Application Guide for the 2022 Master of Public Administration-Chinese Governance for Developing Countries, Sun Yat-sen University

I  Program Introduction

1. Brief introduction

1) Degree Education Programs Sponsored by Ministry of Commerce PRC

Academic Education Programs sponsored by Ministry of Commerce of People’s Republic of China started in 2008, which is designed to foster high-end, business officials and managerial personnel for developing countries, offering one-year and two-year master programs as well as three-year doctoral programs for the purpose of educating high-end, interdisciplinary and applied talents in the fields of politics, economy and trade, diplomacy, agriculture, science, education, culture and health, energy and transportation, and public administration etc., building intellectual capacity and facilitating the economic and social development of the developing countries.

These programs provide assistance to governmental officials, research fellows, and senior managerial personnel on their master and doctor education in China, which are fully conducted in English. Admission requirements include a bachelor’s degree, relevant working experiences, and healthy physical conditions, which is essential for the intense study required for the degrees.

As a result of the positive effects brought by these programs in strengthening economic ties and friendship between China and other developing countries, these programs are highly valued by the local government.

The program provided by Sun Yat-sen University is based on Chinese governance, leading students to explore Chinese public management and policies from the five dimensions of society, economy, history and culture, law, and politics. We insist on inheriting the tradition of the Sun Yat-sen University, highlighting the characteristics of Chinese MPA degree, exploring the experience of “Chinese governance” and promoting the Chinese road in the overall process of program operation. In the teaching arrangements, we strive to guarantee teaching quality and scientifically organize courses. In addition, our university makes full use of regional advantages to arrange social practice for students: one course fieldwork for each professional course, and social practice outside the province before graduation.

2) Prospective Students

Our prospective students are government officials at or above the department level, the head of an academic institution at or above the dean level, or an administrative officer from other public sectors of a comparable level, who have demonstrated superior performance in their work and sufficient English proficiency to conduct their study. By the time of matriculation, each must have obtained an undergraduate bachelor's degree. 

3) Program Objective

To foster high-end, interdisciplinary and applied talents in the fields of politics and public administration; to foster leaders with solid policy analysis skills and a global perspective who can handle complex national affairs.

4) Admission Plan

In year 2022 we have planned to enroll up to 20 students in our MPA-CGDC program, which will last for one academic year, and the teaching language is English.

5) Scholarship Coverage

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce will provide "Chinese Government Scholarships" to admitted students from developing countries. The scholarship covers both tuition and living expenses, and the school offers free accommodation during the one-year studying duration. The school will purchase medical insurance for students coming to China.

The scholarship also includes one-round-trip international airfare for all students (one time per year set at the end of an academic year). In terms of living expenses, it is 36000RMB/year for each master student. There is also a settlement allowance of 3000RMB/person, which is a one-time payment (settlement allowance is only paid when students arrive in China).

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce only offers scholarship during the normal study period, i.e. the scholarship covers ONLY one year’s tuition, accommodation, and monthly stipend. Scholarship will NOT be offered if students need to extend study period. 

2. University introduction

1) Sun Yat-sen University

Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU), founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen and with an educational tradition spanning over 100 years, is a preeminent research, academic and cultural center and the premier location for talent development in South China. Under the direct supervision of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, and strongly supported by both the Ministry and Guangdong Province, SYSU has developed into a modern comprehensive university that enjoys a reputation as a top-tier university nationally and a renowned university internationally. With five campuses in the three cities of Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Shenzhen, and ten affiliated hospitals, the University is striving to become a world-class university and global center of learning.

Built on a solid multidisciplinary foundation of humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, medical sciences, and engineering, SYSU is propelled forward by the continuous pursuit of academic innovation.

Sun Yat-sen University has a strong academic faculty, with current full-time teachers 4255 people, of whom 1695 are with senior title, and 1834 with deputy senior title; there are 5,857 graduate tutors (including part-time tutors), of whom 2,687 are doctoral tutors.

Since 2011 Fall, SYSU has been offering a one-year full time Master of Public Administration-Chinese Governance for Developing Countries (MPA-CGDC for short) program in English.

2) School of Government

The School of Government (SOG) is one of the leading centers for teaching, studying and research in public administration, political science, social policy and land resources management in PRC. SOG consists a Department of Political Science and a Department of Public Administration as well as research centers and institutes related to these two fields, among which the Center for Public Administration Research is the sole research base in Public Administration designated by the Ministry of Education with distinguished professors in the related field in PRC. SOG has an internationalized team of young faculty members, including 23 professors, 22 associate professors, 2 lecturers and 10 researchers. More than half of the faculty hold overseas doctoral degrees and over 90% have international research experience.

