Enrollment Guidelines for the 2022 Undergraduate Program of International Students, Sun Yat-sen University

Founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the famous Chinese revolutionist, Sun Yat-sen University (SYSU) has an educational tradition spanning over 100 years. As a university directly affiliated with the Ministry of Education of China and with the strong support of the Ministry of Education of China and Guangdong Province, SYSU has become a first-class modern comprehensive university, renowned both in China and in the world. Composed of five campuses located in the three cities of Guangzhou, Zhuhai and Shenzhen, and ten affiliated hospitals, SYSU is marching towards a world-class university and striving to become a global academic center.

SYSU encourages students to "study at SYSU and pursue excellence". SYSU implements management and provides services for international students similar to those for Chinese students, including regular national conditions education lectures, visits, social practice activities, and exchange activities for international students in Guangdong to develop outstanding international talents with integrated knowledge.

I. Eligibility

1. Applicants should be non-Chinese with a valid foreign passport, and meet the requirements stipulated in the Notice on the Regulations of Chinese Universities' Acceptance of International Students ([2020] No.12):

A person whose parents are both Chinese nationals and have both settled abroad, or one of whose parents is a Chinese national and has settled abroad, and who has acquired foreign nationality at birth, shall not have Chinese nationality. Those who apply as international students should have had a valid foreign passport or proof of nationality document for at least four years and had a record of actual residence in a foreign country for at least two years from April 30th, 2018, to April 30th, 2022. Actual residence in a foreign country for nine months out of a year can be counted as one year, based on entry and exit stamps.

Residents of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan who apply as international students after immigrating and acquiring foreign nationality must have had acquired foreign nationality before April 30, 2018 and had a record of actual residence in a foreign country for at least two years from April 30th, 2018, to April 30th, 2022. Actual residence in a foreign country for nine months out of a year may be counted as one year, based on entry and exit stamps.

2. Applicants should be in good health and meet the physical standards required for applying for a student visa or residence permit.

3. Applicants should be high school graduates or above.

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

Applicants should hold an HSK (Level Ⅴ) certificate (with 180 points or above). Those who apply for a bachelor's degree in Chinese Language should obtain an HSK (Level Ⅳ) certificate (with 180 points or above). Applicants who have completed their last degree with Chinese as the language of instruction should submit certificates of Chinese language proficiency issued by their former school and can be exempted from providing HSK certificates after SYSU's verification.

6. Applicants under the age of 18 before September 1, 2022 must provide a guardian's guarantee. Applicants for scholarship programs should meet the age requirements of each program.

II.  Application Deadline

April 30th, 2022 (Please refer to the scholarship application guides for the time of scholarships application)

III. Application Procedure

Applicants should visit the website of the Office of International Students' Affairs of Sun Yat-sen University (http://iso.sysu.edu.cn), click "APPLICATION", register and log in. Applicants should then select the project name –  "2022 International Students (Bechelor's Degree) ", and upload the following application documents accurately and completely as required:

1. Valid ordinary passport (Applicants staying in China at the time of application should provide the scanned copy of passport pages with the Chinese visa or residence permit page, and entry seal.)

2. High school graduation certificate (Applicants in their last year of high school should submit a pre-graduation certificate provided by their schools.)

3. Proof of financial status (proof of deposit balance issued by a bank, amounting to RMB 100,000 or more. (If the proof is not for the applicant's bank account, proof of relationship with the financial guarantor must be submitted at the same time)

4. Recommendation letters, issued respectively by the headmaster and a teacher of the applicant's high school, with their signatures, title information, and contact information of the recommenders. Applicants for the Belt and Road Scholarship should also provide a recommendation letter issued by a designated institution in their own country.

5. Standardized test transcripts and complete transcripts from the highest level of education (standardized test transcripts include unified high school graduation test transcripts, college entrance exam transcripts, high school transcripts of international standardized tests such as SAT/ ACT/ A-Level/ IB, etc.)

6. Chinese language proficiency certificate (valid HSK certificate issued no more than two years ago or proof of Chinese language instruction in the previous degree)

7. Physical examination and blood test results (see Annex 1 for templates. The results should be in English or Chinese, stamped with the hospital's official seal and issued no more than six months ago: From Nov 1st, 2021 to Apr 30th, 2022). 

8. Personal statement, including a self-introduction, learning experience, interests and hobbies, learning purposes, career plans after graduation, and so on.

9. Documents certifying the nationality of the applicant and his/her parents

9.1 Those who were originally Chinese citizens before acquiring foreign citizenship must submit (1) proof of cancellation of Chinese nationality or household registration; (2) proof of acquiring foreign citizenship; (3) entry and exit records from April 30th, 2018, to April 30th, 2022.

9.2 Applicants who acquired foreign citizenship at birth in a foreign country, whose both parents or one of them is a Chinese citizen, need to provide (1) proof of acquisition of foreign citizenship by birth; (2) proof of permanent residence of the parent(s) with Chinese citizenship in the foreign country before the applicant's birth. (3) Entry and exit records from April 30, 2018, to April 30, 2022.

10. Certificate of Non-Criminal Record (please consult local relevant authorities for issuing a stamped version of official and valid documents)

11. Guardianship guarantee and notarized certificate (Required for the applicants under 18 by September 1st, 2022. The guardian must be an adult residing in Guangdong province of China.)

12. Scholarship application form (high school transcripts with good grades or above in all courses are required. Applicants should fill in the scholarship application form, print, sign, and re-upload)

13. Supporting documents (award certificates or proof of experience)

14. Commitment letter (see Annex 2 for the template. Applicants should pledge that the application information is true, legal and valid. Please print and sign before uploading)

15. Personal Information Form (automatically generated by the International Student Management System and should be uploaded after printing and signing)

Note: Application documents must be the original ones in Chinese or English. If the documents are in other languages, the original documents and 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 by admissions@mail.sysu.edu.cn). Applicants are responsible for unsuccessful applications caused by failure to submit supplementary documents in time, notarized certificates not meeting the requirements or incorrect contact information.

