The Great Wall Co-Sponsored Fellowships Programme is run by UNESCO and the Government of the People’s Republic of China. It places fellows at selected Chinese universities for one-year visiting research or for master’s and doctoral degrees lasting two to five years.
The 2026–2027 programme offered 75 fellowships, including 27 vacancies for new recruits from 135 invited developing Member States. The candidate deadline was 23 January 2026, so this cycle is closed and the annual programme is expected to reopen for a later cycle.
Benefits & funding
- The Chinese Government waives tuition and provides on-campus accommodation or an accommodation subsidy plus comprehensive medical insurance.
- General visiting scholars and master’s students receive CNY 3,000 per month; senior visiting scholars and doctoral students receive CNY 3,500 per month.
- UNESCO provides international travel to and from China, US$80 per month in pocket allowance, and a termination allowance for excess luggage.
- Passport and visa costs, and support or accommodation for spouses or dependants, are not covered.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be nationals of one of 135 invited states. Africa: Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cabo Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Comoros, Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Djibouti, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Eswatini, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, São Tomé and Príncipe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Togo, Uganda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
- Asia and the Pacific: Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, Cook Islands, North Korea, Fiji, India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, Nepal, Niue, Palau, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu and Vietnam. Arab States: Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Palestine, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia and Yemen.
- Latin America and the Caribbean: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Grenada, Guatemala, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Jamaica, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Venezuela. Europe: Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Poland, Serbia and Ukraine.
- General visiting scholars need at least a high-school diploma and must be no older than 45 at enrolment; senior visiting scholars need a master’s degree or an associate-professor position and must be no older than 50.
- Master’s applicants need a bachelor’s degree and must be no older than 35; doctoral applicants need a master’s degree and must be no older than 40.
- English proficiency is required. Applicants to Chinese-taught visiting programmes need HSK Level 3, while applicants to Chinese-taught degree programmes need HSK Level 4.
- Applicants must be in good mental and physical health and meet the chosen university’s admission requirements. Women and candidates from Africa and small island developing states are encouraged, but this is not an eligibility gate.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
Albania · Algeria · Angola · Argentina · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bangladesh · Belarus · Belize · Benin · Bhutan · Bolivia
+ 123 more
Bosnia and Herzegovina · Botswana · Brazil · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Cambodia · Cameroon · Central African Republic · Chad · Colombia · Comoros · Cook Islands · Costa Rica · Côte d'Ivoire · Cuba · DR Congo · Djibouti · Dominica · Dominican Republic · Ecuador · Egypt · El Salvador · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Fiji · Gabon · Gambia · Georgia · Ghana · Grenada · Guatemala · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Guyana · Haiti · Honduras · India · Indonesia · Iran · Iraq · Jamaica · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kenya · Kiribati · Kyrgyzstan · Laos · Lebanon · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Malaysia · Maldives · Mali · Marshall Islands · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mexico · Micronesia · Moldova · Mongolia · Montenegro · Morocco · Mozambique · Myanmar · Namibia · Nauru · Nepal · Nicaragua · Niger · Nigeria · Niue · North Korea · North Macedonia · Pakistan · Palau · Palestine · Panama · Papua New Guinea · Paraguay · Peru · Philippines · Poland · Republic of the Congo · Rwanda · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Samoa · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Serbia · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Solomon Islands · Somalia · South Africa · Sri Lanka · Sudan · Suriname · Syria · Tajikistan · Tanzania · Thailand · Timor-Leste · Togo · Tonga · Tunisia · Turkmenistan · Tuvalu · Uganda · Ukraine · Uzbekistan · Vanuatu · Venezuela · Vietnam · Yemen · Zambia · Zimbabwe
Education required
High School · Bachelor · Master · PhD
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Application process
- 1Contact the UNESCO National Commission in your home country for its preselection process and local deadline.
- 2Obtain the mandatory pre-admission document from a designated Chinese university.
- 3Complete a Type A application in the Chinese Government Scholarship Information System using UNESCO agency number 00001.
- 4Upload the required passport, diploma, transcripts, language proof, pre-admission document, study plan or research proposal, medical form, non-criminal record and route-specific recommendation letters.
- 5Submit the online form and the full file to your National Commission; only nationally endorsed candidates are considered.
- 6If nominated, send the online application form and supporting documents to UNESCO as instructed by the National Commission.
Program timeline
Call for candidates launched
Nov 28, 2025
Candidate applications due to National Commissions
Jan 23, 2026
National Commission nominations due to UNESCO
Feb 10, 2026
UNESCO screening
Feb 11, 2026 to Mar 2, 2026
Evaluation and selection by Chinese authorities
March to June 2026
Fellowship awards
Late June to early July 2026
Fellowship starts
Late August to early September 2026
Academic year ends
Jul 15, 2027