The Chinese government has set up the government scholarships to
finance students and scholars in the rest of the world to study and
do research in Chinese universities, enhance mutual understanding
and friendship between the Chinese people and peoples of other
countries, and promote Sino-foreign exchanges and cooperation in
such fields as education, science and technology, culture, economy
and trade. According to the agreements or programs reached between
the Chinese government and governments of other countries and
international organizations, the Ministry of Education is
responsible to grant the government scholarships and entrusts the
Chinese Scholarships Council (CSC) with the enrollment and
management of daily affairs concerning international students in
China who study on the Chinese government scholarships.
I. Classifications, recipients, time limits, and application
qualifications
The Chinese government scholarships are divided into the
undergraduate student scholarship, the postgraduate student
scholarship, the doctoral student scholarship, the learners for the
Chinese language scholarship, and the Visiting Students and Senior
Visiting Students scholarship, according to the classifications of
students. In addition, such scholarships are also available as the
Great Wall scholarship, the excellent student scholarship, the HSK
winner scholarship, the short-term program for foreign teachers of
Chinese and the Chinese culture research program.
The undergraduate student scholarship is granted to those who
apply to study in Chinese universities for bachelor's degree,
usually with a term of four school years (five years for medical
students). The applicants should be equal to graduates of Chinese
high schools with excellent academic records, have to pass the
entrance exam for Chinese universities or are admitted through
recommendations, and are below 25 years old.
The Master Degree student scholarship is granted to those who
apply to study in Chinese universities for master's degree, with a
term of two to three school years. The applicants should have
bachelor's degree with excellent academic records. And overseas
applicants should have letters of recommendation by two professors
or two associate professors, while applicants in China should be
those who have already been admitted by Chinese universities and
are below 35 years old.
The Ph.D student scholarship is granted to those who apply to
study in Chinese universities for doctor's degree, with a term of
three school years. The applicants should have master's degree with
excellent academic records. And overseas applicants should have
letters of recommendations by two professors or two associate
professors, while applicants in China should be those who have
already been admitted by Chinese universities and are below 40
years old.
The learners for the Chinese language scholarship is granted to
graduates of non-Chinese majors, those without basic Chinese
knowledge, and applicants who want to study Chinese in China, with
a term of one or two school years. The applicants should be equal
to or above graduates of Chinese high schools, and are below 35
years old.
Visiting Students scholarship is granted to those who apply to
study their former majors in China, with a term of one or two
school years. The applicants should be sophomores and above, or
equal to college graduates, and are below 45 years old.
Senior Visiting Students scholarship is granted to those who
apply to do further studies in China on a certain special subject
under the guidance of Chinese tutors, with a term of one or two
school years. The applicants should be equal to or above Chinese
postgraduates, recommended by two professors or two associate
professors, and below 50 years old.
Applicants for the above Chinese government scholarships should,
in principle, have corresponding proficiency in Chinese (except
learners for the Chinese language and those who are taught in
foreign languages); those whose Chinese proficiency doesn't meet
the requirements are asked to continue their Chinese learning, but
for no more than two school years; the terms of scholarships for
undergraduate, Master Degree and Ph.D students who need further
Chinese learning can be extended accordingly, but the time taken by
trainees on further Chinese learning is included in the required
time limit of scholarships.
The Great Wall scholarship is open to the UNESCO, recruiting
Visiting Students and Senior Visiting Students, with the
recipients, terms and application qualifications the same as those
of the CSC for Visiting Students and Senior Visiting Students.
The excellent student scholarship is granted to those who have
finished their planned study programs in China, passed the entrance
exam the same year to study for master, or doctor's degree, and
have been of good character and academic records. The term and
application qualifications are the same as those for the
scholarships of postgraduate and Ph.D Students.
The HSK winner scholarship is granted to winners of the HSK held
overseas who come to China to learn Chinese, with a term of no more
than one school year and below 40 years old.
The short-term program for foreign teachers of Chinese finances
short-term workshops for foreign teachers of Chinese, including
four weeks of classroom studies and two weeks of free and voluntary
teaching tour in China; the applicants should be equal to or above
college graduates and have engaged in Chinese teaching for more
than three years running, and below 50 years old.
The Chinese culture research program finances foreign scholars
engaged in Chinese culture research to take short-term visits to
China and do some research either under the guidance of Chinese
tutors or in collaboration with Chinese scholars, with a term of no
more than five months. The applicants should have doctor's degree
or be equal to or above the post of an associate professor,
published monographs or theses on the Chinese language, culture,
and history, and below 55 years old.
(Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange October 18,
2006)