Application Guidelines for the 2026 Chinese Government Scholarship—Bilateral Program at Sun Yat-sen University

      In accordance with the relevant regulations of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchanges of the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (hereinafter referred to as the “Ministry of Education”) and the China Scholarship Council (hereinafter referred to as the “CSC”), and in light of the actual circumstances of Sun Yat-sen University (hereinafter referred as “SYSU”), these application guidelines are hereby formulated.

I. Overview of the Scholarship
      To promote mutual understanding and friendship between the Chinese people and people of other countries, and to foster exchanges and cooperation between China and the rest of the world across various fields, the Chinese government offers scholarships to support outstanding students and scholars from around the world to study or conduct research at Chinese institutions. The Ministry of Education of China entrusts the CSC) with the responsibility for the recruitment, admission, and administration of Chinese Government Scholarship recipients.
      As an authorized host institution of the Chinese Government Scholarship, SYSU recruits international students (bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels) worldwide under this program. Final admission decisions will be subject to the results of the expert review conducted by the CSC.

II. Eligibility
      1. Applicants must be non-Chinese citizens who hold a valid foreign passport and meet the requirements set out in the Ministry of Education’s Notice on Regulating the Work of Higher Education Institutions in Enrolling International Students (Jiao Wai Han [2020] No. 12).
      2. Applicants must be in good physical and mental health and meet the physical examination requirements for obtaining a student visa or residence permit for study in China.
      3. Academic Qualification and Age Requirements:
      Applicants for Bachelor’s Degree Programs: Must hold completed senior high school or higher education, or an equivalent level of education, have excellent academic performance, and generally be no older than 25 years of age. 
      Applicants for Master’s Degree Programs: Must hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent academic qualifications, have excellent academic performance, and generally be no older than 35 years of age.
      Applicants for Doctoral Degree Programs: Must hold a master’s degree or equivalent academic qualifications, have excellent academic performance, and generally be no older than 40 years of age.
      4. Applicants must demonstrate friendliness toward China, diligence in their studies, excellent academic performance, good moral character, and compliance with laws and regulations. They must have no record of school disciplinary violations, security penalties, or criminal offenses.

III. Scholarship Coverage
      The scholarship covers tuition fees, accommodation, living expenses, and comprehensive medical insurance. The specific funding details and standards are subject to the official announcement of the CSC for the corresponding year.

VI. Programs Offered
      Please refer to the Catalog of Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral Programs for International Students at Sun Yat-sen University in 2026: Chinese Government Scholarship— Bilateral Program (Appendix 1) .
      The official program catalog is subject to approval by the Ministry of Education. Applications for programs outside the approved catalog will be considered invalid.

V. Application Deadline
      Pre-Application Deadlines:
      January 12, 2026 (for issuing invitation letters only; see website for details)
      February 12, 2026 (for issuing invitation letters only; see website for details)
      The CSC will begin accepting recommendations from its dispatched offices on a rolling basis. Applicants should confirm the application deadline with the dispatch office in their home country or the Education Section of the Chinese Embassy (or Consulate) in their country.

VI. Application and Admission Procedures
      Step 1: Applicants for bachelor’s degree programs must take the “China Scholastic Competency Assessment (CSCA)” for Undergraduate Admission.
      Applicants must participate in the China Scholastic Competency Assessment (hereinafter referred to as the “CSCA Test”) for undergraduate admission, organized by the CSC, and obtain a test score. For details on the test schedule and content, please visit the CSCA official website: https://csca.cn/home.
      For the required test subjects and the language of the test papers for each major or program, please refer to the SYSU Majors Catalog for International Students in 2026 (Bachelor’s Degree).
      Step 2: Applicants should submit their applications to the international student dispatch office in their home country to obtain a recommendation, which is usually handled by the Chinese Embassy or Consulate.
      Applicants who require an invitation letter may visit the Office of International Students’ Affairs, Sun Yat-sen University website (iso.sysu.edu.cn), select “Online Application”, register an account, and choose “Pre-Application – 2026 Chinese Government Scholarship—Bilateral Program”. After a preliminary review of the materials, SYSU will issue the invitation letter through the application system.
      Step 3: Applicants of Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral Degree Programs Complete and Submit the Online Application 
      Sun Yat-sen University International Student Application System (hereinafter referred to as the “Application System”) website: http://apply.sysu.edu.cn
      Applicants should register an account in the Application System, log in to complete the application information, and submit the required application materials (see Section VII of these guidelines for details).
      Step 4: Upload Signed Documents
      Applicants should download the automatically generated Application Information Form from the Application System (including the “Letter of Commitment”, and the “Proof of Financial Support by Applicant” or “Proof of Financial Guarantee”), print the hard copy, sign it by hand, and upload the signed version to the system.
      Step 5: Qualification Review and Interview
      SYSU will review the submitted application documents, and qualified applicants will be invited to attend an interview. 
      The interview will assess the applicant’s overall competence and language proficiency. The interview schedule and format will be notified through the Application System or via email.
      Step 6: Check the Preliminary Admission Results
      SYSU will determine the preliminary admission list based on a comprehensive evaluation. Applicants can log in to the Application System to check their preliminary admission results 15 days after the interview.
      Step 7: Confirmation of Scholarship Award Eligibility
      For applicants who have obtained pre-admission from SYSU, the final admission decision is subject to the results of the expert review conducted by the CSC. 
      Step 8: Admission Notice
      The CSC will send the Admission Letter and the Confirmation Form for Study in China to the international student dispatch office in each applicant’s home country or directly to the student via the Chinese Embassy (or Consulate) in their country.
 

