The Ministry of Commerce of the People's Republic of China (MOFCOM) is inviting high-level business officials and professional personnel to apply for academic education programmes under the MOFCOM Scholarship-CSC Programme. 

MOFCOM established the MOFCOM Scholarship-CSC Programme to strengthen communication and cooperation between China and other countries as well as develop talent for developing countries.

MOFCOM offers one-year and two-year master’s programmes as well as three-year doctoral programmes for the purpose of educating high-end and inter-disciplinary talent working in the applied fields of government, trade, foreign affairs, agriculture, technology, education, culture and health, building intellectual capacity and facilitating the economic and social development of the recipient countries.

These programmes are fully conducted in English and target governmental officials, research fellows, and senior managerial personnel.

For detailed information on the various programmes offered, please visit the MOFCOM website: https://www.china-aibo.cn/en/info/1005/1396.htm 

Degree Level

Master’s programme for 2-3 years or PhD programme for 3 years

Deadline

26 May 2023

Who can apply?

• be a citizen of a developing country other than the People’s Republic of China; 
• not be over 45 years old; 
• be physically and mentally healthy (must be willing to provide a health certificate from a medical institution);
• must not have severe high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and other serious chronic diseases, mental illnesses or infectious conditions that can affect the public's health adversely, major surgery recovery period, acute disease attack, or severe limb disabilities;
• not be pregnant;
• have a Bachelor’s degree or above, with over three years working experience;
• have the potential for career development in the chosen field, and intend to promote friendly exchanges and cooperation between South Africa and China;
• priority will be given to applicants with prior relevant work/learning experience;
• be a government official at middle or senior level, or researcher or administrator of academic institutions at middle or senior level; 
• be proficient in English;
• students who are studying in China or who have been accepted to other Chinese scholarship programmes cannot apply for this programme.

Fields of Study

Various fields of study are on offer. Refer to the brochures for each programme below:

• tuition waiver;
• teaching material fee waiver;
• research and survey fee (for group field trips, not for dissertation) waiver;
• dissertation guidance fee waiver;
• one-off resettlement fee:
  • 3000RMB (R6 594) per master student
  • 3000RMB (R6 594) per PhD student
• campus accommodation fee waiver
• stipend:
  • 3000RMB (R6 594) per month per master student
  • 3500RMB (R7 692) per month per PhD student
• medical insurance
• one-time round-trip international airfare for all the students

Please note: Successful scholarship applicants will have to make provision for costs and all other related expenses not covered by the scholarship.

Application process

University application (refer to admission requirements for each university)

Scholarship application: 

You can complete the application form and submit your supporting documents at https://www.campuschina.org.

Applicants MUST also submit the application materials to the Chinese Embassy in South Africa to Miss Shu YANG (Second Secretary for Economic & Commercial Affairs) via email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and copy in the Department of Higher Education and Training at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Friday, 26 May 2023.

Application documents to include:

1. Application form with a 2-inch photo and the applicant’s signature
2. Personal statement of research (A minimum of 500 words in English)
3. Copies of bachelor’s degree certificate(s) and academic transcript(s)
4. Two recommendation letters from the applicant’s employers and/or professors. Telephone numbers and email addresses of the referees must be included in the letters
5. Employment verification
6. English proficiency certificates
7. Copy of the passport page of personal information (ordinary passport for private affairs only)
8. Copy of private passport: a photocopy of the photo of the passport, clearly showing the name, passport number and other information. Do not submit your application using a diplomatic passport or an official passport
9. Copy of language level certificate: for non-English speaking countries only, applicants' recent TOEFL, GRE and other level test requirements
10. 2 pieces of 2-inch recent photos in white background
11. Health Form: health examination form within one month identifying that the applicant has no infectious disease or a disability that affects his or her major or other diseases that the Chinese border agency does not allow
12. A non-criminal record. Should the non-criminal record report be delayed, applicants should submit an affidavit assuring they have not committed criminal acts while they wait for the official report to be issued

All documents must be scanned in the order above as one document.

Downloads and Links

For enquiries please contact the Embassy of the People's Republic of China in South Africa (Miss Shu YANG, Second Secretary for Economic & Commercial Affairs email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or telephone: +27-012 431 6785

Note

Please note that this scholarship is not offered by the Department of Higher Education and Training. Applicants are required to undertake their own research into programmes and institutions and are responsible for ensuring that the qualifications will be recognized in South Africa. If there are any discrepancies in the details provided regarding the scholarship, the information given by the sponsor supersedes the details provided above. No additional financial support will be provided by the Department of Higher Education and Training.

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