Guidelines

To be considered for a Canada-China Scholars’ Exchange Program an applicant must complete the following process.

1. Application Step 1: Applicants must complete and submit the online application available on this site and upload the supporting documents as requested.
2. Application Step 2: Applicants must complete and submit an online application from the China Scholarship Council website.

Late or incomplete submissions will not be considered.

Scholarship Value

The award component provided by the Chinese Ministry of Education includes:

• tuition fees at participating Chinese institutions;
• a monthly stipend appropriate to the recipient status as students and research scholars;
• housing;
• medical insurance;
• teaching and research materials; and
• meals and accommodation during stopovers in Beijing/Shanghai en route to the final destination.

The award component provided by Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada (DFAIT) includes:

• travel to and from the destination in China via the most cost-effective route between their point of origin and the final destination determined by DFAIT or the scholarship administrator. Travel arrangements must be made by the scholarship administrator authorized by DFAIT.  The cost of transportation for Government of Canada employees is not covered.

Scholarship Duration

The scholarship is for four to twelve months from the date of arrival in China for students and for two to twelve months in the case of professionals, professors and researchers.

The Chinese academic year starts in September and ends in early July, including a winter vacation of about three weeks in January or February.

The scholarship is tenable between September 2013 and July 2014.

Eligibility

Applicants:

• must be Canadian citizens;
• must be either a full-time permanent teaching or research staff at a recognized higher education or research institution in Canada; or a student enrolled in either an undergraduate or graduate program; or a mid-career professional with a master's or PhD degree, employee of a government, media or cultural organization, who have managerial, policy development or decision making responsibilities for at least three years with the organization;
• must have achieved the required level of written and spoken Chinese by the host university in China, if applicable;
• must undertake studies in an approved subject area in a Chinese university; and
• employees of the Government of Canada or its agencies, although eligible for this scholarship are not eligible for the travel benefit funded by DFAIT.

Desired Qualifications

Applications will be assessed on the applicant's academic merit and proposed research plan. Professionals must demonstrate strong leadership qualities through a commitment to innovation, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit. Preference will be given to those candidates whose research is related to China.

Terms and Conditions

Scholarship recipients:

• must be enrolled at their host universities for the time periods approved by the China Scholarship Council, requests for deferred registration may not be accepted;
• must return to Canada upon completion of their program;
• may not hold concurrently other scholarships offering similar benefits;
• will be required to complete a physical examination form before the scholarship can be confirmed; and
• must submit a report to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Canada
  concerning their research or language learning in China within two months after the completion of their scholarship. The host university is also expected to evaluate the recipient's academic performance.

Deadline

The deadline for the application is 11:59 p.m. EDT, March 14, 2013.

Notification

Pre-selection

Applicants will be contacted by April 2013 by the scholarship administrator regarding the status of their application.

Final selection

The final selection of scholarship recipients is made by the China Scholarship Council and is communicated to successful candidates by August 1, 2013.

Successful candidates will receive admission notices from the Chinese university along with other materials on visa and travel to China around the same time period of the final selection.

Selection of the scholarship recipients is subject to the China Scholarship Council agreeing to the terms of admission of the university or institution.

Applicants must ensure that a permanent email address is included in the application.

Step 1: Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada Application Process

Instructions

Applicants are encouraged to read the instructions below carefully before beginning the application process.

DFAIT applications may be submitted in English or in French. If applicants experience difficulty filling out or submitting this application, applicants should send an email to admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

Applicants:

• can obtain a hard copy for record keeping by printing the form using the print function in the browser, prior to submitting; and
• must click SUBMIT. A confirmation page and reference number will appear after submission.

Supporting Documentation

All supporting documentation may be submitted in English or in French, but pre-selected candidates will be required to provide English translation.

The following documentation must be uploaded and attached to the DFAIT online application form (format .pdf, .jpg, .doc, .docx, .txt, .gif):

• Proof of Canadian citizenship: copy of a birth certificate, a citizenship card or a passport; a certificate of baptism is not accepted as proof of Canadian citizenship.
• Curriculum vitae (maximum four pages): The curriculum vitae should not include photographs or any personal information such as the date of birth. Applicants should include a list of publications, articles or exhibitions, if applicable.
• Proof of registration for studies in progress including courses being taken (if applicable) and a certificate of admission to the host institution or copy of correspondence.

Step 2: Chinese Government Application Process

Applicants must complete and submit an online application from the China Scholarship Council website. The Chinese Scholarship Council requires that all applicants submit their online application form in English.

