ACYLS is a dedicated project for ASEAN nationals, in particular young and promising professionals with working experience in ASEAN Member States. The Chinese government will provide funding for ACYLS mainly through the ASEAN-China Cooperation Fund (ACCF).
ACYLS will support nationals from AMS to study for Master or PhD degrees, undertake short-term research programs, and participate in training courses in the PRC. ACYLS provides a full scholarship award covering all program-related expenses including tuition waiver and other school fees, accommodation, round-trip international air fare, comprehensive medical insurance and stipends.
Eligibility Criteria
Applicants of ACYLS should meet the following criteria:
- Citizen of an ASEAN Member State (Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Viet Nam);
- In sound physical and mental health;
- Proficient in English (i.e., must possess an IELTS score of at least 6.0 or a TOEFL score of at least 80 points);
- Holder of an undergraduate degree and under the age of 45 if applying for a masters degree;
- Holder of a graduate/masters degree and under the age of 45 if applying for a PhD degree;
- Holder of at least an undergraduate degree if applying for the short-term research program;
- Having at least one-year work experience within government agencies, public or private institutions, universities, think-tanks or similar social agencies, and preferably has experience in the following:
- work related to foreign and international affairs, especially ASEAN and China-ASEAN affairs;
- work or study in the PRC;
- academic work on China or ASEAN-related affairs;
- Not a concurrent awardee of a Chinese government scholarship;
- Meets other admission requirements of the Chinese universities to which the applicant has applied.
Offered Benefits
Within the scholarship duration, registered scholarship students will receive a stipend from their host university on a monthly basis. Students registering on or before the 15th of the month will receive a full stipend of that month. Those who register after the 15th of the month will receive a half stipend of that month. Graduating students will receive stipend for another half a month following the graduation date. If a registered student stays out of China for more than 15 days due to personal reasons (school holidays excluded), his/her stipend will be stopped during his/her absence from China.
Masters students: 4,000 RMB per month
Doctoral students: 5,000 RMB per month
Research scholar: 5,000 RMB per month
Application Process
Applicants shall submit their applications to ACYLS national focal points of their respective home countries before the deadline. Faculty and staff from ASEAN universities, who apply through ASEAN University Network (AUN) and AUN Thematic Networks, shall submit their applications to AUN Secretariat before the deadline. The application generally opens from January to April every year. For the application deadline of the current year, applicants shall consult the ACYLS national focal points or AUN Secretariat directly.
