The Youth of Excellence Scheme of China, known as YES China, is a Chinese Government Scholarship administered by the China Scholarship Council for the Ministry of Education. It funds international professionals to take an English-taught master’s degree at a participating Chinese university, and is framed around training people who work on global governance. Applicants apply twice: first to one host university for a pre-admission letter, then to the scholarship itself, and the two steps have different deadlines.
Many subprograms run for twelve months in China, while others use a 1+1 design in which the first academic year is spent studying full time in China and the second is spent completing a dissertation at home before returning for the defense. Host universities include Zhejiang University, East China Normal University, Beijing Normal University, Harbin Institute of Technology and the University of International Business and Economics, each with its own subject focus.
Benefits & funding
- Full scholarship with tuition waived.
- On-campus accommodation during the academic year spent in China.
- A living allowance paid at the Chinese Government Scholarship standard; the officially accessible pages do not publish the monthly amount.
- Comprehensive medical insurance for international students in China.
- An English-taught master’s degree awarded by the host university, normally 12 months, or two years under the 1+1 model.
Eligibility
- Non-Chinese citizens in good physical and mental health.
- Under 45 years old.
- A bachelor’s degree or higher, plus at least three years of work experience.
- Applicants must belong to one of four groups: government officials at division-chief level or above, senior managers in institutions or enterprises, administrative staff at universities or research institutes, or people with international-organization employment or internship experience.
- Evidence of English proficiency is required, with thresholds set by each subprogram; the University of International Business and Economics, for example, asks for IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 86.
- A pre-admission letter from a participating university must be in hand before the scholarship application is submitted.
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.
Education required
Bachelor
Experience required
≥ 3 yrs
Age requirement
≤ 44 yrs
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Application process
- 1Choose a subprogram from the participating Chinese universities listed on the official program page.
- 2Apply to that university for admission and obtain a pre-admission letter; each university sets its own earlier deadline and document list. For the 2026/2027 cycle Zhejiang University closed on 28 February 2026, East China Normal University on 1 March 2026 and the University of International Business and Economics on 15 March 2026.
- 3Register in the Chinese Government Scholarship information system at studyinchina.csc.edu.cn, select scholarship Type A and enter agency number 1563.
- 4Search for the Youth of Excellence Scheme of China, complete the online form, and upload the pre-admission letter with the supporting documents.
- 5Submit before the Council deadline, then wait for the review and the joint decision by the Council and the host university.
Program timeline
November 2025
The 2026/2027 call for applications was published.
Host universities closed their own pre-admission applications.
February–March 2026
The Chinese Government Scholarship system closed at 23:59 (GMT+8).
Mar 31, 2026
May–July 2026
Document review and admission decisions; Zhejiang University stated results in early July 2026.
The academic year begins in China.
September 2026