International Scholarships- Canada China Scholars' Exchange Program

Sapna Malik updated Content Curator updated

Content Curator updated

Canada-China’s Scholars Exchange Program provides scholarships to Canadian academicians, students and professionals. Based on reciprocal agreements between the Government of Canada and the Government of People’s Republic of China, the program provides more than 20 scholarships to them.

These short-term scholarships are provided to Canadians wishing to study abroad in China. these are inclusive of Airfare, tuition fees, monthly living stipend, on-campus accommodation and medical insurance. These are also for studies, research, language studies or a combination of studies and language studies at participating Chinese institutions. The deadline for the same is 6^th March, 2018.

The program is funded by Global Affairs Canada and the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China. The duration of the program is 4 to 12 months for students; and 8 weeks to 12 months for faculty members and mid-career professionals. It caters to-

The Canadian students who are in college, undergraduate and graduate levels in Canada;
Canadian faculty members and research staff at a post-secondary institution in Canada, and
The Canadian mid-career professionals

The following fields are given preferences in the program:

Public Policy Analysis and Public Administration,
Business Management,
Economics/Finance/Banking,
Environmental Protection,
Law,
Education,
Public Health Policy and Management.

Value and Duration of the Program

The Chinese government provides following award component:

Tuition fees at the Participating Chinese Institutions.

A monthly stipend appropriate to the status of recipient. The approximate values for undergraduate and language students, Master’s degree students, and Ph.D. students and senior scholars are 2,500 Yuan, 3,000 Yuan and 3,500 Yuan respectively.

On-campus accommodation or a subsidy for off-campus accommodation if it is permitted.
Comprehensive medical insurance.

The funding for the same is provided by Global Affairs Canada, i.e The award component provided by DFATD. Traveling to and from the destination in China via the most cost-effective route is included in the same in the conditions given below:

If the itinerary is approved by DFATD or the scholarship administrator, the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE)
If DFATD/scholarship administrator/the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE) has approved your itinerary
At the beginning of the scholarship, the funding covers only flights to China from Canada. The return travel to Canada is also included towards the ending of the scholarship.
The recipients of the scholarship are required to take travel arrangements as soon as the visa is obtained. This must be done through a CBIE designated travel agency.
Note that cost of only the approved flights can be covered. The recipient of the scholarship has to bear any additional costs.
The tickets for flights shall be booked before March 15, 2019. The same shall be done by CBIE’s designated travel agency.
Recipients of the scholarships must reach China by the date of registration shown on the Chinese institution’s Admission Notice.

Students must note that the Chinese academic year starts in September and ends in early July. A winter vacation approximately of 3 weeks is included in this. The break can be in the month of January of February. The scholarships begin from September 2018 and shall end by August 2019.

Check out if you are eligible to apply

In order to be eligible for scholarships, the candidates are required to be Canadian citizens residing in Canada. They should also be either of the following:

A full-time professor/research staff at a recognized postsecondary education/research institution in Canada.
A student who is enrolled at a recognized post-secondary education institution in Canada. He/she must be enrolled in either a college, undergraduate or graduate program.
A professional in mid-career from a Canadian government media or cultural organization, or national education association. He/she is required to have a graduate (Master's or doctoral) degree and has managerial, policy development or decision-making responsibilities for at least three years with the organization.

Apart from this, if applicable, then you should have required level of written/spoken Chinese by host institution in China. you must undertake studies in an approved subject area in a Chinese institution and you should not be seeking a degree in China. the age of the candidate shall not be more than 50 years.

Note: Employees, including the ones on leave, of the Government of Canada’s departments and agencies are not eligible for the travel benefit by DFATD. They are eligible for the scholarship though.

Expected Qualifications

Applications will be assessed on the applicant's academic merit, proposed study or research plan, and the relevance of the proposal to their career plans.

Strong leadership qualities should be possessed by the mid-career professionals. They must be committed to innovation, creativity and an entrepreneurial spirit.
Candidates whose study or research plan is related to China will be preferred.
Priority may be given to those who have depicted a previous interest in the Chinese language in the language courses. They must also have basic knowledge of the Chinese language.

Key Dates

The deadline to submit the online application to DFATD is March 6^,2018, 11:59 p.m. EDT. The deadline for CSC (China Scholarship Council) to receive the application form and the supporting documents via mail is March 6, 2018.

Late/incomplete applications will not be considered by scholarship administrator of the Canadian Bureau for International Education (CBIE). The applicant is responsible to ensure if all the required documents are received at CBIE by the deadline. Documents other than the ones required will not be accepted.

No receipt of acknowledgement will be given. The applicants are strongly advised to send all the documents in a single package. It must be done through a method that confirms the delivery, for instance, courier service or registered mail.

All you need to know about the Application Process

The scholar’s recipients are required to follow the two-step process to be considered for the scholarship program.

Complete and submit the online application form of DFATD. Provide the documents required.
Complete and submit the CSC online application from its website.

DFATD Online Application

Students must follow the instructions while filling the application form. They can send a mail to admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca. in case of any discrepancy.

The form must be completed. Those who don’t have an account shall create it after registering. The applicants are required to go to the Canada-China Scholar’s Exchange Program and click on Apply Now.
Fill the marked mandatory fields with relevant data according to the given instructions.
Upload all the documents required.
Verify the data before submitting.
Print form for records.
Submit the form electronically to DFATD. You will get a confirmation message and reference number after the submission of form.

NOTE: Applicants can also save their application and complete it at a later time. Both saved and submitted applications will appear on the profile homepage.

