I. Introduction
The Chinese Government Scholarship-Chinese University Postgraduate Program, a full scholarship program established by the Ministry of Education of China in 2008 for international students, aims to support Chinese high-level universities and promote a brand of Chinese higher education. Students are recruited independently by key universities in China.
The program is based on the principles of “individual application, institutional recommendation, expert evaluation, and merit-based admission” and selects international students with excellent academic backgrounds, professional abilities, and future development potential. SYSU is one of the universities designated to recruit international students to study in postgraduate degree programs (Ph.D. degree and Master’s degree) under this scholarship. The admission results are subject to expert evaluation by the China Scholarship Council.
II. Eligibility
1. Applicants should be non-Chinese citizens with valid foreign passports.
2. Applicants should be in good health and meet the physical standards required for applying for a student visa or residence permit.
3. Applicants for master’s programs must hold a bachelor’s degree equivalent to that of Chinese universities and be under (or at) the age of 35; applicants for doctoral programs must hold a master’s degree equivalent to that of Chinese universities and be under (or at) the age of 40.
4. Applicants should be friendly to China, hardworking and diligent in their studies with excellent academic performance, upstanding and law-abiding, without any records of violations of the rules and regulations of their school, or any other security penalties or criminal records.
5. Applicants should hold an HSK (level V) certificate (with 180 points or above). After verification, the applicants can be exempted from providing HSK certificates. Applicants for Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages should have an HSK level V certificate with 210 points or above and an HSKK intermediate level certificate with 60 points or above. Those who have taken courses with Chinese as the instruction language can provide proof issued by their former university for verification.
III.Scholarship Coverage and Standards
1. Tuition Fee
2. On-campus accommodation
3. Living allowance (RMB 3,000/month/person for master’s programs; RMB 3,500/month/person for doctoral programs)
4. Comprehensive medical insurance
Note: If there is any change in the funding standards above, please refer to the standards released by the China Scholarship Council.
IV. Application Procedure
1. Online application in the Chinese Government Scholarship Information System. Applicants should visit http://www.campuschina.org for online application. (Type: B; Agency No. of SYSU: 10558).
2. Online application in the SYSU application system. Applicants are required to visit https://apply.sysu.edu.cn, register, and log in. Applicants should then select “Chinese Government Scholarship-Chinese University Graduate Program”.
(1) Valid ordinary passport and personal profile photo
The passport should not expire before December 1, 2023. Please renew the passport if needed. Applicants who are staying in China at the time of application should provide a scanned copy of their passport pages with the Chinese visa or residence permit page, and entry seal. Those who have acquired foreign nationality and were once residents of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan Region must submit a certificate of cancellation of household registration or a certificate of withdrawal of Chinese nationality, or submit an official document issued by the Chinese diplomatic representation and consular authorities certifying that they do not hold Chinese nationality.
(2) Diploma, certificates, and verification reports
Applicants for a Doctor’s degree who have graduated from universities in Chinese mainland should submit the Record of Electronic Registration of Academic Certificates of the Ministry of Education and Online Verification Report of Chinese Higher Education Degree for Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from the website of Chinese Higher Education Student Information (https://www.chsi.com.cn). Applicants for a Doctoral degree who have graduated from universities outside the Chinese mainland should submit Verification of Foreign Academic Degrees of Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees from the website of the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchanges (https://www.cscse.edu.cn). Fresh graduates can submit a pre-graduation certificate issued by their institution. Applicants for a Doctoral degree in their last year of the graduate program should submit a pre-graduation certificate provided by their schools during the application process and resubmit their graduate graduation certificate when they receive one. Failing to submit a certificate of Master’s degree before coming to SYSU will have their admission qualifications canceled.
Applicants for a Master’s degree who have graduated from universities in Chinese mainland should submit the Record of Electronic Registration of Academic Certificates of the Ministry of Education and Online Verification Report of Chinese Higher Education Degree for Bachelor’s degrees from the website of Chinese Higher Education Student Information (https://www.chsi.com.cn). Applicants for a Master’s degree who have graduated from universities outside the Chinese mainland should submit Verification of Foreign Academic Degrees of Bachelor’s degrees from the website of the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchanges (https://www.cscse.edu.cn). Fresh graduates can submit a pre-graduation certificate issued by their institution. Applicants in their last year of the undergraduate program should submit a pre-graduation certificate provided by their schools during the application process and resubmit their undergraduate graduation certificate when they receive one. Failing to submit a certificate of bachelor’s degree before coming to SYSU will have their admission qualifications canceled.
(3) Complete transcripts of undergraduate and graduate studies
Doctoral applicants who have graduated from universities in the Chinese mainland should submit transcripts issued and stamped by the academic affair department or relevant student administration department of the applicants’ university. The transcripts of their master’s degree and bachelor’s degree should be included. Applicants who are in the last year of their graduate program can submit their latest transcript issued by their university during the application process and resubmit a complete transcript when they receive one. Those who do not submit a complete transcript of undergraduate and graduate studies before coming to SYSU will have their admission canceled.
Applicants who have graduated from universities in the Chinese mainland should submit transcripts of their bachelor’s degree issued and stamped by the academic affair department or relevant student administration department of the applicants’ university. Applicants who are in the last year of their undergraduate program e can submit their latest transcript issued by their university during the application process and resubmit a complete transcript when they receive one. Those who do not submit a complete transcript of their undergraduate studies before coming to SYSU will have their admission canceled.
(4) Chinese language proficiency certificate
Applicants should submit a valid HSK (level V) certificate (with 180 points or above) or any proof of having taken any courses with Chinese as the instruction language. Applicants for Master of Teaching Chinese to Speakers of Other Languages should have an HSK level V certificate with 210 points or above and an HSKK intermediate level certificate with 60 points or above.