3) Living Environment and Campus Facilities

Students of MPA-CGDC program study on South Campus in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province.

Clothes:

Guangdong is in the southernmost of mainland China, and most of it has a subtropical climate. The rainy season lasts from April to September. The annual average temperature is 21.8℃. The coldest month is January with an average temperature of 13.3℃, while the hottest month is July with an average temperature of 28.5℃.

Dressing guide	Spring (March to May)	Summer (May to September)	Fall (September to December)	Winter (December to January)
	Thin jacket or sweater	Summer wear; bring rain gear with you as it rains often.	Shirt  and jacket	Sweater  and thick coat

Accommodation:

The program is held on Guangzhou South Campus. MPA-CGDC students will be accommodated in International Student Dormitory with furnished beds (pillow, bed-sheet, and quilt). Each room is equipped with air-conditioner and separated bathroom with shower. Every room in the dormitory has access to wired Internet, but computer is not provided. For your safety, power appliances like electric stove are prohibited in the room.

Dinning: Guangzhou is famous for its delicacies. Students can use their campus cards to eat at an-y of the universities cafeterias. There are also numerous affordable dining optio-ns nearby the university.

3. Academic Plan

Coursework Arrangement

Our coursework has 2 modules: Compulsory course and Elective course. A more schematic layout of the 2 modules is listed as follows:

Module 1: Compulsory Courses (18 credits)

Course Title	Credit	Instructor’s Name	Major Content of the Course
Governance and Development: Global Perspective, East Asia and China	3	Prof. Ying XIA	Analysis of representative urban development cases; a study of public governance theory and governance model
Introduction to Chinese Government and Politics	3	Prof. Zhichao TONG	An analysis of the basic characteristics of the Chinese government and politics from a historical point of view
Public Administration Innovation	3	Prof. Lin YE	An introduction to the basic concepts, problems and innovative ideas of public management
Theories of Policy-making Process	3	Prof. Yapeng ZHU	An introduction to the decision-making mode of China's public policy and analyzes the reasons for its formation
Social Research Methods and Research Design	3	Prof. Lin ZHU	This course introduces different research methods and cultivates students' ability to conduct independent research
History, Culture and Economic Development: World Experiences and Chinese Characteristics	3	Prof. Xiang ZHOU	Explore the formation of Chinese experience from historical and cultural perspectives

Module 2: Elective Courses (select a minimum of 4 from the following 8 courses, 12 credits)

Course Title	Credit	Instructor’s Name	Major Content of the Course
Government Innovation, Corporate Development and the Market Economy	3	Prof. Yan ZHOU	Analysis of China's economic reform after 1978 and its impact on developing countries
Public Budgeting and Financial Management	3	Prof. Meili NIU	Analysis of China's experience in public finance and budget management over the past 20 years
Human Resource Management in the Public Sector	3	Prof. Cheng CHEN	This course analyzes and discusses the human resource management model of  public sector
Social Policy and Social Development	3	Prof. WingkitCHAN	This course analyzes and discusses the major changes in the field of social policy and its impact on the social development of contemporary society
Health Economics and Health Policy in China	3	Prof. Menghan SHEN	This course introduces the reform of China's medical and health system
Leadership and Strategic Management of the Public Sector	3	Prof. Yaping LIU	This course analyzes and introduces the theory and practical principles of public sector leadership and strategic management
E-Governance	3	Prof. Yueping ZHENG	This course analyzes the impact of technology on the field of public administration and its advantages and disadvantages
Thesis writing: Quantitative and Comparative Approach	3	Prof.Ijin HONG	This course introduces the technics of research paper writing, data retrieval and analysis, which are beneficial to the writing of the paper

Classes will incorporate a mix of lectures, seminars, case discussions, tutorials, and presentations. 

Module 3: Course Setting

The MPA-CGDC program consists of 3 semesters of full-time academic study, including 6 compulsory courses with 3 credits each; and no less than 4 electives with 3 credits each. All courses are taught in English by SOG’s experienced faculties.

