We firmly hold on the right of dismissal with experts who perform badly at work, fail to fulfill their tasks and ignore our warnings many times according to the contract.
16. We encourage foreign experts to publish papers in Chinese academic journals and allow them to attend teaching or academic symposium.
17. We respect religious belief of foreign experts, but forbid them to preach religions. Disseminating of religious books like Bible or relevant thoughts in name of teaching shall not be allowed. However, general introduction of background, history, and development of religions shall not be regarded as preaching a religion if necessary.
18. We shall solve divergences in politics properly during the teaching process according to different situations. Such cases generally can be solved by direct explanation, but imposition of any ideas should be avoided. Foreign experts are forbidden to ask students to fill any foreign registration forms or questionnaires by themselves. However, foreign experts should apply for the permission of school authority if necessary. Everyone is liable to refute any views against the four cardinal principles or aggressive and dangerous political opinions from any foreign experts and should report it to the superior immediately.
IV. Daily Life Management
19. The life management of foreign experts is in the charge of the International Exchange Department and assisted by the Logistics. In the spirit of initiative, hospitality and proper consideration, we shall make appropriate arrangements for the daily life of experts.
20. According to regulations in hiring foreign experts and contracts signed, we shall make good preparations for reception. Once foreign experts take office, we should guide them to finish all formalities like accommodation, transportation and medical care and impart them faithfully of the facilities and regulation to make them settle down earlier.
21. We should respect customs and habits of foreign experts and take care of their different living patterns. Residence, canteens, teaching places or entertainment places for them all should be clean. All personnel serving the experts shall be in neat. Except Chinese official holidays, foreign experts can be granted a leave appropriately in major holidays of their own countries. However, professors with employment term less than six months have no such favor in principle.
22. The faculty can visit foreign experts living in the dormitory or expert apartment without disturbing each other. Overnight stay is not allowed. If needed, such cases should be reported to the International Exchange Department and the Security Office and get approval from the two departments.
23. We shall take the initiative to care for the leisure life of foreign experts, and arrange entertainments and sports activities, visits and outings for the weekends and holidays.
24. The family members of experts shall be promptly arranged properly. In case their spouses can work, we shall try to arrange appropriate work for them and pay them salary. It shall be approved by the employing units and then reported to the Provincial Foreign Office for the record. If they take their children with them, we shall help them solve nursery and schooling of the children.
V. Security Force
25. The security sector of our school shall ensure the security of foreign experts, and the International Exchange Division shall provide active cooperation. To carry out the principle of “tight inside but loose outside”, all departments shall work closely with each other. After experts take office, Security Department and Ministry of Public Security of the city shall be informed of their basic information, and then work shall be conducted under their guidance and cooperation.
26. To prevent all kinds of any accidents, we shall effectively ensure the personal and property safety of foreign experts, and do well in preventing fire, burglary and security job.
VI. Friendly exchanges
27. We shall actively carry out friendly exchanges with foreign experts. We place trust to most foreign experts, most Chinese people and most staff of the unit. It is advocated to make friends with foreign experts. During the exchanges of foreign experts, we shall follow the principle of distinction between inside and outside, and strictly guard state secrets and foreign affairs discipline.
28. To allow foreign experts to have a better understanding of China, we can invite them to voluntarily participate in all activities that foreigners are allowed to participate in, such as lectures and activities for major international and domestic festivals and important events.
29. In order to enhance friendship with experts, unit leaders and relevant personnel in charge shall pay a visit or make congratulation in every major festival. Leaders themselves can give a banquet if necessary. In the event of an expert’s birthday, there shall be proper gifts.
30. Several specific provisions concerning the interaction with foreign experts:
(1) Gifts and souvenirs presented by foreign experts to our personnel shall be handled in accordance with the relevant provisions of the State Council. Study articles, work articles and articles for daily use with limited quantity and value no more than RMB 30, such as reference books, pens, ball pens, lighters, children toys, calculator, electronic watch and foodstuff, can be retained by recipients after being registered with the Foreign Affairs Department and approved by personnel in charge. However, it is allowed neither to request or indicate gift property from experts, nor to entrust experts to buy goods privately.
(2) Videotapes and films provided by foreign experts and any expansion pack, scenic film and feature film conductive to work and teaching shall be censored by the experts of the School of Foreign Languages and the heads of the International Exchange Office before playing to relevant personnel, but are not allowed to be lent and shown externally. Reactionary and obscene videos and films shall be unaccepted.
(3) If foreign experts invite our personnel to participate in the activities of foreign embassies or consulates in China, such as receptions, film show, reports and so on, it shall be decided based on the activity nature after the International Exchange Office reports to the leaders of the school and the local foreign affairs department.
(4) The employing units and personnel concerned may keep in touch with experts who have returned to their motherland, continue to develop friendships and conduct academic exchanges, but shall not make improper individual requests to experts.
(5) Marriage of Chinese people with foreign experts shall be conducted according to the relevant provisions of the State.
VII. Funds of Foreign Experts
31. The employing unit shall allot funds and foreign exchange according to the number of foreign experts employed each year in every employing unit.
32. The wage standards and living conditions of foreign experts shall be governed by the provisions of the Management Method for Wages and Living Conditions of Foreign Cultural and Educational Experts (1996) No. 247 issued by State Bureau of Foreign Experts Affairs and the Document issued by the Ministry of Finance.
33. Earmark the funds for experts. The expenditure items and standards must be in strict accordance with the relevant provisions. It is not allowed to reduce or improve the treatment of experts, and expert funds can not be diverted for other purposes.
34. The employing unit shall report the use of expert funds to the Ministry of Education at the end of each year.
35. For the general foreign staff employed by the school, the funds required can not be included in the funds of foreign experts, but can be solved by self-financing of the employing unit. If there is a surplus of expert funds, appropriate subsidies may be given.
VIII: Personnel Concerning the Work of Foreign Experts
36. Safeguard national interests, do not do anything that is not conducive to the Party and the State, and not say anything harmful to the Party and the State.
37. Act in strict accordance with principles, policies, laws, rules and regulations of the State.
38. Keep secrets of the State.
39. Truthfully reflect the situation, and promptly report as to major issues.
40. Be warm and friendly, modest and prudent, and neither humble nor pushy toward foreign experts.
41. Do not seek personal gains by using the working relationship with foreign experts.
42. Work hard and strive to understand both foreign affairs and the law, as well as to have a certain level of foreign language.