(5) Two letters of recommendation
The letters of recommendation should be provided with signatures by professors or associate professors (see Attachment 1 for template).
(6) Study plan and reaserch in China
The plan should be over 1000 words, including relevant major or research background/reasons for applying for the project/postgraduate study and research plan/career goal after graduation, etc. (see Attachment 2 for template) If you published papers, please submit the abstract of them.
(7) Physical examination and blood test results
The physical examination results should be stamped by the hospital and issued within six months prior to the date of submission (see Attachment 3 for template). Those who are living in the Chinese mainland with a valid foreign residency permit or permanent foreign permanent resident ID card can use the permit or the ID card as a document to replace Foreigner Physical Examination Form.
(8) Certificate of Non-Criminal Record
The applicant should submit a valid non-criminal record issued by local authorities; the document should be issued within six months before the date of application submission.
(9) Chinese government scholarship application form
Applicants should fill in the scholarship application form as required, select the project type Type B, select the enrollment code of Sun Yat-sen University10558, sign on the last page of the form, and scan and upload the form. Applicants can find details of the scholarship application requirements on the website (http://studyinchina.csc.edu.cn).
(10) Supporting documents
Applicants can submit award certificates or proof of experience.
(11) Letter of Commitment
The application information should be true, legal, and valid. Please print and sign the document before uploading it to the system. (see Attachment 4 for the template.)
(12) Personal Information Form
The Personal Information Form is automatically generated by the International Student Management System and should be uploaded back to the system after printing and signing.
Note: Application documents must be either in Chinese or English. If the documents are in other languages, the original documents and their notarized Chinese or English translation of the documents must be attached. Please make sure that the applicant’s email address, WeChat number, and contact phone number filled in on the system are accurate. We will send a notice of supplementary documents by email (emails will be sent via admissions@mail.sysu.edu.cn). Failing to submit supplementary documents in time, providing notarized certificates that do not meet the requirements, or providing incorrect information will cause unsuccessful applications.
V. Majors for International Students
Please refer to Attachment 5 and Attachment 6 for the Catalog of Majors for Chinese Government Scholarship– High-Level Graduate Program (Doctor’s Degree and Master’s degree) at SYSU in 2023. The Catalog of Majors are subject to the approval of the Ministry of Education. Applying for a major beyond the Catalog of Majors approved by the Ministry of Education will cause unsuccessful applications.
VI. Application Deadline
February 19, 2023
VII. Selection Procedures
1. Qualification Review
SYSU will review the applicant’s foreign status, highest academic qualification, academic performance, Chinese language proficiency, recommendations, and study plan to determine the assessment list.
2. Assessment
Assessment will be organized by admission teams of each school/department in one of the following ways: (1) an interview (2) an interview plus a written test. The Admission team of each school/department will notify those who have passed the qualification review of the specific assessment method, location and time.
3. Pre-admission
SYSU will select applicants based on their qualifications and interview assessment results. The electronic pre-admission letter will be sent via email (address: admissions@mail.sysu.edu.cn). Applicants should upload the pre-admission notice on the Chinese Government Scholarship Application system (https://campuschina.org). Doctoral candidates should also upload the study and research plan in China signed by their doctoral supervisor.
4. Admission
The admission results are subject to the approval of the Chinese Scholarship Committee. Paper copies of the Admission Letter and the Foreign Student Visa Application Form are expected to be sent out in July and August to the address applicants have provided in the online application system. Please make sure the address is valid.
Admitted applicants should apply for an X1 visa at the Chinese embassy or consulate with the Admission Letter and the Foreign Student Visa Application Form. The X1 visa holders must go through residential paperwork in the local public security departments within thirty days of entry into China. Otherwise, the admitted applicants will face expulsion. SYSU will not accept the registration of students without a valid student visa, and international students whose visas or residence permits have expired are not allowed to stay or conduct activities on campus.
VIII. Other Instructions
1. Admitted students must complete registration procedures according to the registration date and location required in the Admission Letter. They are not allowed to register in advance. Those who have failed to register within the time limit without approval will be regarded as having given up their admission qualifications. Scholarship recipients will be disqualified.
2. Applicants should be responsible for the materials submitted. In accordance with relevant regulations of China and SYSU, applicants who have fabricated materials to obtain admissions will have their admission qualifications and student status canceled by SYSU. After verification, relevant administrative departments will be informed of the facts of the applicants’ fabrication.
3. In accordance with the relevant regulations and requirements of the Ministry of Education, SYSU will conduct a physical examination and review of admission eligibility for all admitted applicants after enrollment. Applicants who have not met the admission requirements or have provided fabricated materials will be disqualified from admission or student status. Scholarship recipients will be disqualified.
4. Applicants should participate in the annual assessment of the scholarship as required. Applicants who have not passed the assessment will be disqualified from scholarship application.
5. The SYSU Office of International Students’ Affairs performs the supervisory duties of the admissions. The Discipline Inspection and Supervision Department performs specific supervisory duties.
IX. Contact information
Department of Chinese foreign Affairs of China Scholarship Council:
Inquiry Tel: 0086（10）66093927，66093924
Website: http://studyinchina.csc.edu.cn or https://www.campuschina.org/
Website of the Office of International Students’ Affairs: http://iso.sysu.edu.cn
Online Application Website: https://apply.sysu.edu.cn
Email：admissions@mail.sysu.edu.cn
Inquiry Tel: 0086（20）84110819
Supervision Department Tel: 0086（20）84115582
Address: Office of International Students’ Affairs, Sun Yat-sen University,
135 Xingangxi Road, Guangzhou, P.R.China
Zip code: 510275
