Applications are currently being received for the UNESCO CSC Great Wall Scholarship for international students. The Great Wall Program has been established by the Chinese Ministry of Education (MOE) for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to sponsor students and scholars in developing countries to study and conduct research in China. The scholarship aims to promote human resource development and capacity building of developing countries and to enhance international exchanges in the fields of education, culture, communication, science and technology and the friendship among peoples of the world.

For the 2026-2027 academic year, the Chinese Government has placed at the disposal of UNESCO, under its co-sponsorship with UNESCO, seventy-five (75) fellowships for advanced studies at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. These fellowships are open to candidates from 135 developing Member States in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe and the Arab region. These fellowships are open for students and scholars who plan to pursue advanced studies or undertake individual research with periodic guidance from the assigned supervisors in China for a duration of one year. The study programmes will be taught in English or Chinese, subject to the available fields of study at the selected universities.

Candidates applying for the Chinese-taught programmes should have acquired a certain level of Chinese proficiency before taking up research or studying in their fields of interest. Selected candidates will undertake their studies at the host universities as visiting scholars, either at general or senior level. The beneficiary countries of UNESCO-China Fund-in-Trust (CFIT) Project are encouraged to submit candidates in the relevant fields of study in Education. Female candidates and candidates from Africa and SIDS are strongly encouraged to apply.

UNESCO CSC Great Wall Scholarship Details

• Host Institution(s): Full list of eligible Chinese universities here.
• Field: Available fields at the university.
• Number of awards: seventy-five (75).
• Duration: One year.
• Eligible countries: Please see the full list below.

UNESCO CSC Great Wall Scholarship Benefits

The Great Wall Program is for a duration of one year and provides a full scholarship which covers:

• Tuition waiver,
• On-campus accommodation or accommodation subsidy,
• Monthly stipends
  • General Scholars: CNY 3 000
  • Senior Scholars : CNY 3 500
• Comprehensive Medical Insurance and Protection Scheme for International Students in China.

Facilities Offered by UNESCO:

• one round trip international travel to and from China;
• monthly pocket allowance of US$ 80, and
• a termination allowance to cover excess luggage charges at the time of return to home country.

Eligible Countries for the UNESCO CSC Scholarship

UNESCO CSC Great Wall Scholarship Eligibility

To be eligible for the UNESCO CSC Great Wall Scholarship, applicants must satisfy the following criteria:

• be a citizen of one of the countries listed above, and be in good health
• candidates applying for Master’s Programs must hold a bachelor’s degree and should not be older than the age of 35; and
• candidates applying for Doctoral Programs must hold a Master’s degree and should not be older than the age of forty (40); and
• candidates applying for General Scholar Programs must hold a high school diploma and should not be older than the age of forty-five (45); and
• Those who are applying for Senior Scholar programmes must be a Master’s degree holder or an associate professor (or above) and not older than the age of fifty (50).
• English proficiency is required.
  • For those who apply for Chinese taught General / Senior programs, his/her Chinese proficiency must reach HSK Level 3
  • For those who apply for Chinese taught Master’s or Doctoral Programs, his/her Chinese proficiency must reach HSK Level 4.
• Be in good health, both mentally and physically.
• Meeting the admission requirements of the applied universities in terms of academic ability, language proficiency and other relevant criteria.

How to Apply for the UNESCO CSC Great Wall Scholarship?

Eligible applicants who would like to apply for the UNESCO CSC Great Wall Scholarship must follow the steps below:

Step 1:
Read carefully the Application Guidelines for UNESCO/China Co-Sponsored Fellowships Programme 2026-2027 to understand the requirements for eligible candidates and the procedures for the submission of application.

Step 2:
Contact the National Commission for UNESCO of your country to enquire about the application procedures at national level. Click here for contact information of National Commissions for UNESCO.

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.

Please refer to the Instructions for Online Application for UNESCO/China – the Great Wall Co-sponsored Fellowships Programme, for explicit guidance on online application submission.

Step 4:
Submit your online application form and the supporting documents to the National Commission for UNESCO of your country.

Step 5:
As soon as you are informed by the National Commission for UNESCO of your country that you are nominated as a candidate for this programme, you should communicate your online application form, the serial number of your application and a photocopy of your passport to thegreatwall@unesco.org.

Step 6:
Letters of nomination, copies of the online Application Forms and passports of the nominated candidates should be submitted to UNESCO by National Commissions by Tuesday, 10 February 2026 at the latest. Candidates who submit incomplete applications, or submit online applications beyond this deadline will not be considered.

The deadline for candidates to submit applications to National Commissions is January 23, 2026. For more details on the UNESCO CSC Great Wall Scholarship, please read the FAQ About Chinese Government Scholarship and visit the official page.