IV. Majors and Divisions for International Students and Degree Awarding

1. Please refer to Table 1 for the divisions and majors for International Students (Bachelor's Degree) in 2022. When there are any changes in the names of divisions or fields of disciplines, please refer to the website of SYSU Office of International Students' Affairs (http://iso.sysu.edu.cn) for the updates. The first-year education will be based on different disciplines. Students who choose to be enrolled in different specific majors in a discipline will have to participate in a major selection interview or test organized by the school or department before they can finally be enrolled in the major.

Table 1  2022 SYSU List of Majors for Undergraduate International Students

Note: The column of major requirements * indicates that this major has higher requirements for mathematics.

2. Please visit https://www.sysu.edu.cn/cn/jgsz/yx for further information about divisions for international students.

3. Admitted students, with the formal student status of SYSU, who have completed the courses and received the required credits within the prescribed period of study and met the requirements for graduation, shall be granted a graduation certificate of SYSU. Those who have met the requirements for degree-awarding should be awarded the bachelor's degree of SYSU and granted the degree certificate.

V. Selection Procedures

1. Qualification Review

SYSU will review the applicant' foreign status, highest academic qualifications, recommendations, academic performance, Chinese language proficiency and other supporting documents to determine the assessment list. 

2. Interview

SYSU will issue a notice of assessment after the application deadline, and those who have passed the qualification examination must attend an interview as required in the notice. Please refer to the email notification for the interview arrangement.

3. Admission

(1) SYSU will select applicants based on their qualifications and interview assessment results. Outstanding new students will be recommended for applications for scholarships, and the list of scholarship winners will be announced by the scholarship administration.

(2) Pre-admission results will be published on our application website. The electronic Admission Letter and the Foreign Student Visa Application Form will be sent via email. Depending on the actual situation, paper copies of the Acceptance Letter and Visa Application Form for Foreign Students are expected to be sent out in August to the address the applicants have filled out in the online application system. Please make sure the address is valid.

(3) Admitted applicants should apply for 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 formalities 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.

VI. Fees (Unit: RMB Yuan)

1. Tuition Fee (RMB/person/academic year) and Registration Fee (including necessary admission assessment fees)

Table 2  2022 SYSU List of Undergraduate Fees for International Students

VII. Scholarship

The following scholarships will be offered to outstanding undergraduate international students. For details of the following scholarship programs, please visit the "Scholarship Programs" section of the website of the SYSU Office of International Students' Affairs (http://iso.sysu.edu.cn).

1. Chinese Government Scholarship

Applicants who have met the application requirements can apply directly to the dispatching department of their home country, the Education Office of the Chinese Embassy or Consulate General in the host country or the SYSU Office of International Students' Affairs, Admissions Office of Education administration, according to the program type. Application methods and deadlines vary by program, so please check in advance.

2. SYSU "Belt and Road" Scholarship

Set up by SYSU in 2017, the scholarship focuses on sponsoring outstanding high school graduates from ASEAN countries to study for a bachelor's degree in SYSU. Applicants who contact the recommending organization in their home country for consultation must meet the recommendation criteria set by SYSU in their home country and get the official recommendation from the institution designated by their home country.

3. Guangdong Government Outstanding International Student Scholarship

Non-government scholarship freshmen admitted and enrolled in the university can apply for the Guangdong Government Outstanding International Student Scholarship. The scholarship for outstanding international students can be granted for the first academic year. The scholarship for undergraduate students will be granted in a lump sum of RMB 10,000 per person. For the rest of the academic year, students can continue to apply for the scholarship according to the relevant regulations and study conditions.

VIII. Regulations on Accommodation and Insurance

1. Due to the limited number of student dormitories on campus, self-funded students should handle accommodation by themselves. According to relevant regulations, Chinese Government Scholarship and SYSU "Belt and Road" Scholarship recipients will be provided on-campus accommodation.

2. SYSU implements an insurance system covering all international students. International students must insure themselves in accordance with relevant regulations of China and SYSU. If the student does not insure themselves as required, he or she must purchase insurance within a fixed period of time. Students who have no insurance after the time limit has expired will not be allowed to register or be forced to drop out if they have already begun studying at SYSU.

IX. Supervision

1. Admitted students must complete registration procedures according to the registration date and location required in the Admission Letter. It is 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 cancelled by SYSU. After verification, relevant administrative departments will be informed of the facts of the applicants' fabrication.

3. In accordance with 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 provided fabricated materials will be disqualified from admissions or student status. Scholarship recipients will be disqualified.

4. The SYSU Office of International Students' Affairs, Admissions Office of Education administration, performs the supervisory duties of the admissions. The Discipline Inspection and Supervision Department performs the specific supervisory duties.

X. Supplementary Provisions

1. This guide is applicable to the enrollment work for 2022 International Students (Bachelor's Degree) of SYSU, and shall be implemented as of the date of publication.

2. This guide will be explained by SYSU Office of International Students' Affairs, Admissions Office, Admissions Office of Education administration, authorized by SYSU Undergraduate Admission Leading Group.

3. If the policies of the Ministry of Education and relevant departments are adjusted, the new regulations shall be implemented accordingly.

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

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

Email：admissions@mail.sysu.edu.cn

Enquiry Tel: 0086（20）84110819

Supervision Department Tel: 0086（20）84115582

Fax: 0086（20）84115621

Address: Office of International Students' Affairs, Admissions Office of Education administration, Sun Yat-sen University, 135 Xingangxi Road, Guangzhou, P.R.China

Zip code: 510275