Illustration: Peter C. Espina/GT

Henry Kissinger is often quoted as saying, "University politics are vicious precisely because the stakes are so small." Unsurprisingly, there is some rancor about exactly who first formulated this idea. I'm going to suggest, based on my experiences teaching in Chinese universities, that the originator was probably a Chinese person.

Rather than complaining about small "p" university politics, however, I'd like to share with you a nasty fight that I went through. I was only a pawn moved between two competing players - competitors, what's more, that should have been on the same side to begin with. But it's all too typical of universities everywhere to see other departments as the enemy.

My university, in an attempt to earn more gravitas and funding, has been through several rounds of changing the signs on its doors.

Last year, the powers that be asked, "Why is journalism being taught in a language college?" (The reason is it was formerly an "international" college.) They moved my students to a college that taught news. I indicated I had no interest in teaching anything but journalism. My supervisor told me to be patient, because she was transferring to the new school and would bring me over.

In the fall, I informed the new head of the language college I would be moving. In truth, I didn't like working for this woman much, because as soon as she took over from my former supervisor, she started creating busywork for all the foreign teachers. In my case, I was to sit in an office and be available to "advise" Chinese teachers, none of whom ever showed up to consult me.

Even though there were not enough classes for all the foreign teachers in the language college, this department head acted with alarm when she found out I was transferring to the other college.

She took me aside and warned me in a friendly way that the new college may not be able to pay me, because the funds for my salary were earmarked for her college. She also suggested that I had to go through a process involving the human resources department to change colleges.

Concerned, I told my supervisor at the new college about this. She said, "Just say you are transferring and leave it at that."

The old college then summoned me to a meeting with the HR department to discuss the issue. But I discovered that my supervisor at the new department had neither been informed of the meeting or invited to it.

I told them I had "nothing to say" at the meeting and thought it was inappropriate not to invite all sides. They canceled it.

I thought this was the end of the matter, until the new semester started. I had no classes, in either the old college or the new one. It seems the two colleges went to war over me, and the new college dared not have me teach any classes for fear of antagonizing the old one.

The very Chinese compromise solution: I am teaching a single elective course until the semester ends. It doesn't start until the ninth week of the semester. I still get my full salary.

So for once, the pawn came out a winner.

This article was published on the Global Times Metropolitan section Two Cents page, a space for reader submissions, including opinion, humor and satire. The ideas expressed are those of the author alone, and do not represent the position of the Global Times.