Guidebook to the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship
The ASEAN–China Young Leaders Scholarship (ACYLS) is funded by the China Scholarship Council to support citizens of ASEAN Member States for Master’s or PhD study, short-term research, or training in China. Instruction is in English. Recipients receive monthly stipends: CNY 4,000 for Master’s students and CNY 5,000 for doctoral students and research scholars.
Provider
China Scholarship Council
Language
English
Deadline
Open
Overview
ACYLS supports young professionals from ASEAN Member States with work experience for Master’s or PhD degrees, short-term research, or training in China, in response to ASEAN–China commitments on people-to-people exchange and educational cooperation.
Program types and duration
• Master’s students: typically 2–3 academic years • Doctoral students: typically 3–4 academic years • Research scholars: typically 4–5 months Instruction is in English; applicants must enrol in English-taught programs and meet host university language requirements.
Coverage
Scholarship coverage lasts for the enrolled program length, up to the maximum duration per track. Monthly stipend (paid by the host university): • Master’s students: CNY 4,000 • Doctoral students and research scholars: CNY 5,000 Full stipend is paid if registered on or before the 15th of the month; registration after the 15th yields half the month’s stipend. Graduating students receive an additional half-month stipend after graduation. Stipend is suspended for personal absences from China exceeding 15 days (excluding official school holidays). A bank account in RMB may be required by the host university.
Eligibility
Applicants must be citizens of an ASEAN Member State (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, or Viet Nam), in sound physical and mental health, and meet English proficiency and age requirements. Applications are submitted through national ACYLS focal points; ASEAN university faculty/staff applying via the ASEAN University Network (AUN) follow AUN-specific channels.
Documents
Required documents include the Application Form for Chinese Government Scholarship (in English), passport bio page, notarised highest diploma, and any further materials specified in the official ACYLS guidebook for the intake year.
Eligibility
notes
- •Citizen of an ASEAN Member State (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste, or Viet Nam).
- •Sound physical and mental health.
- •English proficiency: IELTS ≥ 6.0 or TOEFL ≥ 80.
- •Master’s applicants: hold an undergraduate degree and be under age 45.
- •Doctoral applicants: hold a Master’s degree and be under age 45.
- •Research scholar or training applicants: meet academic and professional criteria outlined in the official ACYLS guidance for the intake year.
age limits
nationality
- •ASEAN Member State citizens (including Timor-Leste)
degree levels
language requirements
- •IELTS ≥ 6.0 or TOEFL ≥ 80; enrolment in English-taught programs required
Student Categories
Benefits
- •Monthly stipend: CNY 4,000 (Master’s students)
- •Monthly stipend: CNY 5,000 (doctoral students)
- •Monthly stipend: CNY 5,000 (research scholars)
- •Support for Master’s, PhD, short-term research, or training aligned with enrolled program duration
- •English-taught program placement
Required Documents
- •Applicants
- •must provide authentic and valid documents according to the requests and upload
- •clear scanned copies onto CGSIS. Failure to fulfill the requirements will
- •negatively influence the scholarship results.
- •submitting applications to the ACYLS national focal points and AUN Secretariat,
- •the applicants should follow the prescribed requirements.