Tag: graduate students

Obtaining Your Academic Degree in Taiwan?

最近我终于开始了有史以来最宅的一段时间。尽管所作的事情不少，包括新电脑的选择，英国文化的了解和一个国际期刊的审稿。但是真的能够写到博客里的东西实在是少之又少。在我看来，博客尽管是一个个人页面，却不是一个个人生活的汇报表。但是前两天刚公布的相关法案却给了我写一篇新博客的动力。这个相关法案就是最近被国内媒体低调处理的“教育部針對開放招收陸生及採認大陸學歷相關規劃說明”。

随着我国的改革开放，大量的顶级人才已经通过留学通道流向了国外。在国外大学和科研机构的优良条件面前，一切所谓的“爱国主义”教育和“为四化而建设”的教条似乎都显得苍白无力。无论我们是否愿意承认，北大清华等一流的国内高校本科教育基本都成了国外顶级学校和科研机构的培训机构。尽管中国大陆的学生足迹遍布了全世界各个角落，我们却始终没有踏上过台湾的土地。

  1. “留学”台湾：一种意识形态下的尴尬

    之所以加上引号，是因为将赴台湾求学称作“留学”实在是不太恰当。因为这涉及到了意识形态和所谓的国家主权问题。现代汉语词典给留学的解释是：留居外国学习或研究。偏正式。按照这个解释，直接使用“留学台湾”肯定会引起某些敏感人士的不满。我的理解，或许称作“游学台湾”是个不错的替代法。

    其实这种意识形态问题是台湾和大陆学历不互认的根源。其实援引国际惯例，一般高校招收学生时，在学历认证上存在着三种情形：

    • 本国学历：一般这个是最没有争议的。比如我国高校肯定会承认中华人民共和国境内几乎所有的权利。
    • 联盟国学历：这种情况一般在欧洲很常见。欧盟国家通常给欧盟内学生以本国待遇，学历认可自然也如此。这种相互认可度是非常高的。
    • 其他海外学历：这种类型是我们海外留学遇到最多的。其实多年以来香港对大陆学历的认可一直是采用的海外学历认可方式（最近有了直接互认协议）。

    显然，对台湾而言，这几种方式均不可行。为什么？原因很简单，这些方式都假定双方有着没有争议的独立主权，而这对台湾而言，暂时还是个问题。所以台湾的顶级大学，比如台湾大学，尽管每年都会招收为数不少的海外学生，但是去从来不会有大陆学历的持有者。

    所以，采用国际惯例来处理大陆和台湾之间的学历问题只能是南柯一梦而已。最直接有效的方法就只有一个——协议互认。这样上述的所有问题都可以规避。

  2. 开放陆生来台：一种不真诚的经济策略

    其实要求开放大陆学生到台湾求学几年前就开始了。如果没记错，最早还是由台湾提出的。由于80年代以后台湾的教育改革和教育产业化改革问题（是不是跟我们的情况有点似曾相识？），在台湾一个小小的岛上却矗立着170多所大学。以至于近年来台湾高校招生人数和录取人数倒挂，出现了10分上大学之类的喜感事件。

    但是台湾真的是真诚欢迎大陆学生去台湾么？我认为是否定的。以几个限制性条款为例

    • 不编列奖学金：在其他学校提供高额奖学金，而台湾却不提供奖学金，还需要支付高额学费之时，你会选择哪一个？
    • 不允许打工和就业：这个问题不需多言。其实很多赴台湾的学生并不会留下。毕竟台湾所谓的民主和社会安定性并不好。但是这种条款就具有鲜明歧视了。
    • 只承认41所高校的学历：用意很明确，他们希望招收中国大陆的顶级学生。问题是，这些学生会选择台湾么？

    在我看来，在上述限制条件下，台湾把招收大陆学生作为了一种赚钱的买卖，而不是在真心实意办教育了。其实我很想问问台湾的当局者，教育到底是什么？教育的意义何在？

  3. 支持与反对：台湾人的YY

    网上搜索下，我们就可以很容易得到台湾当局民众各界对这个事件的看法。其实在我看来，与香港澳门等相比，台湾人显然不具有国际化意识。更多的，其实他们是生活在自己的YY中。殊不知，YY太多可是会走火入魔的，哈哈。如下是我所做的一个简单归纳。

    支持方观点认为：

    • 大陆学生更用功，可以产生鲶鱼效应。
    • 大陆学生来台，可以促进台湾的消费，提升台湾的GDP（如意算盘真不错）
    • 优秀学生可以促进台湾大学的科研能力。（此话不假，问题是，牛人会去么？）

    而反对方则观点更一致，也更实际：

    • 大陆学生会瓜分台湾学生的资源。他们认为教育资源均是来自于纳税人。大陆学生无资格享受。
    • 大陆学生会对台湾学生的就业造成冲击，无论是近期的还是远期的。

    从上述观点我们可以看到，其实台湾当局，无论是支持方还是反对方都显示出了一种局限性。而这种局限性在我看来，其实更多的是一种对自身的不自信。试想，美国和欧洲的教育也都是基于纳税人的贡献，但是却不怕全世界的求学者带来的竞争。所以，资源分配并不是因素，不自信才是核心。

