Dilemma in Ivory Tower: The Employment Crisis Facing Young Chinese PhDs
How young scholars navigate China’s increasingly crowded academic world, why the once-prestigious stewardess job is losing its shine, and how ideas of childhood innocence have evolved through history
Hello TWOC readers!
September’s back-to-school season doesn’t just mean new textbooks and uniforms in China. It also reopens the nightly battlefield where parents and children clash over homework. Online, frustrated moms and dads trade war stories of tears, tantrums, and frustration, while others question whether heavy workloads are stripping children of their carefree spirit.
In China, where academic success can feel like the key to a better future for ordinary people, parents are often torn between drilling their children toward excellence or giving them a simpler, happier childhood—fueling yet another round of debate over what constitutes good parenting.
TWOC has long covered China’s education trends and history—here’s a collection of our in-depth reporting. Check it out:
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Inside China’s Rigorous Education System | Story Collection
Whether it‘s writing the life-changing college entrance exam (gaokao), attending night school as an adult, preparing for the stressful civil service exam, or taking fun lessons at senior colleges after retirement, education has shaped every stage of life in China. Read more
Dilemma in Ivory Tower: The Employment Crisis Facing Young Chinese PhDs
With PhD graduates outpacing available positions, young Chinese scholars face an uphill battle for jobs, resources, and recognition in an increasingly crowded academic arena. Read more
The Glamour and the Gloom of Cabin Life for China’s Female Flight Attendants
Once a privilege for the few, air travel has changed dramatically—along with the female cabin crew who are now speaking out against unfair working conditions and unnecessary, even dangerous, dress codes. Read more
What We’re Watching
Is Pro Wrestling Finally Finding Its Footing in China?
Beijing hosted its first-ever pro wrestling event in May. The World of Chinese went behind the scenes to find out why people are happily paying good money to watch scripted fights. Read now
Chinese You Need
Innocent Hearts or Warped Wood?: Children in Ancient Chinese Philosophy
Ever since the 5th century BCE, the Daoist founder Laozi has claimed that “the person of abundant virtue is like a newborn child.” However, the perception of having a child’s heart has drastically changed over the centuries. Discover how the idea of children evolved through Chinese history. Read more
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Discover how AI is helping China’s savvy merchants boost overseas sales, tackle agricultural challenges like aging farmers, and transform classroom learning. All this and more in our latest magazine issue. Support on-the-ground reporting from China—get your copy today!
In other words, China produces the best educated children on earth and some graduates choose to hang out in their parents’ mortgage-free homes until they find jobs commensurate with their self-images.
Heart-breaking.