Experienced Oil & Gas Engineer considering teaching in Singapore

[bak_kwa]

Hi all:)

I am a Singapore citizen and I am an experienced Oil & Gas Engineer with prior working experience with a couple Oil & Gas majors all across the globe including Singapore. In about 8 years time from now I would retire from regular employment and would eventually be back in Singapore, with my family, to a retired life. However once I am back I would still like to be active and take up teaching technical subjects or at least be a teaching assistant in polytechnics / universities in Singapore preferably in Engineering subjects or at most Science subjects.

My query is that whether the universities and / or polytechnics in Singapore accept someone like myself and whether I need to take up additional course like a B.Ed course in case they do accept?

Thanks in advance

[PNGMK]

Ask them?

My gut feeling is that it is a closed shop. I have thought the same myself. I do know some NUS profs - I could ask them.

[bak_kwa]

Is it so? .....How about Polytechnics?..... Please do let me know in case you have a chance to speak with them.

I know that in the west there are several instances of engineers going back to universities to teach after spending several years in the industry.......although.....Singapore may be different in this matter.

Regards

[Strong Eagle]

Is it so? .....How about Polytechnics?..... Please do let me know in case you have a chance to speak with them.

I know that in the west there are several instances of engineers going back to universities to teach after spending several years in the industry.......although.....Singapore may be different in this matter.

Regards

You will run into two problems, both related. First, all the universities have become so singularly career track minded that if you don't follow the path, you don't get in. Get your masters, get your post doc, do some post doc research and write a couple of papers. See if you can attract some grant money, be invited to teach/maybe do research as nontenured individual. Publish some more, get some grants, get some tenure.

And, problem two, if you don't have that PhD, all these damn schools are so credential conscious that they won't want to look at you without an advanced degree... it just doesn't look good on the advertising materials... even if you invented the damn discipline.

[x9200]

Is it so? .....How about Polytechnics?..... Please do let me know in case you have a chance to speak with them.

I know that in the west there are several instances of engineers going back to universities to teach after spending several years in the industry.......although.....Singapore may be different in this matter.

Regards

"Back" is the keyword, unless you are an outstanding and academically recognized individual.

Probably you stand a better chance teaching under WSQ system in one of the accredited organization/company.
http://www.ssg.gov.sg

[bak_kwa]

Is it so? .....How about Polytechnics?..... Please do let me know in case you have a chance to speak with them.

I know that in the west there are several instances of engineers going back to universities to teach after spending several years in the industry.......although.....Singapore may be different in this matter.

Regards

You will run into two problems, both related. First, all the universities have become so singularly career track minded that if you don't follow the path, you don't get in. Get your masters, get your post doc, do some post doc research and write a couple of papers. See if you can attract some grant money, be invited to teach/maybe do research as nontenured individual. Publish some more, get some grants, get some tenure.

And, problem two, if you don't have that PhD, all these damn schools are so credential conscious that they won't want to look at you without an advanced degree... it just doesn't look good on the advertising materials... even if you invented the damn discipline.

I am guessing you are saying this for the role of a Professor, Reader or a Lecturer.......How about for a Teaching Assistant (TA)?. Since a TA only assists the Professors, Lecturers prepare class notes, assists in any technical queries and sometimes doubles up for the Professor / Lecturer in case of his / her's absence, now and then, why would TA's need to be doctorates?

[bak_kwa]

Is it so? .....How about Polytechnics?..... Please do let me know in case you have a chance to speak with them.

I know that in the west there are several instances of engineers going back to universities to teach after spending several years in the industry.......although.....Singapore may be different in this matter.

Regards

"Back" is the keyword, unless you are an outstanding and academically recognized individual.

Probably you stand a better chance teaching under WSQ system in one of the accredited organization/company.
http://www.ssg.gov.sg

I agree on the fact that several of our educators are outstanding and recognised in their respective fields of interest. However I do not think each every lecturer or a professor would necessarily be well-recognised in their field. I have graduated in engineering in one of the Tier 1 universities in the US and I can tell you not all of those lecturers / professors, who were well recognised were necessarily outstanding teachers. Rather there were many lecturers, with ordinary credentials, turned out to be very good at whatever subjects they taught in the university.