Course Title	Credit	Teaching Syllabus
Governance and Development: Global Perspective, East Asia and China	3	This course first surveys the most seminal development models generated from successful economic stories of the United States and East Asia. It is done in a critical manner, rather than an affirmative one.
Introduction to Chinese Government and Politics	3	This course will survey the basic features of Chinese government and politics, from both historicaland analytical perspectives.
Public Administration Innovation	3	This courseis designed to be a combination of lecture and classroom discussion. Assigned reading is expected to be completed on the day of the lecture as listed in the course outline.
Theories of Policy-making Process	3	This course is designed for MPA students to familiarize knowledge about structure and process of China’s policy making.
Social Research Methods and Research Design	3	This course is designed to give students an overview of various research methods available to social scientists and enable students to plan and conduct their own research projects.
Government Innovation, Corporate Development and the Market Economy	3	The course explores China's economic reforms after 1978 and reveals their impact on developing countries.
Public Budgeting and Financial Management	3	This elective course focuses on the Chinese experiences in public budgeting and financial management in the past two decades.
Human Resource Management in the Public Sector	3	This course focus on administration and management of human resource managementin Chinese public sector. It underlines values of human resource management, related public policies trajectories on human resource management.
Social Policy and Social Development	3	The course aims at exploring the structural changes taken place in a number of key social policy areas and their impacts on social development in contemporary China.
Health Economics and Health Policy in China	3	This course explores the basic theories of health economics and medical insurance, and analyzes relevant experiences in China's medical and health system reform
Leadership and Strategic Management of the Public Sector	3	This course is intended to equip students with foundation of theory and practice of administrative leadership and strategic management in China.
E-Governance	3	The course “E-Government” seeks to enhance student to understand the impact of technology (hardware and software), especially information and communication technologies, on public administration
Thesis writing: Quantitative and Comparative Approach	3	The course is designed to familiarize students with the writing of research papers, data retrieval and data analysis, and to use comparative perspectives when preparing thesis.
History, Culture and Economic Development: World Experiences and Chinese Characteristics	3	This course tries to present how China runs its own way of development and simultaneously engages with a common global developmental discourse throughout history.

Module 4: Faculty

Instructor’s Name	Instructor’s Degree Conferring Institution
Prof. Yaping LIU	PhD in Public Administration at Sun Yat-sen University, Post-Doctoral Degree at Syracuse University
Prof. Meili NIU	PhD in Public Administration at University of Nebraska
Prof. Lin YE	PhD in Public Administration at University of Louisville
Prof. Yapeng ZHU	PhD in Public Administration at City University of Hong Kong
Prof. Yan ZHOU	PhD in Economics at Sun Yat-sen University
Prof. Cheng CHEN	PhD in Public Administration at Birmingham University
Prof. WingkitCHAN	PhD in Public Policy and Social Work at the Universityof York
Prof. Ijin HONG	Ph.D. at Yonsei University, Korea
Prof. Lin ZHU	PhD at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology
Prof. Menghan SHEN	Ph.D. in Educational Economics at Columbia University, USA
Prof. Ying XIA	PhD in Political Science at the Chinese University of Hong Kong
Prof. Yueping ZHENG	PhD in Public Administration at Rutgers University
Prof. Xiang ZHOU	Ph.D. in History at Sun Yat-sen University
Prof. Zhichao TONG	PhD in Philosophy at University of Toronto, Canada

2) Teaching Methods

This program applies multidisciplinary perspectives emphasizing both theoretical and methodological training to improve the understanding of the origin, development, and approaches of Chinese governance. Our highly interactive and collaborative courses combine lectures, seminars, case-studies and fieldwork.

During the academic classroom studies, each student will have a chance to conduct field work to study the practical operation of Chinese public agencies or non-government organizations. SOG will arrange fieldwork for all students and each student is required to write fieldwork report with topics based on the fieldwork experience as well as the final graduation thesis.

3) Semester Schedule

The MPA-CGDC program consists of 3 semesters of full-time academic work and 1 semester of thesis writing and defense. The actual class time for each semester is 9 weeks, a separate arrangement is made for the course fieldwork.

4) Thesis

Specific Requirements of the Thesis

In order to obtain an MPA degree, students must write a thesis and successfully defend their thesis orally.

The thesis is expected to combine theoretical perspectives and empirical analytic skills. A comparative analysis is preferred, but not required.

Specific Requirements of the Thesis Defense

The Master's Degree Thesis Defense Committee is composed of 3-5 people and requires the participation of experts from other organizations.

