Enrollment Guide for International Students in 2024 (Doctoral Degree), Sun Yat-sen University

　　Founded by Dr. Sun Yat-sen, a 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 of the Chinese-taught programs should hold an HSK (level V) certificate (with 180 points or above).

　　Those who have taken courses with Chinese as the instruction language can provide proof issued by their former university for verification. After the verification, the applicants can be exempted from providing HSK certificates.

　　6. Scholarship applicants should meet the age requirements.

　　II. Application Deadline

　　The First Round of Application: February 15, 2024

　　The Second Round of Application: April 30, 2024

　　Please refer to the scholarship application guides at the website of International Students' Affairs of SYSU (http://iso.sysu.edu.cn/) for the deadline of scholarships application.

　　III. Application Procedure

　　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 to the International Student Management System.

　　Applicants should then select a project, fill in the information accurately and completely as required, and upload the following supporting documents:

　　1. The first page of a valid ordinary passport and a personal profile photo

　　The passport should not expire before December 1, 2023. Please renew the passport if needed. Applicants who are staying in China at the time of application should provide a scanned copy of their passport pages with the Chinese visa or residence permit page, and entry seal. Those who have acquired foreign nationality and were once residents of the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Macau Special Administrative Region and Taiwan Region must submit a certificate of cancellation of household registration or a certificate of withdrawal of Chinese nationality, or submit an official document issued by the Chinese diplomatic representation and consular authorities certifying that they do not hold Chinese nationality.

　　2. Diploma, certificates and verification reports of master's degree and bachelor's degree

　　Applicants who have graduated from universities in Chinese mainland should submit the Record of Electronic Registration of Academic Certificates of the Ministry of Education and Online Verification Report of Chinese Higher Education Degree for Master's and Bachelor's degrees from the website of Chinese Higher Education Student Information (https://www.chsi.com.cn).

　　Applicants who have graduated from universities outside the Chinese mainland should submit Verification of Foreign Academic Degrees of master's and bachelor's degrees from the website of the Chinese Service Center (https://www.cscse.edu.cn) for Scholarly Exchanges. Fresh graduates can submit a pre-graduation certificate issued by their institution.

　　Applicants who do not submit their certificate of master's degree will have their admission canceled.

　　3. Complete transcripts of undergraduate and graduate studies

　　Transcripts should be issued and stamped by the academic affair department or relevant student administration department of the applicants' university and they should include the transcripts of their master's degree and bachelor's degree. Applicants who are in the last year of their graduate program can submit their latest transcript issued by their university during the application process and resubmit a complete transcript when they receive one. Those who do not submit a complete transcript of undergraduate and graduate studies before coming to SYSU will have their admission canceled.

　　4. Chinese language proficiency certificate

　　Applicants should submit a valid certificate of Chinese language proficiency (HSK) or any proof of having taken courses with Chinese as the instruction language.

　　5. Two letters of recommendation

　　The letters of recommendation should be provided with the signature by professors or associate professors (see Attachment 1 for template).

　　6. Plan of study and research in China

　　The plan should be over 1000 words, including relevant major or research background/reasons for applying for the project/postgraduate study and research plan/career goal after graduation. (see Attachment 2 for the template)

　　7. Proof of financial status

　　The applicant should submit proof of deposit balance issued by a bank, amounting to RMB 100,000 or more. If the bank account is not owned by the applicant, proof of relationship with the financial guarantor (for example, birth certificate, household registration booklet, and notarized documents) must be submitted at the same time.

　　8. Physical examination and blood test results

　　The physical examination results should be stamped by the hospital and issued within six months prior to the date of submission (see Attachment 3 for template). Those who are living in the Chinese mainland with a valid foreign residency permit or permanent foreign permanent resident ID card can use the permit or the ID card as a document to replace Foreigner Physical Examination Form.

　　9. Certificate of Non-Criminal Record

　　The applicant should submit a valid non-criminal record issued by local authorities; the document should be issued within six months before the date of application submission.

　　10. Scholarship application form

　　Applicants should fill in the scholarship application form as required, and sign on the last page of the form. Applicants can find details of the scholarship application guide on the website (http://iso.sysu.edu.cn) of the Office of International Students' Affairs of Sun Yat-sen University.

　　11. Supporting documents

　　Applicants can submit award certificates or proof of experience.

　　12. Commitment letter

　　The application information should be true, legal and valid. Please print and sign the document before uploading it to the system. (see Attachment 4 for the template.)

　　13. Personal Information Form

　　The Personal Information Form is automatically generated by the International Student Management System and should be uploaded back to the system after printing and signing.

　　Note: All application documents should be in either Chinese or English. In case the documents are in another language, their notarized translation in Chinese or English must be attached to the original documents. Please ensure the accuracy when filling the applicant's email address, WeChat number, and contact phone number within the system, as notification regarding supplementary documents will be sent via email (emails will be sent via admissions@mail.sysu.edu.cn). Failure to submit required supplementary documents on time, providing notarized certificates that do not meet the specified criteria, or providing inaccurate information will result in unsuccessful applications and all the expenses are to be borne by the applicants.

　　IV. Majors for International Students and Enrollment Schools/Departments

　　1. Please refer to Attachment 5 for the Catalog of Majors for International Students (Doctor's Degree) at SYSU in 2023 and follow the application guidance on the website of the Office of International Students' Affairs (http://iso.sysu.edu.cn) to check the list of majors for scholarship programs.

　　2. Please refer to the link (https://www.sysu.edu.cn/yxsz.htm) for information on departments of SYSU, and refer to Attachment 6 for contact information of SYSU departments that enroll international students (Doctor's Degree).

　　V. Selection Procedures

　　1. Qualification Review

　　SYSU will review the applicant's foreign status, highest academic qualification, academic performance, Chinese language proficiency, recommendations, and study plan to determine the assessment list.

　　2. Assessment

　　Assessment will be organized by admission teams of each school/department in one of the following methods: (1) Interview; (2) Interview and written examination. The admission team of each school/department 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 assessments. Outstanding new students will be recommended to apply for scholarships, and the list of scholarship recipients will be announced by the scholarship management administration.

　　(2) Pre-admission results will be available on our application website. The electronic Admission Letter and the Confirmation Form for Study in China will be sent via email (emails will be sent via admissions@mail.sysu.edu.cn). Please ensure that the provided email address is accurate and functional.

　　(3) Admitted applicants must apply for an X1 visa at the Chinese embassy or consulate with the electronic Admission Letter and the Confirmation Form for Study in China. X1 visa holders must complete residential procedures at local public security departments within 30 days of entering China. Failure to comply may result in cancellation of admission. SYSU will not accept the registration of students without a valid student visa, and expired visas or residence permits are not permitted to stay or engage in activities on campus.

　　VI. Fees (Unit: RMB Yuan)

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