UNESCO/China – The Great Wall Co-Sponsored Fellowship 2026

Co-sponsored by UNESCO and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (administered through the China Scholarship Council, CSC), the Great Wall Co-Sponsored Fellowships Programme is one of the most selective international exchange frameworks operating in the Global South. With only 75 total fellowships awarded worldwide each year across 135 invited developing Member States in Africa, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Europe, and the Arab region, the global acceptance rate hovers at a fraction of one per cent. Participating countries can nominate a maximum of two candidates, making national selection by your home country’s National Commission for UNESCO the biggest operational hurdle in the entire application process.

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Applications submitted after the January 23 national deadline, or sent directly to UNESCO or Chinese universities without going through the National Commission, are automatically excluded from the joint UNESCO-CSC evaluation. For candidates eyeing future cycles (such as the 2027–2028 cycle, which opens in late autumn 2026 ahead of January 2027 deadlines), securing early institutional pre-admission from a participating Chinese university and aligning research proposals with UNESCO priority areas (such as Education, STEM, and Sustainable Development) remains the baseline strategy for clearing the national pre-selection phase.

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A Two-Stage Process, Not a Single Application

This fellowship runs through a genuinely layered nomination system, and understanding both stages is essential to actually completing it successfully. First, you submit your complete application, including all supporting documents, to the National Commission for UNESCO in your home country, no later than the national deadline — January 23, 2026, for this cycle. Your National Commission then reviews all domestic applications and selects which candidates, up to a maximum of two per country, to formally nominate. Those nominations, along with every candidate’s full application package, must then reach UNESCO Headquarters by the second, international deadline — February 10, 2026, for this cycle.

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There’s a third layer to the process: every nominated candidate must also register separately through the Chinese Government Scholarship Information System on campuschina.org, using English as the platform language. This step is mandatory, and candidates without this registration will not be considered, even with a successful National Commission nomination. Missing any one of these three steps — national submission, National Commission nomination, and campuschina.org registration — results in an incomplete application that UNESCO will not review.

UNESCO/China – The Great Wall Co-Sponsored Fellowship Summary

What the UNESCO/China – The Great Wall Co-Sponsored Fellowship Covers

Co-administered by UNESCO and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China (via the China Scholarship Council, CSC), the UNESCO/China – The Great Wall Co-Sponsored Fellowships Programme provides a fully funded, comprehensive award package. Designed to support advanced studies and research for candidates from 135 developing countries, the fellowship structure covers all primary academic, residential, and operational costs in China.

The core financial and logistical provisions include:

• 100% Full Tuition Waiver: Covers all academic instruction, mandatory course fees, laboratory access, and institutional library usage for the entire fellowship duration. Funds are credited directly to the host Chinese university.
• Monthly Living Allowance (Stipend): Disbursed directly to fellows via a local Chinese bank account to cover personal living expenses:
  • CNY 3,000 per month for General Scholars (undergraduate/one-year visiting research tracks).
  • CNY 3,500 per month for Senior Scholars, Master’s degree students, and Doctoral candidates.
• On-Campus Housing & Accommodation Subsidies: Host universities provide free, university-managed international student dormitory housing (typically twin- or single-occupancy rooms). In cases where on-campus housing is unavailable, host institutions disburse an official monthly housing subsidy (usually SEK/CNY equivalent aligned with CSC standards) to assist with off-campus apartment rentals.
• Comprehensive Health & Accident Insurance: Complete medical insurance coverage managed through the Comprehensive Insurance Scheme for Foreign Students in China, covering emergency care, inpatient treatment, and hospitalization costs during the stay.
• International Travel & Relocation Support: Provided jointly by UNESCO and the Chinese authorities, covering round-trip international airfare between the fellow’s home country and China, domestic connection transit, and an initial termination/settling-in allowance upon arrival.
• Research & Academic Activity Allowances: Specialized allowances provided in select laboratory or field-based disciplines to support thesis printing, field research, scientific materials, and university-sanctioned academic travel within China.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for the Great Wall Fellowship, applicants generally need to meet the following:

• You must be a citizen of one of the 135 eligible developing countries invited by UNESCO to participate
• General Scholar applicants: must hold a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent, and be no older than 45
• Senior Scholar applicants: must hold a Master’s degree, or an academic title equivalent to Associate Professor or above, and be no older than 50
• Master’s programme applicants must hold a recognized Bachelor’s degree that meets the host university’s admission requirements and generally must be under 35 years old.
• Doctoral programme applicants must hold a recognized Master’s degree that meets the host university’s admission requirements and generally must be under 40 years old.
• You must meet the language requirements of your proposed programme — English or Chinese proficiency depending on the language of instruction, with HSK results required for some programmes
• You must be in good physical and mental health, capable of completing your programme in China, supported by a Foreigner Physical Examination Form or equivalent medical report
• You cannot apply directly to UNESCO — every candidate must be officially nominated by the National Commission for UNESCO in their home country
• You must demonstrate strong academic performance, research potential, or relevant professional experience, with research-based and Senior Scholar applicants required to submit a detailed research proposal

Because each country can nominate only two candidates, the National Commission’s internal review serves as the first—and often most competitive—filter applicants must clear before UNESCO or Chinese universities review their applications.