5) Degree Conferral

A degree on Master of Public Administration will be conferred upon a candidate in the master program after his/her successful completion of required Chinese language proficiency, credits and degree thesis.  

Note: In accordance with the latest regulations given by Ministry of Education, upon graduation, students should meet the language level requirements of the document issued by the Ministry of Education on “the Quality Standard of Higher Education for International Students in China (Trial)”.

II. Application

1. Qualification of Applicants

All applicants must meet the following admission requirements:

Applicants must be non-Chinese citizens from developing countries and under the age of 45. Applicants should be government officials at or above director level, academic institution leaders above director level in colleges or departments or administrators at equivalent level with no less than 3-year working experience in relevant fields. Applicants must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent qualification.    Applicants must be proficient in English. Non-native English speakers or candidates whose undergraduate education was not conducted in English are required to submit an effective English proficiency proof (TOEFL, IELTS, GRE and other international English exams are preferred). Only applicants recommended by the Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Office of Chinese Embassy in the country that accords with the candidate’s nationality will be considered. All applicants shall be in healthy physical conditions and carry no infectious diseases which may have a serious impact on public health or fall into any of the health situations prohibited by China’s Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Laws and Regulations. Applicants with severe hypertension, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer or other severe chronic disease, mental illness or disease that are likely to cause serious harm to public health, severe limb disability will not be allowed. In addition, people who are in major surgical recovery period and acute attack period or in pregnancy cannot get access to this program. If one becomes pregnant while studying in China, the student will be dropped out. Applicants with the potential for career development in this field, who is committed to promoting friendly exchanges and cooperation between the home country and China are preferred. Students who are studying in China or have been admitted to other Chinese government scholarship programs may not apply

2. Procedure of Application

1) Application to Sun Yat-sen University

Visit http://iso.sysu.edu.cn and click “Application” to log in, submit online the comple-ted SYSU Application Form for International Students.

Step 1: register for an account with your frequently used Email;

Step 2: Log in your email and activate the account;

Step 3: Log in the system and fill out the forms step by step and submit it online;

Step 4: Download and print out the Application Form. Sign your name on the last page.

Note:

A. Choose your program: Master of Public Administration-Chinese Governance for Developing Countries 2022.

B. A digital photo is required to upload online.

2) Application to Chinese Government Scholarship

Please visit the online application system of Chinese Scholarship Council at http://studyinchina.csc.edu.cn/#/login, and register for an account. Select Program Category Type B, fill in Agency No.:10558, and all the required information. When you finish, remember to submit the form online, and then print out the form and sign it. To complete the form successfully, please note the following information:

(1) Program Category: Type B, and the agency No. of Sun Yat-sen University is 10558;

(2) For the master program, Discipline is “Management”, Major is “Public Administration”.

(3) Please Sign your name on the last page of CSC application form.

(4) Please keep the CSC number auto-generated in the form; it will be needed when filling the application form for a study visa in China.

3）Materials

Documents		Requirements	copy
1	Chinese Government Scholarship Application Form	Please visit http://studyinchina.csc.edu.cn/#/login, Program Category: Type B, and the agency No. of Sun Yat-sen University is 10558.	1
2	Formal Bachelor degree certificates	1. Graduation certificate and degree diploma must be original documents or notarized copies either in Chinese or English. 2. If applicant has not graduated, a certificate letter from the current university indicating the date of graduation is required	1
3	Official Transcripts	1. The transcripts must be original documents or notarized copies either in Chinese or English. 2. The transcripts should include list of courses taken and standard achieved.	1
4	Personal Statement	Personal statement must be written in English and be some 1500 words in length. It shall cover such essential elements as applicant’s academic background, work experience, achievements, and future career plans, including a research plan at Sun Yat-sen University.	1
5	CV	In English. The content should be about personal background, academic experience after high school, and working experience.	1
6	Recommendation Letters of Working Institution	Given by a superior in the institution where the applicant works; the letter should introduce the basic information of applicant, and state that he or she is willing to recommend the applicant for the program. Original file in Chinese or English is required.	1
7	Two Academic recommendation Letters (with signature, title and contact information)	Given by TWO individuals, with signature (such as associate professor or professor level et al., with effective contact required) which introduces the academic background, research ability and past academic achievements of the applicant. Original file in Chinese or English is required.	2
8	English Language Proficiency Test Results	Applicants who are not native English speakers or whose undergraduate education was not conducted in English shall provide effective English proficiency proof. Results of international English exams (TOEFL, IELTS, and GRE etc.) are preferred. Original file in Chinese or English is required.	1
9	Photocopy of a Valid Passport	The passport must be a personal regular passport. All successful candidates must enter China and register with Sun Yat-sen University with the same passport as used for applying for the program.	1
10	Physical Examination Form	The health form(see attachment 1)shall be issued within six month before the submission date, showing that the applicant carries no infectious diseases which may have a serious impact on public health or fall into any of the health situations prohibited by China’s Entry-Exit Inspection and Quarantine Laws and Regulations.	1
11	Recentbareheaded photo	2-inch bareheaded photo with white background in recent 3 months	1
12	Non-criminal Record	Please consult relevant departments in your country and issue the official and valid record with official stamp	1
13	Degree Confirmation Report	Applicants who graduated from universities outside mainland China must hold a bachelor's degree from an institution accredited by the Chinese Ministry of Education. Please visit website http://zwfw.cscse.edu.cn/, and apply for the confirmation report.	1
14	Letter of Commitment	Commitment letter (see attachment 2for the template). Applicants should pledge that the application information is true, legal and valid. (Please print and sign before uploading)	1
15	Personal Information Form	Personal Information Form (automatically generated by the International Student Management System and uploaded after printing and signing)	1

