UNESCO/China Great Wall Fellowships 2026–2027

With a view to promoting the human resource development and capacity building of developing countries and to enhancing international exchanges in the field of education, culture, communication, science and technology and the friendship among peoples of the world, UNESCO the Government of the People’s Republic of China will co-sponsor a total number of seventy-five (75) fellowships for advanced studies in various fields, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels, during the academic year 2025-2026. Among these fellowships, twenty-seven (27) vacancies will be open for new recruitment to candidates from 135 developing Member States in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe and the Arab region.

Summary

1. Application Deadline: 23 January 2026
2. Value: Fully funded (tuition, accommodation, stipend, medical insurance)
3. Study Level: Visiting Scholar, Master’s, Doctoral
4. Sponsor: UNESCO & Government of China
5. Eligible Country: 135 developing Member States (listed above)

Eligibility Criteria for UNESCO/China Great Wall Fellowships 2026–2027

Candidates must be nationals of the above-mentioned invited Member States, fulfilling the following requirements:

1. Meeting the eligibility requirements in age, language and academic qualifications for the chosen study programme:
2. One-year Visiting Scholar Programmes
3. - Candidates applying for General Scholar Programmes must hold a high school diploma and should not be older than the age of forty-five (45); whereas those who apply for Senior Scholar Programmes must hold a master’s degree or an associate professor position (or above) and not be older than the age of fifty (50).
4. - English proficiency is required. For a candidate applying for a Chinese-taught programme as General or Senior visiting scholar, her/is Chinese proficiency must reach HSK Level 3.
5. Degree Programmes
6. - Candidates applying for Master’s Degree Programmes must hold a bachelor’s degree and should not be older than the age of thirty-five (35); whereas those who apply for Doctoral Degree Programmes must hold a master’s degree and should not be older than the age of forty (40).
7. - English proficiency is required. For a candidate applying for a Chinese-taught degree programme, her/is Chinese proficiency must reach HSK Level 4.
8. Meeting the admission requirements of the applied universities in terms of academic ability, language proficiency and other relevant criteria.
9. Be in good health, both mentally and physically.

Benefits of UNESCO/China Great Wall Fellowships 2026–2027

• Full tuition coverage

• Free university accommodation

• Monthly stipend

• Comprehensive medical insurance

How to Apply

Step 1:

Read carefully the Application Guidelines for the 2026-2027 UNESCO/China Co-Sponsored Fellowships Programme to understand the requirements for eligible candidatures and the procedures for the submission of applications.

Step 2:

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

Applicants are encouraged to contact in advance their target Chinese universities and obtain admission for the applied study programmes. Applicants with admission documents will be prioritized during the fellowship selection. If you have received admission notice, pre-admission letter or invitation from professors, please attach the documents in your online application.

Step 3:

Submit your online application, along with the required supporting documents, in the Chinese Government Scholarship Information System (https://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 a explicit guidance on online application submission.

Step 4:

Submit your online application form and all the supporting documents to the National Commission for UNESCO of your home country by Friday, 23 January 2026.

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 and the supporting documents to thegreatwall@unesco.org.

Note: Only applications nominated by the National Commission will be accepted by UNESCO. It is mandatory for each nominated candidate to submit his/er application in the Chinese Government Scholarship Information System before the application deadline. Applications without online registration will not be considered.

Step 6:

Letters of nomination, along with all the application documents, should be submitted to UNESCO by the National Commissions by Tuesday, 10 February 2026 at the latest. Candidates who submit incomplete applications or submit the online applications beyond this deadline won't be considered.

For more information, kindly visit UNESCO webpage.

Application Deadline

January 23, 2026

Application Link(s)

• Apply for UNESCO/China Great Wall Fellowships 2026–2027