VII. Application Materials
      1. A valid ordinary passport and a personal profile photo
      Applicants’ passports must remain valid until at least December 1, 2026. Please renew your passport if necessary. Applicants currently residing in the Chinese mainland should provide a scanned copy of their valid Chinese visa or residence permit page, as well as the entry stamp page/s.
      For applicants who were originally citizens of the Chinese mainland, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, the Macao Special Administrative Region, or the Taiwan, and later acquired foreign nationality, the following documents must be additionally provided:
      (1) Proof of the cancellation of household registration, or proof of renunciation of Chinese nationality; 
      (2) An official certificate issued by a Chinese diplomatic or consular mission certifying that the applicant does not hold Chinese nationality.

      2. Degree certificates, diplomas, and verification reports
      Applicants for Bachelor’s Degree Programs 
      Applicants for bachelor’s degree programs must submit their high-school graduation certificates. For current-year high-school graduates, a pre-graduation certificate issued by the applicant’s school may be submitted during the application process; if the applicants fail to provide the official proof of graduation before enrollment, their admission offer will be considered invalid.
      Applicants for Master’s Degree Programs
      (1) Applicants for master’s programs who graduated from institutions within China must submit the following documents from the Chinese Higher Education Student Information Network via its official website link: https://www.chsi.com.cn: 
      a. Electronic Registration and Verification Form of Higher Education Qualification Certificate issued by the Ministry of Education for the bachelor’s degree.
      b. Online Verification Report of Higher Education Degree Certificate for the bachelor’s degree.
      (2) Applicants for master’s programs who graduated from institutions outside the Chinese mainland must submit the Foreign Academic Degree and Qualification Verification Report for the bachelor’s degree issued by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) via its official website: https://www.cscse.edu.cn. 
      (3) For current-year graduates, a pre-graduation certificate issued by the applicant’s school may be submitted during the application process. However, if they fail to provide the degree certificate of bachelor’s degree before enrollment, their admission offer will be considered invalid.
      Applicants for Doctoral Degree Programs
      (1) Applicants who graduated from institutions within China must submit the following documents from the Chinese Higher Education Student Information Network via its official website link: https://www.chsi.com.cn
      a. Electronic Registration and Verification Form of Higher Education Qualification Certificate issued by the Ministry of Education for both the master’s and bachelor’s degrees.
      b. Online Verification Report of Higher Education Degree Certificate for both the master’s and bachelor’s degrees.
      (2) Applicants who graduated from institutions outside the Chinese mainland must submit the Foreign Academic Degree and Qualification Verification Report for both the master’s and bachelor’s degrees issued by the Chinese Service Center for Scholarly Exchange (CSCSE) via its official website: https://www.cscse.edu.cn.
      (3) For current-year graduates, a pre-graduation certificate issued by the applicant’s school may be submitted during the application process. However, if they fail to provide the degree certificate of master’s degree before enrollment, their admission offer will be considered invalid.
      3. Complete academic transcripts
      Applicants for bachelor’s degree programs must submit standardized test scores, including the standard high school transcript, university entrance examination transcripts, or internationally recognized high school-level standardized tests such as the SAT, ACT, A-Level, or IB.
      Applicants for Master’s Degree Programs must submit the complete transcripts of their bachelor’s degree program issued and stamped by the academic affair department or the relevant student administration department of the applicants’ institution. 
      Applicants for Doctoral Degree Programs must submit their transcripts from both the bachelor’s and master’s degrees must be issued and stamped by the academic affairs office or the relevant student administration department of the applicant’s institution.
      For applicants graduating in the current year who are applying for any of the above three types of programs, the most recent transcript issued by their school may be submitted during the application process. However, if they fail to provide the complete bachelor’s and master’s transcripts before enrollment, their admission offer will be considered invalid.
      4. Applicants for bachelor’s degree programs must also submit their transcript of the CSCA test for undergraduate admission, organized by the China Scholarship Council under the Ministry of Education of China.
      5.Proof of language proficiency
      Applicants for bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral programs taught in Chinese must submit a valid Chinese proficiency test certificate (HSK) or a “Certificate of Chinese-Medium Instruction”. If their Chinese proficiency does not meet the admission requirements, explanatory materials regarding their language skills should be provided. Students who receive a conditional offer because their Chinese language proficiency does not meet the language requirement must attend a Chinese preparatory course or remedial Chinese classes, and must achieve the required HSK level within one year.
      Applicants for bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral programs taught in English, whose native language is not English, must submit proof of English proficiency through either the TOEFL iBT, with a minimum total score of 79 and no less than 15 in each section, or the IELTS Academic, with a minimum overall band score of 6.5 and no less than 5.5 in each component.
      Applicants who have taken courses taught in English may submit a “Certificate of English-Medium Instruction” issued by their school. Upon verification by SYSU, submission of English proficiency test scores may be waived. 
      6. Two academic recommendation letters (see Appendix 2)
      For applicants to a bachelor’s degree program, recommendation letters should, in principle, be provided separately by the principal of their high school and by one teacher.
      For applicants to master’s and doctoral degree programs, their referees of the recommendation letters must be professors, associate professors, or experts with equivalent professional or technical titles in the applicant’s field of study.
      7. Plan of study and research in China (see Appendix 3)
      Applicants for bachelor’s degree programs are required to submit a Plan of Study and Research in China, including a self-introduction, academic background, hobbies and interests, learning objectives, reasons for applying, and career plans after graduation.
      Applicants for master’s degree programs are required to submit a Plan of Study and Research in China, with a main text of approximately 3,000 words, and including, but not limited to, the applicant’s academic and professional background, research achievements, research plan of the master’s stage of study, and post-graduation career plans.
      Applicants for doctoral degree programs are required to submit a Plan of Study and Research in China, with a main text of approximately 6,000 words, and including, but not limited to, the applicant’s academic and professional background, research achievements, doctoral research plan, and post-graduation career plans. The study plan submitted by applicants for doctoral degree must be signed and approved by their prospective Chinese advisor, and must be written either in Chinese or in English only.
      8. Physical examination report and test results (see Appendix 4)
      Applicants must submit the Foreigner Physical Examination Form along with scanned copies of the original reports for a chest X-ray, electrocardiogram (ECG), and laboratory tests for specified items. All documents must bear the official seal of the hospital and must be issued within the past six months.
      Applicants currently residing in the Chinese mainland who hold a valid Foreigner Residence Permit or Permanent Residence ID Card for Foreigners may submit either of these documents in place of the Foreigner Physical Examination Form.
      9. Certificate of Non-Criminal Record
      Applicants must submit a valid Certificate of No Criminal Record issued by the local public security authority, generally dated within six months prior to the application submission date.
      10.Supplementary supporting documents
      Applicants may submit certificates of awards or documents verifying relevant experience to support their application.
      Note: All application materials must be original documents in Chinese or English. For documents in other languages, a notarized Chinese or English translation must be provided.

