Where to look for a university job ?

[HECTOR H.]

Would you please advise on cities where to look for a university teaching job?
I retired from a teaching job at a university in Texas almost four years ago; now,
I would like to spend my next 5-10 years teaching (computer science, math, bioinformatics) in Ecuador.
Another related question: If I go to Ecuador (on a tourist visa, I guess) and get an offer from a university, can I apply for a work-permitting visa within Ecuador or will I need to do that at home, in USA?

Thanks in advance.

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

There are several cities that have universities where you could potentially get a job. The larger cities of course will have more options so you’ll want to look at Quito, Cuenca, and Guayaquil. Loja also has several universities and there are some in Ibarra and Otavalo. With the subjects you’re interested in teaching I would also recommend looking into Yachay, Ecuador’s new mega-university and tech center. They are hiring professors from around the world and are working towards the goal of becoming a Latin American Silicon Valley.

I believe you can get your work visa in either the U.S. or Ecuador once you have a work contract in place. But, since I’ve not met many people who get that type of visa I would recommend asking an Ecuadorean attorney who can give you accurate up-to-date information. You might want to try Roberto Moreno at roberto@morenodidonato.com.

[HECTOR H.]

Ms. Dechambeau,
THANKS!

One more question, please: What would be the pros and cons among Loja versus Ibarra versus Otavalo (regarding living in any of these cities)?

[COUNTRY EXPERT – WENDY DECHAMBEAU]

Loja – About the same size as Ibarra, and larger than Otavalo. It has more colonial buildings and parks and plazas than the other two locations. There are several music schools there so the city is heavily influenced by music with free concerts every week.

Ibarra – Close to Yachay. The geography is a bit different than Loja with several dormant volcanoes nearby giving it a little more of a dramatic setting. You’re not far from the Colombian border if you are interested in visiting and Quito is only 2.5 hours away which is convenient for access to the international airport and the visits you’ll need to make for obtaining your visa and cedula.

Otavalo – Smaller than the other two cities, but is a thriving market and tourist town. If you like culture and history Otavalo has it in spades. Every Saturday there is a huge indigenous craft market in town.

None of these cities have a very large expat population and while English is spoken by some, most people you’ll encounter will speak Spanish. Ibarra and Otavalo are close to Cotacachi though which has several hundred expats if that is something important to you.

[Author]

Posts