By Jill Rice
The BYU David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies is taking applications from qualified couples to teach at universities in China.
Al and Barbara Price have participated in the program and are the China Teachers Program Facilitator and Co-Facilitator, respectively.
'The Kennedy Center places couples in several of China''s universities,' Al Price said. 'Seven of those universities are China''s top universities.'
Couples are currently being placed in universities in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Qingdao, Jinan, Nanjing and Xi''an.
The main purpose of the program is to teach English, but couples who can teach or who specialize in other subjects are also in demand.
'First, we look for couples who have a good English background,' Al Price said. 'Then we look at their other strengths, such as law, business or economics.'
Couples must meet several qualifications in order to be considered for the positions.
'Both persons of the couple must have a bachelor''s degree and it is best if at least one of them have a graduate degree,' Al Price said. 'They need to be able to write well in English. And they also need to be really healthy and emotionally stable.'
Applicants should also be active members of the church and in good standing. They should be age 69 or younger and financially stable. And because of housing limitations, couples with children will not be accepted.
'The China universities likes the younger couples, but because of the housing limitation, we mostly send couple who are retired,' Al Price said.
Each university provides free housing to the couple, but each university pays differently.
'It''s not a large pay; it won''t make you rich,' Al Price said. 'That''s why it''s important that the couple is financially stable.'
He said the Kennedy Center advertises for applicants in the Church News and Deseret News.
After applicants have been interviewed and selected, they will receive a small amount of training.
'All couples come to BYU for two weeks,' Al Price said. 'During that time, they will learn survival Chinese. We will also build up their confidence and skills.'
Although the couples are not sent to China as missionaries, they are representatives of BYU.
'There''s a nice spirit with this program that we''re spreading across China,' Barbara Price said.
The China Teachers Program is a nonprofit program supported by BYU. The Kennedy Center has been providing teachers since 1989. Nearly 600 people have participated in the program since that time.
'It''s good for China, and it''s good for us,' Barbara Price said.