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Priority Groups

In line with UNESCO’s strategic priorities, the following groups receive particular consideration:

• Women candidates
• Applicants from Africa
• Applicants from Small Island Developing States (SIDS)
• Applicants from UNESCO–China Fund-in-Trust (CFIT) beneficiary countries, specifically in education-related fields

Required Documents

• Completed UNESCO/China Great Wall Fellowship application form
• Curriculum Vitae
• Academic transcripts and degree certificates (Bachelor’s and/or Master’s, as relevant to your applied level)
• A research proposal or study plan, required specifically for research-based and Senior Scholar applicants
• Language proficiency certificates — TOEFL/IELTS for English-taught programmes, or HSK results where Chinese proficiency is required
• A copy of your passport or official identification
• A medical examination report (Foreigner Physical Examination Form or equivalent)
• Two or more recommendation letters, academic or professional
• A nomination letter from your home country’s National Commission for UNESCO
• Separate online registration in the Chinese Government Scholarship Information System (campuschina.org) — mandatory, in addition to your National Commission submission

How to Apply for the Next Cycle

Both stages of the 2026-2027 cycle are closed, but the process has stayed structurally consistent:

1. Confirm your country is among the 135 eligible UNESCO Member States for the fellowship.
2. Contact your home country’s National Commission for UNESCO directly to obtain the current cycle’s application form and internal submission guidelines and deadline — this is often earlier than the international deadline, since your National Commission needs time to review and select its two nominees.
3. Prepare your complete application package — transcripts, CV, research proposal (if applicable), recommendation letters, medical report, and language certificates — well in advance.
4. Submit your complete application to your National Commission before their internal deadline.
5. If nominated, promptly register your application in the Chinese Government Scholarship Information System at campuschina.org, using English as your platform language — this step is mandatory and separate from your National Commission submission.
6. Confirm your National Commission has submitted its formal nomination, along with your full documentation, to UNESCO Headquarters before the international nomination deadline.
7. Await your official award letter from UNESCO, along with enrollment instructions for your host university in China.

Application Deadline

For the 2026-2027 cycle, candidates needed to submit complete applications to their National Commission for UNESCO by January 23, 2026, with National Commissions required to submit formal nominations to UNESCO Headquarters by February 10, 2026. Both deadlines have passed.

Based on this consistent structure, the 2027-2028 cycle is likely to follow a similar pattern — a national submission deadline in late January, followed by a UNESCO nomination deadline roughly two to three weeks later in mid-February — though applicants should contact their National Commission directly for exact upcoming dates, since these can vary slightly year to year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the UNESCO/China Great Wall Fellowship still accepting applications for 2026-2027?

No. Both the national submission deadline (January 23, 2026) and UNESCO’s nomination deadline (February 10, 2026) have passed.

Can I apply directly to UNESCO?

No. UNESCO does not consider individual applications submitted directly by candidates. Every applicant must receive an official nomination from their home country’s National Commission for UNESCO.

How many candidates can each country nominate?

A maximum of two per Member State, regardless of how many strong applicants that country’s National Commission receives.

Is there really a separate online registration beyond my National Commission application?

Yes, and it’s mandatory. Nominated candidates must separately register their application in the Chinese Government Scholarship Information System at campuschina.org — applications without this registration are not considered.

How much is the monthly stipend?

CNY 3,000 per month for General Scholars, or CNY 3,500 per month for Senior Scholars and postgraduate (Master’s and Doctoral) students.

Does UNESCO give priority to any particular applicant groups?

Yes. Women candidates, applicants from Africa, applicants from Small Island Developing States, and applicants from UNESCO–CFIT beneficiary countries in education-related fields all receive particular consideration.

Disclaimer: All programme details, deadlines, and eligibility criteria in this post were verified from official sources as of August 2026. Information is subject to change without notice. Always confirm the latest details directly with your country’s National Commission for UNESCO and on UNESCO’s official Great Wall Fellowship page before applying. ScholarWaka is not affiliated with UNESCO or the Government of the People’s Republic of China.

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