Thanks for the suggestion on the WSQ training. I checked out the WSQ website that you had suggested. However it appears its suitable for those who can impart training in non-engineering fields although there is some mention for training Marine engineering but that is more for Marine Engineering subjects covering "shop floor" related areas viz. technical trade, welders, cutters construction etc. not really for design engineering related areas. However your idea has led me to a thought on how it would be if I could be a corporate trainer and look for such a role in any engineering or any of the related companies here in Singapore?

[x9200]

Is it so? .....How about Polytechnics?..... Please do let me know in case you have a chance to speak with them.

I know that in the west there are several instances of engineers going back to universities to teach after spending several years in the industry.......although.....Singapore may be different in this matter.

Regards

"Back" is the keyword, unless you are an outstanding and academically recognized individual.

Probably you stand a better chance teaching under WSQ system in one of the accredited organization/company.
http://www.ssg.gov.sg

I agree on the fact that several of our educators are outstanding and recognised in their respective fields of interest. However I do not think each every lecturer or a professor would necessarily be well-recognised in their field. I have graduated in engineering in one of the Tier 1 universities in the US and I can tell you not all of those lecturers / professors, who were well recognised were necessarily outstanding teachers. Rather there were many lecturers, with ordinary credentials, turned out to be very good at whatever subjects they taught in the university.

Thanks for the suggestion on the WSQ training. I checked out the WSQ website that you had suggested. However it appears its suitable for those who can impart training in non-engineering fields although there is some mention for training Marine engineering but that is more for Marine Engineering subjects covering "shop floor" related areas viz. technical trade, welders, cutters construction etc. not really for design engineering related areas. However your idea has led me to a thought on how it would be if I could be a corporate trainer and look for such a role in any engineering or any of the related companies here in Singapore?

What I meant by "back" is that you worked at the uni for a few years, you were offered a job, a contract perhaps, in industry and after the contract ended, the uni accepted you back. In other words they already know you and you have some connections. Than you don't need to be that outstanding.

WSQ has pretty open structure and surely within technical subjects are also on design or even some more fundamental topics. Not just basic shop floor skills. Besides, if there is a need, the approved training providers can propose their own courses.
But actually the idea of an independent trainer/consultant should not be bad at all. I believe there are many trainers like this around.

[Strong Eagle]

Is it so? .....How about Polytechnics?..... Please do let me know in case you have a chance to speak with them.

I know that in the west there are several instances of engineers going back to universities to teach after spending several years in the industry.......although.....Singapore may be different in this matter.

Regards

You will run into two problems, both related. First, all the universities have become so singularly career track minded that if you don't follow the path, you don't get in. Get your masters, get your post doc, do some post doc research and write a couple of papers. See if you can attract some grant money, be invited to teach/maybe do research as nontenured individual. Publish some more, get some grants, get some tenure.

And, problem two, if you don't have that PhD, all these damn schools are so credential conscious that they won't want to look at you without an advanced degree... it just doesn't look good on the advertising materials... even if you invented the damn discipline.

I am guessing you are saying this for the role of a Professor, Reader or a Lecturer.......How about for a Teaching Assistant (TA)?. Since a TA only assists the Professors, Lecturers prepare class notes, assists in any technical queries and sometimes doubles up for the Professor / Lecturer in case of his / her's absence, now and then, why would TA's need to be doctorates?

I am by no means trying to dissuade you, only to point out that the positions you mentioned are in demand... as jobs for grad students working towards that PhD thesis, and they are resume fodder for those on a career track to a tenured teaching position.

Were I you, I would contact the dean(s) of the departments that I might be interested in, and have a one on one conversation with them. This is the only way you are going to find out if they place your skills above the rat race that is college teaching and professorships.

As one person said, "Academic politics is so vicious because there is so little to be gained." Junkyard dogs out there, scrapping for every morsel.