VIII. Supervision
      1. Responsibility for Submitted Materials: Applicants are responsible for the authenticity of all materials they submit. In accordance with Chinese national regulations and SYSU’s rules, any applicant found to have submitted falsified materials will have their admission, enrollment, and student status revoked, and the matter will be reported to the relevant authorities.
      2. Registration: Admitted students must complete registration on the date and at the location specified in the Admission Letter. Early registration is not permitted. Failure to register on time without prior approval will be considered a withdrawal of admission, and scholarship recipients will also lose their scholarship eligibility.
      3. Post-Admission Physical Examination and Eligibility Review: SYSU will conduct a physical examination and review of admission eligibility for all enrolled students in accordance with regulations and requirements of the Ministry of Education of China. Students who fail to meet the admission requirements or are found to have submitted falsified materials will have their admission and enrollment revoked, and scholarship recipients will also lose their scholarship eligibility.
 

IX. Contact Information
      1. Study in China Recruitment Divisions for International Students, Chinese Scholarship Council
      Asia:
      Tele：0086-10-66093584
      Email：asia-admission@csc.edu.cn
      Africa:
      Tele: 0086-10-66093928
      Email: africa-admission@csc.edu.cn
      Europe:
      Tele: 0086-10-66093921
      Email: europe-admission@csc.edu.cn
      Americas and Oceania:
      Tele: 0086-10-66093578
      Email: americas-admission@csc.edu.cn
      oceania-admission@csc.edu.cn
      Website: studyinchina.csc.edu.cn或www.campuschina.org
      Address: 13th Floor, Building A3, No. 9 Chegongzhuang Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, China
      Zip-code: 100044
      2. Office of International Students’ Affairs, Sun Yat-sen University 
      Office Website: http://iso.sysu.edu.cn
      Online Application Website: 
      https://apply.sysu.edu.cn/login
      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