Turnoi, I understand the attempts to build bridges in between and so possibly create more opportunities for us (fts), however, we've been building them for years, at least in China. These attempts have been confronted with the local traditionalizm, this country's educational system and Beijing's fear from foreign "crocs". In 2004-2006. foundations to a really new China have been laid and fts have seen a rather different China than in late 1990s. I am talking about the differences with respet to education, learning English and the fts.

Now, I do not know where you are working, or how your evaluation system works there, although I know many centers and schools around China and they aren't what you are saying if it comes to either supervision or evaluation of their fts. So, you are the lucky one, or one of a few that does not have to see his pro performance shot down by a local college grad coached to follow in the party's footsteps. You are the lucky one that does not have to see some poor ft evaluation forms, or local supervisors making their traditional judgements of fts. You are the lucky one that does not have to experience the great dysfunctional listening habits of the local managers that often affect the ft evaluation.

Speaking of the evaluation process on mainland, the way it usually works is that if you get along with your management, you'll get away with virtually whatever you'll do. My former cowoker could come to class half an hour late routinely. However, if you confront your management or demand something that puts your manager/employer on spot, you'll be looked at "closely" and the local evaluation process will be "activated". Not even a foreign croc can possibly "deactivate" that later. So many fts on mainland have been observed by the "local educational experts" as well as evaluated, although they usually do not get their negative feedback until they demand their employers to improve the working conditions or until they criticize their managers for ignoring some issues etc.

On Chinese unis, their stadards vary and it depends where you work too. So, again, you might be lucky working for a uni that offers such a freedom. But I agree that unis offer more freedom to fts in general, although the above mentioned does come to haunt you if you do not ignore their issues.

On topic, our certs are in fact symbolic on mainland China and if we learn how to dance into the Chinese locals' songs, we won't usually get in any "troubles" or experience the "traditional evaluation process". The Chinese work environment is based on emplyees loyalty, not on their talents, skills, experiences or educational background.

Cheers and beers to our views on topic