Application Guide for Chinese Government Scholarship “High-Level Graduate” Program in 2025 at SYSU

      In accordance with the relevant regulations of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education and the China Scholarship Council, and as well as the actual conditions of SYSU, this guide is formulated as follows.

      Chinese Government Scholarship “College Graduate Students” Program has been renamed as “High-Level Graduate” Program from the academic year 2023/2024.

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. Language Proficiency

       (1) Applicants of the programs instructed in Chinese should hold an HSK (level V) certificate with a score of 180 points or above. Those who have taken courses with Chinese as the instruction language shall submit a certificate issued by their former university. Upon verification by SYSU, the applicants may be exempted from providing HSK certificates.

       (2) To apply for the English-taught programs, applicants whose native language is not English must submit valid proof of English language skills to demonstrate that their English proficiency is sufficient to meet the academic requirements, such as TOEFL (minimum score of 79 on iBT, with no less than 15 in each section) or IELTS Academic (minimum score of 6.5, with no less than 5.5 in each section). Applicants who have previously studied with English as the medium of instruction may submit an official certificate from their institution confirming this. Upon verification by the university, these applicants may be exempt from submitting English test scores. For specific English language requirements, please refer to the application guidelines of the each English-taught program.

III.Scholarship Coverage and Standards

      1. Tuition Fee

      2. On-campus accommodation

      3. Living allowance

      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, 2025. 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) language proficiency certificate

       Applicants of the programs instructed in Chinese should submit a valid certificate of Chinese language proficiency (HSK) or proof of completing courses instructed in Chinese language. Applicants of English-taught programs should submit TOFEL, IELTS certificate, or any proof of having taken program instructed in English or other proof demonstrating their English language proficiency.

      (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 1500 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

       Applicants shall submit scanned copies of the Foreigner Physical Examination Form, chest X-ray, ECG, and laboratory test reports for specific items, all stamped by the issuing hospital and within six months prior to the date of submission (Template provided in Attachment 3). Applicants currently residing in the Chinese mainland with a valid foreigner's residence permit or permanent residence ID card may substitute either of these documents for the 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 for the Catalog of Majors for Chinese Government Scholarship– High-Level Graduate Program (Doctor's Degree and Master's degree) at SYSU in 2025. 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 15, 2025

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 and 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 shown through its application system (https://apply.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. The electronic Admission Letter and the Confirmation Form for Study in China will be be shown through its application system (https://apply.sysu.edu.cn). Applicants shall ensure that the email address and phone number provided in the application system are accurate and valid.

      Admitted applicants should apply for an X1 visa at the Chinese embassy or consulate with the electronic Admission Letter and the Confirmation Form for Study in China. 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