CFAs: The Great Wall Co-Sponsored Fellowships Programme

Deadline Date: February 21, 2025

Donor Name: United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

Grant Size: Less than $1000

https://www.unesco.org/en/fellowships/greatwall

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is now accepting applications for its The Great Wall Co-Sponsored Fellowships Programme to promote the human resource development and capacity building of developing countries and to enhancing international exchanges in the field of education, culture, communication, science and technology and the friendship among peoples of the world.

UNESCO the Government of the People’s Republic of China has co-sponsor a total number of seventy-five (75) fellowships for advanced studies in various fields, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, during the academic year 2025-2026. Among these fellowships, forty-seven (47) vacancies will be open for new recruitment to candidates from 135 developing Member States in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe and Arab region.

Benefits

• Facilities Offered by UNESCO:
  • International travel to and from China at the beginning and at the end of the fellowship;
  • Monthly pocket allowance of US$ 80 (eighty US dollars);
  • A termination allowance to cover excess luggage charges at time of return to home country.
  • Note: No allowance will be granted by UNESCO or the Government of China for financing or lodging any spouse or dependent of the fellows.

Funding Information

• Facilities Offered by the Government of the People’s Republic of China:
  • Tuition waiver for the academic programme that they are enrolled in within the framework of the fellowships programme;
  • Monthly living allowance to cover meals and other living expense, in accordance with the following rates:
    • General visiting scholar, or Master’s degree students: CNY 3 000 (three thousand Chinese yuan);
    • Senior visiting scholar, or Doctoral degree students: CNY 3 500 (three thousand five hundred Chinese yuan);
  • On-campus accommodation or accommodation subsidy1;
  • Comprehensive Medical Insurance and Protection Scheme for International Students2 in China.

Eligibility Requirements

• General Visiting Scholar Programme
  • Age: Under the age of 45
  • Required Educational Qualifications: Holding at least a senior secondary education diploma
  • Language requirements: Proficient in English; for those who apply for Chinesetaught programmes must have acquired HSK Level 3.
• Senior Visiting Scholar Programme
  • Age: Under the age of 50
  • Required Educational Qualifications: Holding a master’s degree, or an associate professor position (or above)
  • Language requirements: Proficient in English; for those who apply for Chinesetaught programmes must have acquired HSK Level 3.
• Master’s Programme
  • Age: Under the age of 35 
  • Required Educational Qualifications: Holding a bachelor’s degree
  • Language requirements: Proficient in English; for those who apply for Chinese-taught programmes must have acquired HSK Level 4.
• Doctoral Programme
  • Age: Under the age of 40
  • Required Educational Qualifications: Holding a master’s degree
  • Language requirements: Proficient in English; for those who apply for Chinese-taught programmes must have acquired HSK Level 4.
• Be in good health, both mentally and physically.
• Meeting the specific admission requirements of the applied Chinese universities, in terms of academic ability, language proficiency and other relevant criteria.

Application Requirements

• Application Form for Chinese Government Scholarship in English, completed and submitted in the system (the form can be downloaded and printed after completing the online application).
• Copy of Passport home page: a clear scanned copy of the candidate’s ordinary passport with validity later than 1 March 2026 must be submitted.
• Notarized photocopies of highest diploma: Prospective diploma winners must submit official proof of student status issued by their current educational institution. Documents in languages other than Chinese or English must be attached with notarized Chinese or English translation.
• Academic transcripts: transcripts in languages other than Chinese or English must be attached with notarized Chinese or English translation.
• Language qualification certificates: Candidates should provide relevant language proficiency certificates in accordance with the universities’ requirements. Candidates who apply for English-taught programmes should submit a certificate of international English proficiency tests such as IELTS or TOEFL. In the cases where a candidates cannot provide an international English certificate, it is mandatory for him/er to submit a UNESCO Certificate of Language Knowledge, duly signed and stamped by a certified language institution or language tutor to prove the candidate has sufficient language knowledge to attend the courses of study. Those who apply for Chinese-taught programmes must submit valid HSK score reports in line with the language requirements of their applied study programme.
• Admission documents from a designated Chinese university, such as admission notice, pre-admission letter, invitation from professors etc. Applicants with admission documents will be prioritized during the fellowship selection.
• A Study Plan or Research Proposal in Chinese or English, for the study or research to be undertaken in China (a minimum of 500 words for candidates applying for one-year visiting scholar programmes, and 800 words for candidates applying for postgraduate degree programmes).
• Recommendation Letters: Candidates for postgraduate degree programmes and senior visiting scholar programmes must submit two letters of recommendation in Chinese or English from professors or associate professors familiar with the work/study of the candidates. A photocopy of Foreign Physical Examination Form completed in English. The physical examination must cover all the items listed in the Foreign Physical Examination Form. Incomplete records or those without the signature of the attending physician, the official stamp of the hospital or a sealed photograph of the applicants are invalid. Please select the appropriate time to take physical examination, as the result is valid for 6 months. Candidates should keep the original copy of the completed form.
• Non-criminal record report: a valid certificate of Non-Criminal Record issued within 6 months of the application submission deadline by a local public security authority.
• Applicants shall also submit the following documents, if applicable:
  • Example of Art: candidates applying for art- or design-related fields of study may submit their own works in “Example of Art/Other Supporting Documents” in the system. Such materials could be submitted directly to the applied universities in other ways.
  • Applicants under the age of 18 should submit the valid documents of their legal guardians in China.

For more information, visit UNESCO.