The Government of the People’s Republic of China and UNESCO are offering seventy-five (75) fellowships in various fields of study at undergraduate and postgraduate levels during the academic year 2025-2026.

Among these fellowships, forty-seven (47) vacancies will be open for new recruitment to candidates from 135 developing Member States in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, and the Arab region. These fellowships are tenable at a selected number of Chinese universities.

These fellowships are intended for students and researchers who plan to pursue degree study at the postgraduate level or undertake individual research with periodic guidance from assigned supervisors in China. The purpose of this fellowship is to strengthen international understanding and friendship among nations and the people of China by enhancing human resource capacity in developing countries.

The programme information and application guidelines are available on the UNESCO/China Co-Sponsored Fellowships Programme dedicated webpage at this link.

Degree level

  • A one-year Visiting Scholar Programme (as General or Senior scholar).

  • A Master’s degree programme.

  • A Doctoral degree programme.

Duration, Place of Fellowship Study, and Language of Instruction

The duration of study ranges from 2 to 5 years at a selected number of Chinese universities. The study programmes will be taught in English or Chinese. Candidates applying for Chinese-taught programmes should have acquired a certain level of Chinese proficiency before undertaking research or studying in their fields of interest.

Deadlines

NB: Applicants are requested to acknowledge the timeframes set herein to allow the Secretariat sufficient time to assist/review their applications prior to submission to UNESCO Headquarters.

  • New Closing date for submission @ the National Commission: 12 February 2025

  • Closing date for submission @ UNESCO HQ: 21 February 2025

Who can apply?

Candidates must be the nationals of the 135 invited Member States, including South Africa, fulfilling the following requirements:

Eligibility requirements 

Type of Study 
Programme		 Age Limit Required Educational 
Qualifications 		 Language Requirements 
General Visiting 
Scholar		 Under the age of 
45		 Holding at least a senior 
secondary education diploma		 English proficiency required. Chinese-taught applicants must have HSK Level 3.
Senior Visiting 
Scholar		 Under the age of 
50		 Holding a master’s degree, or 
an associate professor position 
(or above) 		 English proficiency required. Chinese-taught applicants must have HSK Level 3.
Master’s 
Programme		 Under the age of 
35		 Holding a bachelor’s degree English proficiency required. Chinese-taught applicants must have HSK Level 4.
Doctoral 
Programme		 Under the age of 
40		 Holding a master’s degree English proficiency required. Chinese-taught applicants must have HSK Level 4.

Additional Requirements:

  • Be in good health, both mentally and physically.
  • Meeting the specific admission requirements of the applied Chinese universities, including academic ability, language proficiency, and other relevant criteria.

Fields of Study

Please visit the official webpage of China Scholarship Council (CSC) for the available fields of studies at selected Chinese universities: http://www.campuschina.org/universities/index.html. 

What the Fellowship offers

The Government of the People’s Republic of China offers:

  • Tuition waiver for the academic programme;
  • Monthly living allowance to cover meals and other living expenses:
    • General visiting scholars or Master’s degree students: CNY 3 000 (three thousand Chinese yuan);
    • Senior visiting scholars or Doctoral degree students: CNY 3 500 (three thousand five hundred Chinese yuan); 
  • On-campus accommodation or accommodation subsidy; and
  •  Comprehensive Medical Insurance and Protection Scheme for International Students in China.

UNESCO offers:

  • International travel to and from China at the beginning and end of the fellowship;

  • Monthly pocket allowance of US$ 80 (eighty US dollars); and

  • Termination allowance to cover excess luggage charges at the time of return to the home country.

Note: No allowance will be granted by UNESCO or the Government of China for financing or lodging any spouse or dependent of the fellows. 

Application process                 

Before starting your application, ensure that you meet the eligibility criteria and that your intended project/field of research is offered by consulting the list of invited Member States and fields of study (list of fields of research/projects open to different invited region).

Step 1:
Read the Application Guidelines to understand eligibility criteria and application procedures.

Step 2:
Contact the South African National Commission for UNESCO at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. to enquire about the application procedures at the national level. 

Step 3:

Submit your online application, along with the required supporting documents, in the Chinese Government Scholarship Information System (http://www.campuschina.org) as mentioned in the Application Guidelines.

Step 4:

Submit your online application form and supporting documents to the South African National Commission for UNESCO via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with a request for endorsement.

Step 5:

As soon as you are informed by the South African National Commission for UNESCO that you are nominated as a candidate for this programme, you should communicate your the online application form and the supporting documents to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Step 6:

Letters of nomination, along with the copies of the online Application Forms and all the application documents should be submitted to UNESCO by National Commissions by 12 February 2025 at the latest. Candidates who submit incomplete applications, or submit the online applications beyond this deadline won't be considered.

Please note the following,

The online application form pertaining to the UNESCO/China (the Great Wall) Programme, is located on the following link: http://www.campuschina.org;   

Once in the website, candidate/s must opt for English as the language of communication to further complete the application form.

The following must be noted:

  • Only two candidates per Member State may be endorsed/nominated by the State’s National Commission.  
  • Application forms and supporting documents must be submitted through the South African National Commission for UNESCO.

Contact

For further information and submissions to the South African National Commission, please contact Ms. Reabetswe Mafale. She can be reached by telephone at (012) 357 3505 or via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. 

Documents and links

Application Guidelines

List of Invited Member States

Instructions for Online Application for UNESCO/China - the Great Wall Co-sponsored Fellowships Programme

Foreigner Physical Examination Form

UNESCO Certificate of Language Knowledge

Note

Please note that this opportunity is not offered by the Department of Higher Education and Training. Applicants are required to undertake their own research into programmes and institutions and are responsible for ensuring that the qualifications will be recognised in South Africa by contacting the South African Qualifications Authority and the relevant professional bodies. If there are any discrepancies in the details provided, the information given by the sponsor supersedes the details provided above. No additional financial support will be provided by the Department of Higher Education and Training.

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