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.
A Master’s degree programme.
A Doctoral degree programme.
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.
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
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:
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.
The Government of the People’s Republic of China offers:
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.
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).
Ensure your National Commission submits all application documents to UNESCO by 12 February 2025. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.
Step 1:
Read the Application Guidelines to understand eligibility criteria and application procedures.
Step 2:
Contact the South African National Commission for UNESCO at natcom.za@natcom.unesco.org 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 natcom.za@natcom.unesco.org 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 thegreatwall@unesco.org.
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:
Foreigner Physical Examination Form
UNESCO Certificate of Language Knowledge
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.