4）Submission

1) Students may apply for the scholarship program only after obtaining the approval and recommendation of the relevant responsible department of their government, and submit materials according to the specific requirements of the relevant departments in the country in which they are located.

2) Where the host government allows individual student to submit materials directly to Chinese embassies, the students are required to hold a certificate or letter of recommendation from the host country approving permission to study in China, and submit all the application materials listed in the above table in both hard copy(original file required if mentioned) and scanned digital copy to the Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Office of Chinese Embassy. For emails and addresses of the Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Offices, please visit http://www.china-aibo.cn.

3) The relevant responsible department of the host government of the applicant should submit a written request to the Economic and Commercial Counselor’s Office of Chinese Embassy for an official recommendation letter for the applicant, and clearly state in the letter:

a) Whether the applicant is willing to be considered for a similar program at other universities if the quota is already full.  
b) Other special requests if any.

Reminders:

a) All the documents to be submitted should be in Chinese or English. Otherwise, a notarized copy in Chinese or English is required.

b) In addition to submitting copies, applicant should also submit the original files of documents such as certificate of graduation, certificate of degree, transcripts and language level certificate to the Commercial Affairs Department of the Chinese Embassy for the purpose of verification. After the verification, the applicant should scan and send all the application materials to contact person at both the university and the school.

c) All the paper documents (including original files and copies) will be given back to the applicant after the verification by the Commercial Affairs Department of the Chinese Embassy. The applicant should keep them properly, and once admitted, bring those documents to the appointed section at the university and keep in the archives.

3. Deadline of Application

The application deadline is May 20, 2022. 

III Contact and Other Important Information

Contact Person at SYSU:  SONG, jing (Ms. Song)

Mail Address: Office for International Students' Affairs

                       Sun Yat-sen University 135 Xingangxi Road, Guangzhou, 510275

                       P.R.China

Tel: (0086) 20-8411 0819

Fax: (0086) 20-8411 5621

Email: admissions@mail.sysu.edu.cn

Information Website: http://iso.sysu.edu.cn

Application Website: https://apply.sysu.edu.cn/login

Contact Person in SOG:  LIU Pinze (Ms. Liu)

Mail Address: Room 107, School of Government, Sun Yat-sen University, No. 135,

                       Xingang Xi Road, Guangzhou, 510275 P.R.China

Tel: (0086) 20-8411 1526

Fax: (0086) 20-8411 0315

Email:impa_sysu@163.com, mpacgdc@mail.sysu.edu.cn

Website: http://sog.sysu.edu.cn/

Attention:

A. All the application materials will not be returned no matter the applicant is accepted or not.

B. Chinese government will not provide any further explanation on the admission results.

C. The student’s spouse and children are not allowed to accompany him/her studying in China. Scholarships do not provide any fees for spouse or children to visit him/her in China. 

D. Detailed procedures and requirements related to studying at SYSU will be mentioned in the admission documents. 

E. Due to COVID-19, students coming to China must comply with the local and university epidemic prevention measures, conducting quarantine and other protective measures as required.