Enrollment Guidelines for the 2022 Ph.D. 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.

In accordance with the relevant documents stipulated by the Ministry of Education and other relevant departments, as well as the actual conditions of SYSU, this guide is formulated as follows.

Ⅰ. Eligibility

1. Applicants should be non-Chinese citizens with valid foreign passports.

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

3. Applicants for doctoral programs must hold a master's degree equivalent to that of Chinese universities.

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. Applicants should hold an HSK (level V) certificate (with 180 points or above). Those who have completed their last degree with Chinese as the language of instruction should submit certificates of Chinese language proficiency issued by their former university and can be exempted from providing HSK certificates after SYSU' s verification.

6. Scholarship applicants should meet the age requirements.

Ⅱ. Application Deadline

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

Ⅲ. Application Procedures

Applicants should go to 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 a project: 2022 International Students (Ph.D. Degree) , fill in the information accurately and completely as required, and upload the following supporting documents:

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. If the applicant was a Chinese citizen and later acquired foreign citizenship, he/she must also provide a certificate of cancellation of household registration, a certificate of giving up Chinese citizenship, or an official document certifying that he/she has no Chinese citizenship issued by the Chinese diplomatic representation and consular authorities)

2. Certificates of master's degree and bachelor's degree (Fresh graduates can first provide a pre-graduation certificate from their current school. Applicants who graduated from institutions outside of the Chinese mainland must hold a bachelor's degree and master's degree from an institution recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Education)

3. Complete transcripts of undergraduate and graduate studies

4. Language proficiency certificate (Applicants should submit a certificate of Chinese language proficiency (HSK) within two years of validity or "Certificate of Chinese-Taught" of the previous degree.)

5. Two Letters of recommendation signed by professors or associate professors in Chinese or English（with their signatures, title information, and contact information of the recommenders）.

6. Plan of study and research in China (including relevant major or research background/reasons for applying for the project/Postgraduate study and research plan/Career goal after graduation, etc.)

7. 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)

8. Physical examination and blood test results (see attachment 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)

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

10. Scholarship application form (Applicants should fill in the scholarship application form as required, sign, scan and upload)

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

12. Commitment letter (see attachment 2 for the template. Applicants should make the commitment that the application information is true, legal and valid. (Please print and sign before uploading)

13. Personal Information Form (automatically generated by the International Student Management System, and 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

1. Please refer to the divisions and majors for International Students (Ph.D.  Degree) in 2022 (see attachment 3) and follow the application guidance to check the list of majors for scholarship programs.

2. For specific information on different majors and subjects, please refer to the website (https://www.sysu.edu.cn/cn/jgsz/yx) . The list of Divisions of International Students (Ph.D.  Degree) 2022 SYSU is attached (see attachment 4). 

V. Selection Procedure

1. Qualification Review

SYSU will review the applicants' foreign status, highest degree, academic performance, Chinese language proficiency, recommendations, and study and research plans to determine the assessment list.

2. Assessment

Assessment will be organized by admission teams in one of the following ways: (1) an interview, (2) an interview plus a written test. The Admission team will notify those who have passed the qualification review of the specific assessment method, location and time.

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 the 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 July to the address 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)

2. Comprehensive insurance for international students (including Accidental Injury Medical Treatment Insurance, Loss of Life Insurance and Hospitalization Medical Insurance): RMB 800/person/academic year.

VII. Scholarship

For details of the scholarship program, 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 -Bilateral Program (Full or Partial Scholarship)

Applicants who meet 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 (Please visit http://studyinchina.csc.edu.cn/#/login, Program Category: Type A). The application period is generally from January to early April each year, with different deadlines set for different countries. For details, please refer to the SYSU 2022 Chinese Government Scholarship-Bilateral Program Application Guidelines.

2. Chinese Government Scholarship-Sino-US Cultural Exchange Program (Full Scholarship)

Applicants who are U.S. citizens (Please visit http://studyinchina.csc.edu.cn/#/login, Program Category: Type B, and the agency No. of Sun Yat-sen University is 10558) can apply directly to the SYSU Office of International Students' Affairs.

3. Chinese Government Scholarship-Chinese University Program (Full Scholarship)

SYSU is an enrolling institution for Chinese government scholarships, and is open to scholarship students (Ph.D. degree) (Please visit http://studyinchina.csc.edu.cn/#/login, Program Category: Type B, and the agency No. of Sun Yat-sen University is 10558) in the program worldwide. Applicants can apply directly to the Office of Foreign Students’ Affairs. SYSU will organize an expert evaluation team to review the application documents before submiting them to the China Scholarship Council, and the admission results are subject to the review and determination of the China Scholarship Council.

4. "China Studies Program (CSP)" Ph.D. Fellowships (Full Scholarship)

The China Studies Program, set up by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation of the MOE, mainly subsidizes the cultivation of doctoral students in the fields of humanities and social sciences in China (Please visit http://csp.chinese.cn/). SYSU is the enrolling institution for the China Studies Program, which is open to Ph.D. students worldwide. Application period: December 2021 to February 28th, 2022.

5. Guangdong Government Outstanding International Student Scholarship (Partial Scholarship)

Non-government scholarship freshmen who are admitted and enrolled in the university can apply for the Guangdong Government Outstanding International Student Scholarship, and the scholarship for outstanding international students can be granted for the first academic year. The scholarship for doctoral students will be granted in a lump sum of CNY 30,000 per person. In the rest of the academic year, students can continue to apply for the scholarship according to the relevant regulations and study conditions.

VIII. Regulations about Accommodation and Insurance

1. Due to the limited number of student dormitories on campus, self-funded students should handle accommodation by themselves.

2. Chinese Government Scholarship recipients will be provided on-campus accommodation according to relevant regulations.

3. 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 will 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. 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 cancelled 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 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 (Ph.D. 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 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