Applicants must:

• create a profile with clicking on “Register”;
• select the program “CHINESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP”;
• indicate on the form the "Agent No.” 1241;
• ensure to include a photo of themselves with the application form;
• select three institutions on their application; those who indicate that they are not willing to consider alternatives may be withdrawn from consideration if the institution that they have indicated is deemed inappropriate by the Commission, or is not able to offer a place; and
• download and print two copies of the application once completed.

All inquiries regarding this scholarship should be directed to:

Education Office
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Canada
396 Wilbrod Street, Ottawa, (ON) K1N 6M8
Tel: (613) 783-3562
Fax: (613) 789-0262
Email: cnembedu2@bellnet.ca

Supporting Documentation

All supporting documentation may be submitted in English or in French, but pre-selected candidates will be required to provide English translation.

The following documents must be sent by mail:

• Official transcripts: an official transcript (or a notarized photocopy) of the most advanced post-secondary degree completed to date (including college and CÉGEP), and a transcript of post-secondary studies in progress if applicable. The transcript must include the cumulative grade point average (CGPA) for each degree or certificate. If not indicated on the transcript, attach a separate certificate indicating the CGPA.
• Degree diploma: a certified copy (or a notarized photocopy) of the most advanced diploma obtained. The copy should include college or CEGEP, undergraduate or graduate degrees. If the degrees are in a language other than English or French, a translation must be included.
• Proof of language proficiency: HSK test results, if applicable.

Artwork samples for applicants in fine arts, music and architecture required are as follows (applicants in the history or theory of art, of music, or of architecture are not required to submit samples):

• Applicants in the fine arts, painting, graphic arts, sculpture and photography must submit six color pictures of six work pieces on a USB key, CD or DVD.
• Film-makers and video artists must submit at least one recent film, indicating when it was made, how the applicant was involved in its production and the running time. These must be provided on a USB key, CD or DVD, be dated, and clearly identified with the applicant's name.
• Applicants in music must submit a USB key, CD or DVD of three original work pieces totaling no more than 30 minutes.
• Applicants in architecture must submit up to six reproductions of drawings, provided on a USB key, CD or DVD.

Only samples as specified above will be presented to the Selection Committee. Each set of supporting documents should not exceed 20 pages. Supporting documents, other than the ones requested, will not be accepted.

It is strongly recommended that the applicant collect all the required supporting documents in sealed envelopes and send them to the scholarship administrator in one package by a method that provides confirmation of its delivery, such as a courier service or registered mail.

If the applicant is unable to collect all the required supporting documents in one package, the applicant must ensure that their referees and institution(s) submit the documents directly to the scholarship administrator by the deadline. The applicant’s name and the scholarship program for which the applicant is applying must be on all documentation sent to the scholarship administrator.

All supporting documentation, including the two copies of the China Scholarship Council online application form must be sent to the scholarship administrator at:

Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
Attn: Canada-China Scholars’ Exchange Program (CCSEP)
220 Laurier Avenue West, Suite 1550
Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5Z9

We are unable to acknowledge receipt, by letter or telephone, but you can e-mail us for information at: scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

The following documents must be sent by email:

• Letters of recommendation: Two letters of recommendation must be sent separately, as a PDF document, by the referees, to the scholarship administrator at: admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca. Important, document titles and email subject must clearly identify the name of the applicant in the following format:

Subject: CCSEP-LETTER-last name of the candidate-last name of the referee.

The letters of recommendation must arrive by the deadline for the application to be considered.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that supporting documents are received by the deadline.

Review Procedures and Conditions

A selection committee consisting of five members including two representatives from the Chinese Embassy, two representatives from the Canadian academic community and one representative from the Government of Canada will nominate a list of candidates to the China Scholarship Council for approval and placement in Chinese institutions.

Conditions

All recommendations of the Selection Committee and decisions made by the host countries are final. There is no appeal process.

The Selection Committee is not able to provide feedback for unsuccessful candidates. Applications submitted directly to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China will not be considered.

Applications and documents submitted will NOT be returned.

These scholarships are subject to the availability of funding.

Background

The Canada-China Scholars’ Exchange Program is based on reciprocal agreements between the Government of Canada and the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

Established in 1973, the Canada-China Scholars’ Exchange Program was the result of an undertaking by then Chinese premier Zhou Enlai and Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. Over the past 38 years, more than 900 scholars have participated in the program. Canadian scholars have brought new perspectives to their host country and acquired enhanced knowledge and understanding of China.

The original Memorandum of Understanding was modified in 2012 to allow for a wider range of applicants.