Introductory information

Applications are now open for the Chinese Government Scholarship Bilateral Program for international students for A.Y. 2025.  The bilateral Program is a full or partial scholarship initiated by the Chinese Ministry of Education according to the educational exchange agreements between the Chinese government and the government of other nations, international organizations, and universities.

The bilateral program supports four recipient categories such as undergraduate students, postgraduate students, general scholars, and senior scholars who can study at Chinese Zhejiang University with the bilateral program’s support. Therefore, applicants can consult the dispatching agencies of their own countries for the available programs at ZJU.

Scholarship details

Application period: Apply between early November to early April next year.

Study level: Bachelor, Master, Doctoral, General and Senior Scholars

Duration (years): the scholarship covers both major study and preparatory language courses.

• Bachelor: 4-7 years;
• Master: 2-5 years;
• PhD: 3-6 years;
• General scholars: up to 2, and Senior scholars: up to 2 years

Teaching languages:

Undergraduate level: Chinese

Graduate and non-degree courses: Either English or Chinese (if applicable)

Scholarship benefits

The Bilateral Program is Type A in the Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) covering:

• Tuition fees;
• Free accommodation on campus;
• Monthly stipend according to standards in place);
• Broad medical insurance;
• International travel costs: self-financed;

Fields of study:

The Bilateral Program covers undergraduate and postgraduate programs, including one-semester program and a one-year Chinese language program.

Eligibility criteria

Applicants should meet the following criteria to be eligible.

• Must be a citizen of a foreign country and be in good health condition.
• Should be a high school graduate below the age of 25 when applying for the undergraduate programs;
• Hold a bachelor’s degree below the age of 35 when applying for the master’s programs;
• Have a master’s degree holder under the age of 40 while applying for the Ph.D. programs;
• Be under the age of 45 and have a high school diploma (or higher to apply for the general scholar programs;
• Hold a master’s degree or an associate professor (or above) below 50 when applying for the senior scholar programs.
• Each applicant can only apply for one scholarship.

Application procedure

1. First, apply through your country’s dispatching authorities for a Chinese Government Scholarship (CGS) opportunity.

2. If selected, apply for a Pre-admission Letter from Dalian University of Technology (you’ll get a CGS Candidate Award Letter).

3. Fill out the CGS Scholarship Application Form online at the CGS Information Management System for International Students portal (use the “Application Online” section), print a copy, and consult your dispatching authorities for any guidance and the Agency Number needed.

4. Make sure to submit all required documents to your country’s dispatching authorities by the deadline.

Important Note

Only those nominated by their country’s dispatching authorities will be considered. Applicants with a Pre-admission Letter will be assigned to their chosen university, while those without one will be placed by the CSC at an appropriate university.

Apply online

. Applicants who need pre-admission letters MUST first obtain Form for Provisional Acceptance of International Student by ZJU supervisor, log on to the online Application & Admission System and send the paper version of the online application form respectively to:

master’s degree programs: admissionmaster@zju.edu.cn

doctoral degree programs: admissionphd@zju.edu.cn

Undergraduate programs and language programs applicants for (general & senior scholars) do NOT need to provide ZJU the above form.

NOTE: Only candidates whose applications have been recommended by the dispatching authorities will be evaluated. Candidates holding a Pre-admission Letter will be introduced to the host university; candidates without the Pre-admission Letter should agree with CSC’s university decision placement.

Required documents

1. Application Form for CGS (in Chinese or English).
2. Official highest diploma (copy) showing your current status or expected graduation date. Documents not in English or Chinese should include Chinese or English translation.
3. Academic degree transcripts
4. Study plan or a research proposal. The word limits: at least 200 words for undergraduate, 500 words for non-degree, and 800 words for graduate students).
5. Master’s program applicants or senior scholars must submit two letters of recommendation in Chinese or English signed by their university professor.
6. A CD of applicants’ own work (only for art students).
7. Photocopy of Foreigner Physical Examination Form, written in English, found here. The Physical examinations must have all the items mentioned in the Form. It is only required for those who intend to reside in China for over 6 months.
8. Copy of Pre-admission Letter from a chosen Chinese university if available.
9. Copy of HSK certificate (if available).

Note: All documents need to be combined on the top left corner in the sequence of 1 to 10. TWO sets of bound documents need to be submitted by you.

Scholarship verification and university placement

Different factors, for example, the different scholarship funding requirements of every country, the host university’s teaching capacity, study length, and candidates’ criteria inferred from their documents, all play a role in the evaluation process.

Notification of results

CSC reviews the placement results, verifies the final list of scholarship recipients, and sends the application documents to the Chinese embassy or consulate before 31 July 2025. Then, the Chinese embassy or consulate forwards the application documents to the involved authorities or scholarship recipients.

For further details of the scholarship, you may go through the Chinese Government Scholarship-Bilateral Program.