Academic salaries & lifestyle in Singapore

[newmover]

Greetings: I am contemplating moving from the US to Singapore, possibly for a faculty job at NUS (in computer science). Could someone enlighten me on (a) faculty salaries at NUS and (b) overall ease of pursuing a scientific career.

With regard to salaries I am told that expats command higher salaries than SIN citizens. Is that true?

How about getting research money in SIN? In the US it is brutal these days.

[your clever mate]

1.  I don't know what NUS pays.  Presumably, if you are being offered a job there, you will be offered a figure at some point.

2.  Expats (foreigners) do not get paid more just for being foreigners.  If you have skills that are lacking or hard to find in Singapore, you get paid more.  Supply and demand - but that's true anywhere not just here.  Frankly, with India so close and Singapore also having lots of IT people of her own, it must be a very specialized area of computer science that you will be teaching.

[inthe know]

You won't get higher salaries than locals as there is a salary scale.

Depending on your level eg assistant/associate or professor.  I know that assist lecturer gets about S$10k.  Applying for grants are relatively better here.  Living standards...depends on your expectations so cant comment except to say that you will be offered the NUS subsidised housing at Kent Ridge Condo (not sure of exact name).  It does not have a swimming pool.

[Wrong]

Expats do not get higher salaries.

They get a higher teaching load. That's all they get !

[x]

Noooooo - expats get in effect lower salaries and yes, a higher workload. They are expected to carry the research load for the locals, most of whom frankly can't do it -- thats why they become administrators.

[where do I sign?]

You won't get higher salaries than locals as there is a salary scale.

Depending on your level eg assistant/associate or professor.  I know that assist lecturer gets about S$10k.  Applying for grants are relatively better here.  Living standards...depends on your expectations so cant comment except to say that you will be offered the NUS subsidised housing at Kent Ridge Condo (not sure of exact name).  It does not have a swimming pool.

An assistant lecturer gets 10K a month???  You mean those guys who don't research or publish, and babysit a class for a few hours a week?  Where do I sign up?

That's got to be the highest salary for an assistant lecturer anywhere in the world.

[lecturer or professor?]

You won't get higher salaries than locals as there is a salary scale.

Depending on your level eg assistant/associate or professor.  I know that assist lecturer gets about S$10k.  Applying for grants are relatively better here.  Living standards...depends on your expectations so cant comment except to say that you will be offered the NUS subsidised housing at Kent Ridge Condo (not sure of exact name).  It does not have a swimming pool.

I think you meant Assistant Professor, not and Assistant Lecturer.  Lecturers don't do resarch and in many cases do not hold PhDs.  I would be extremely surprised if they were making 10K a month.

[Sinkee]

If you are from developed countries, you can command higher pay. Foreigners from emerging economies can expect local salaries.

Singapore is great for foreigners as long as you don't compare it with developed countries.

[Load]

A lower teaching load is given to Singaporeans and foreigners of certain "priority" countries (e.g. China, India). This was supposed to give them nore time to do research and publish.

However, with the exception of a few, their publication output was disappointing.

Most use this free time as an opportunity to relax !

Those who were given a higher teaching load felt discriminated and left as soon as they could. The relatively low salary - compared to developed countries - and the higher cost of living were other incentives to leave.

[TOOP]

To the guy who left 2.5 years go, That was the best time in SG : not overcrowded yet, not too expensive.

Things are different today.