Youth of Excellence Scheme of China Program (Chinese Government Scholarship)

1. Program Background

Launched and administered by the China Scholarship Council (CSC), the Youth of Excellence Scheme of China Program is a prestigious Chinese Government Scholarship initiative. The core objective of this program is to cultivate high-caliber professionals for global governance. It targets talents equipped with global vision, well-rounded competencies, excellent leadership potential, and cross-cultural adaptability, aiming to nurture elite talents capable of engaging in international affairs and global collaborative governance.

2. Program Overview

1) Annual Admission Quota: A total of 200 outstanding candidates are recruited each year.

2) Target Candidates: International students pursuing master’s degree studies.

3) Medium of Instruction: All courses are delivered in English to accommodate international participants.

4) Training Mode and Academic Duration: The standard master’s track of this program spans 12 months and qualifies graduates for an official master’s degree. In addition, certain sub-programs adopt a flexible “1+1” dual-phase training model. Under this mechanism, students spend their first academic year at Chinese universities, undertaking full-time foundational coursework and preliminary research to lay the groundwork for their graduation thesis. During the second academic year, candidates return to their home countries for professional employment, where they complete their thesis research by integrating academic theories with practical work experience. Students are required to travel back to China for thesis defense as stipulated by their host universities, and only those who pass the defense will be conferred a master’s degree.

5) Scholarship Benefits: Full Chinese Government Scholarship coverage for the entire study period.

3. Eligibility Criteria

1. Candidates must hold non-Chinese nationality, be aged 45 or below, and maintain sound physical and mental health status.

2. Applicants are required to possess a bachelor’s degree or higher academic qualification, together with a minimum of three years of professional working experience. Priority will be granted to applicants with vocational training backgrounds or work experience relevant to their intended major of study.

3. All applicants must belong to one of the following four professional groups:

① Serving government officials at the division chief level or equivalent administrative rank and above;

② Senior management personnel from public institutions and commercial enterprises;

③ Administrative staff of universities and scientific research institutes;

④ Professionals with formal work or internship experience in international organizations.

4. The pre-admission document issued by the host university must include complete registration-related information, covering the applicant’s personal particulars, official admission date and specific major details. Importantly, the letter must not contain any statements indicating prior receipt or promised awarding of any Chinese Government Scholarship funding.

4. Application Procedures

1) Online Submission

All eligible applicants are required to complete and submit their applications via the official Chinese Government Scholarship Information System. A valid pre-admission offer from an eligible sub-program is a mandatory prerequisite for application submission. During online registration, applicants shall select “Type A” as the scholarship category, fill in the agency code 1563, and choose the “Youth of Excellence Scheme of China” program for application targeting.

2) Application Review Mechanism

This program accepts direct individual applications administered solely by the China Scholarship Council. The CSC team will conduct initial verification of all submitted documents and subsequently organize a professional expert panel to carry out comprehensive evaluation of qualified applications.

5. Evaluation and Admission Arrangement

1. All submitted applications will first go through a rigorous preliminary review conducted by the China Scholarship Council to verify applicant qualifications and document completeness.

2. Applications that pass the initial screening will enter the expert review stage, where a specialized panel will conduct in-depth assessment. The final admission results will be publicly announced upon the completion of expert evaluation.