  4. 哪些人会去台湾：个人观点兼结论

    其实在我看来，台湾的这种看着非常“小家子气”的行为肯定会大大阻碍大陆学生的选择。我觉得，未来去台湾的学生或许有如下几部分：

    • 公派交流学生：这个早已有之，但是非常小的一部分；
    • 富二代：如新西兰和澳洲的一些烂校一样，台湾或许会成为他们又一个腐败的地方。毕竟，台湾有着林立的野鸡大学

    而对大多数的学生而言，目前的条款几乎阻止了他们的脚步。毕竟更优的选择实在是有很多很多。

Graduate Students in China: Depression Only

摘要：如果说人生是一场戏，那么在天朝上研究生将会是您人生重要的一课。本文以经济学基础理论为理论依据，通过非现实，调侃等非正常逻辑思维和手法展现了我天朝研究生生活之特色。本文发现，同发达国家，以及大多数新兴市场的研究生生活相比，我们的生活充满了更多的激情与刺激，同时也需要更多的博弈过程。限于篇幅，本文仅抛砖，并未提供严格数理分析以及福利分析。此等可作后续研究之方向。

或许我就是一个后知后觉的人，以至于到了研究生快毕业的时候才对研究生生活，尤其是中国研究生的悲哀，有了一次初步的了解。话说，做学术的人需要淡泊名利，更需要有那种执着到犯傻的地步。现在我懂了。因为在你能够真正的看破红尘之前，想做很好的研究真是难上加难。高水平研究本身已经对人的智商和体能是一个严峻的考验，但是要做到完全抗干扰，却是万万难以办到的。在这里，我们终于知道了一般均衡严格假设在现实条件下的苍白无力，也知道了Nash教授几十年前那薄薄的几张纸的毕业论文所包含的能量。

在转型经济和新兴市场中，监管往往是非常薄弱的，而薄弱的监管往往会带来一大堆的问题，比如人性的丑恶可以极大的得到发挥。因为在这个环境里，具有强制性的法律对过度的行为并没有约束力，而基于人性最本质判断的道德标准则可能由于人文素质等原因而趋于消逝。这其实是一种很危险的状态，因为秩序已经不再存在，任何人都可以做本性的决策。而亚洲教授，无论是在北美，欧洲，大洋洲还是亚洲本身，口碑都不是很好，或许就是基于这样一种制度背景吧。难怪某BBS上有位哥们说，在亚洲出生不是我们的错，但是在亚洲上学那就真是我们自己的不对了。但是在预算约束下，这种行为无疑成为了“被次优化”的一个结果。

作为转型经济的一个特例，我们伟大的天朝，则是更是发扬了这种曲折不挠的精神。基于人民是XX主人的原则，研究生们也就理所当然的成了学校和自己的主人。在亚洲其他地区的那种高额奖学金加补助来招纳Push对象的资本主义策略是我们所不耻的。更多的，我们是自觉的新新人类。我们自己支付自己的学费，然后感激涕淋的领到了10%的回扣，我们享受着1.3-1.5倍的平均物价和房租，享受着农民工般的待遇。更有甚者，著名的投入产出模型在此也失去了诺贝尔奖的光辉，因为这个模型实在无法解释在产出几乎为0的情况下，却有着高额货币资本和劳动力资本的双重投入。此种状况，想必凯恩斯教授从坟墓里爬出来都没法解释啊。算了，还是去求脚下马克思教授和恩格斯专家吧，或许资本论的第四卷题目可以是：Higher Education in Socialism: Asymmetric Role on Input and Output

这里还是个博弈论的试验场。博弈论的精髓“根据对方的策略来决定自己的策略”得到了完美的诠释，贝叶斯均衡在这里有着完美的用武之地，因为你发现先念概率永远是笑话。想考博士么？来吧，我们绝对“以人为本”。怎么说？你有丰富的科研经历？你有很好的外语基础？哈哈，对不起，亲爱的，以”人”为本说的可不是你，是你的推荐人。没有推荐人？你以为你是商鞅？没人推荐，恐怕您的一身武艺只能自己拿个DV拍下来看着玩了。再说了，就算是商鞅，他老人家还不是照样被完美分解了。同样，这里也需要转型经济理论来说事儿。在转型经济下，（省略若干字），Relationship可是最重要的，跟美国教授拿着自己的声誉去推荐人是两码事儿。要知道，我们是礼仪之邦，我们讲究礼尚往来，同时要求迎来送往。

不过既然是转型经济，那就不是个均衡状态，就会有发生转变的时候。事实也如此，在某些经济和人文素质已经发展到了一定水平的某些区域，此类单纯的犯傻行为已经得到了逐步的纠正。Output已经不再是0，货币资本终于开始由方程的一方挪到了另一方。严重倾斜的天平慢慢开始平躺。但是新问题也来了。基于这些地区特殊的治理结构，这些地区中的学校开始了蜜月期。什么叫做蜜月期？非诚勿扰！

谨以此文献给同在一条战壕里的兄弟姐妹们！

注：对阅读此文深感困惑的朋友们而言，尝试一下研究生生活将有助于促进您对本文的理解。

声明：此文系头脑发热胡思乱想基于非理性思维所作，仅供饭后消遣，持不同观点者请绕道。

To Be A Teacher: Why Only For PhD?

Quite occasionally I get the ticket for admission of a employment conference this morning, accompanying with my friends I participated the employment conference as my first time of doing so after the last participation of such activity two years ago in Nanjing. But this conference, frankly speaking, is not a good one, no matter  whether it is evaluated under the organization or its size. While, it does offer quite numerous positions for those who are willing to be a teacher.

For those who are holding a master’s degree and with strong willing of being a teacher in a college, the experience today seems to be a dilemma. If you are willing to be a tracked for a teaching position in an acceptable university, a PhD degree seems to be a must. But if you can accept the comparative low salary for the similar position in a technical school, then you have the opportunities of being accepted. While once accept such position, new problems will occur. The low probability of being a professor and tutor for doctoral students, and the enforcement of taking the Ph.D study can all be coming problems that are waiting to be solved.

There has been quite long for me to consider, but never provide a substantive answer that, whether it is necessary for a teacher holding a Ph.D degree, especially for those technical school. It is of no doubt that teachers with good academic training, and holding an advanced degree can obviously help students broaden their horizon, rather than keeping a narrow vision on the skills and knowledge points printed on the books. However, with the concern that the main task for the undergraduate students is to build a solid foundation, I don’t know if the research experience of a Ph.D students or a Master’s student would help. What I argue more practically, is to hire some teachers with working experience in an accounting or consulting firm, who can deliver some practical skills.

However, for the training on academics for graduate students, things are totally different. These students require more training on the research issues, such as the theory explanation, research methodology and some introductory lectures on contemporary research. For undergraduate students on accounting, they are not required to know Williamson, Coarse, Watts, Beaver, etc, but for graduate students, good familiarity on such classical works is to be a must. So with full experience of research can help the lecturer deliver a better and deeper understanding on these issues. For these purposes, Ph.D graduates is a good source to get the candidates of the lecturers of the issues on graduate levels.

This is only quite an initial consideration on the issue of employment for colleges, for any comments, you are welcome to follow and discuss.

Accounting Research in China: Graduate Students

It has been approximately two years since the very first touch on the contemporary research of accounting through a talk to my present tutor, Prof. Wang, a young scholar. Until then I found the existence of a new methodology called “Empirical Research”, a kind of methodology that adapts the data from the capital market for some test on the conclusions from other kind of papers, usually analytical ones in US and narrative ones in China. But the popularity of such methodology apparent brings the students of accounting, like us, great challenge with following reasons:

  • Most graduate students of accounting here in China, is mostly owning the background of arts, that is, they seldom getting full and sufficient training on science, such as computer programming skills and mathematical models. But unfortunately, the very fundamentals of empirical research requires skills on programming and mathematics, otherwise, you may have to confront great trouble when dealing with data and models.
  • Without sufficient knowledge on mathematics, they seldom have good opportunity to take some course on branches of mathematics, such as real analysis, game theory, differential equations, etc. These courses provide fundamentals for research tools in the subject of economics, which is widely used in analytical accounting research. That can partially explain why there is little analytical researches in China.
  • Unlike the students in US that are entitled of excellent computer competence, we feel great trouble on programming due to insufficient trainings in high school and college. Undoubtedly, most modules that we use are available through the internet, but we fail to get a chance for some modifications that promote our efficiency. And, improper program sometimes can even abandon a good works that should have been published sometimes. The only cause for this is the poor computer competence.

Though so many problems occur, they can hardly be obstacles for researchers in accounting, except for the students like us. The limitation on skills of data management and statistical model selection can be easily solved through the cooperation among scholars, which is getting popular in China. But such cooperation among students is still quite seldom to see. I personally interpret it as the following reasons:

  • Very few students can fully master the knowledge needed for a qualified research under a present style of higher education that enforce much on books but seldom focus on usage.
  • Cooperation can cause some conflicts, such as the name rank for publications, which are to be crucial criteria for researchers and students.

Besides the problems on technology and background knowledge, funding should also not be overlooked. As a graduate student, getting the chance for some top-level academic conference seems to be beneficial. But such opportunity is quite rare in China especially for the students who are qualified and willing to join some international conferences. For this, I often admire my friends in Hong Kong and Taiwan since their abundant funding from their department. An apparent example for this is the refusal of funding for my participation of APJAE symposium from a leader of my department last year, with the only reason that I am a student, but not a faculty!

For followers who are willing to pursue their masters’ and PhD degree on accounting, you are suggested to get a good professor, and prepare yourself sufficiently for fundamental knowledge. They are both easy to solve. But once you are willing to learn more from others from conferences, it can be difficult under most occasions unless you are following a good professor who are about to pay the travelling cost for you.

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