Required information in the application form

Letter of intent: Mention in English, or French, the nature of research or studies to be undertaken. Explain the rationale for study in China, the program, and supervisor, if applicable. Describe how the program of study will relate to your future career in maximum 10,000 characters.
Referees: give names of two referees. Also mention their title, relation and organization.
Academic qualification: give the list of degrees obtained and other relevant vocational/language studies.
Academic distinction: List up to three distinctions, prizes, or scholarships received/expected. Also mention the values.
Publications: Up to three scholarly publications can be listed in the bibliographic format appropriate to the discipline.
Relevant work experience: mid-career professional, professors or research staff
Other achievements: Information like studies or career to date showing academic merit, accomplishments or leadership abilities etc.

Supporting Documents to Upload to the Application Form

The supporting documents have to be submitted in either English or French. Pre-selected candidates shall provide English translations by April 12, 2018. Given below is the list of documents that must be attached and uploaded to the online application. Each of them shall be smaller than 5mb and in either of the format-.pdf, .jpg, .docx, .txt or .qif.

Certificate of admission: Pre-admission certificate from the host institution/copy of correspondence that testifies the request of candidate for admission. Email correspondence with international admissions office or a potential academic collaborator is accepted.
Proof of Canadian citizenship: Copy of passport which is valid till the scholarship expires. Baptism certificate is not accepted as the proof of Canadian citizenship.
Copy of official transcripts: Completed transcript of highest post-secondary studies completed including the academic records. Transcript of studies in progress, if applicable.
Study or research proposal: an essay of maximum two pages that describes your study or research plan.
Copy of Diploma: Of highest degree achieved.
Proof of registration for studies in progress: Attach the same, if applicable.

China Scholarship Council (CSC) Application

The application form shall be filled in English and completed from the official website of CSC. The candidates are advised to use Firefox or Internet Explorer (11.0) for the same. The applicants are required to-

create a profile by clicking on “Register”;
select “Type A” under the “Program Category”;
indicate on the form “1241” as the “Agency Number”;
select three institutions. Those who are not ready to go an alternative might be withdrawn from consideration in certain cases.
After its completion, download, print and sign three copies of the application; and
Including your photograph is a must. So, it should be there on the first page of every copy of the application form.

Candidates must note that in case they are applying under the Senior Scholar category, then the minimum they should have is a Master’s degree or be associate professors or research staff. Enquiries can made to the address given below. Bilateral Program may be consulted for additional information.

Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Canada
Attention: Education Office - Canada-China Scholars' Exchange Program
396 Wilbrod Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1N 6M8
Tel: (613) 783-3562
Fax: (613) 789-0262
Email: daizhehua@cnembedu.ca

Apart from submitting the online application, the candidates must also submit the supporting documents by mail to-

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

Supporting Documentation to Submit by Mail

One original and two photocopies of the following documents. These must be sent via mail.

CSC Online application form: Form must be completed and signed along with a picture.
Official transcripts: A notarized photocopy of the most advanced post-secondary degree completed to date. Transcript of post-secondary studies if in progress.
Degree Diploma: A notarized/certified copy of the most advanced Diploma obtained. Translation to be included, if the diploma is in language other than English or French.

Two LORs: Letters of Recommendation from a professor, supervisor, or employer on letterhead. It should be signed and clearly depict a candidate’s name, nature of study and how it will benefit the candidate.
Proof of language of proficiency: Results of HSK, a Chinese Proficiency Test or results of any other Chinese language course.

Candidates in the history/theory of art/music/architecture are not required to submit samples. Those in fine arts, music and architecture are required to submit art work samples:

Submit 6 color pictures of 6 work pieces if you are in fine arts/painting/graphic arts/sculpture/photography. It must be submitted on a USB key, CD/DVD.
Submit minimum 1 recently shot film on a USB key/CD/DVD. It should depict when it was produced, running time, and how the applicant was involved in the same. It shall have the name of the candidate and dated as well.
Music applicant shall submit a USB key, CD or DVD of 3 work pieces of less than 30 minutes each.
Architecture applicants have to submit maximum 6 reproductions of drawings in a USB key, CD/DVD.

Applicants are advised to submit all the documents to CBIE in a single package method. The method shall confirm the delivery such as courier service or registered mail. Th enquiries can be made to 613-237-4820/admin-scholarships-bourses@cbie.ca.

Review Procedures

CSC finalizes the selection of scholarship recipients. The list of candidates is nominated to the CSC for approval and placement at Chinese institutions. This committee will consist of-

A representative from the Government of Canada,
One representative from the Chinese Embassy in Canada, and
Three experts invited by the Canadian government.

Conditions

There is no appeal in the process as all the decisions made by the CSC are final. No recommendation of the Canadian selection committee shall be changed.

There is no feedback for unsuccessful candidates provided to the selection committee. The students must remember that the applications will not be considered if sent directly to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in China. the scholarships are subject to availability of funds and the applications shall not be returned.

Terms and Conditions for the scholarship recipients

They must be enrolled at their host university. The time periods for this shall be approved by the China Scholarship Council. No request for deferred registration shall be accepted. Recipients, if unable to register on time, can may take permission directly from the institution.
Must go back to Canada post completion of the program.
May not hold other scholarships for similar benefits.
Shall sign a Letter of Agreement with DFATD. It will let them receive in-kind grant at the end of round trip flight.
Must have a considerable medical insurance coverage till the scholarship lasts.
Are required to submit a report to the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Canada. This is to evaluate the research and language learning in China. it will be concerned within 2 months after the scholarship has been completed. The host institution also evaluates a candidate’s performance.
Candidates shall apply for X2 visa if they are visiting China for less than 6 months. They must include Admission Notice, Visa application form to study in China (JW201) and a passport valid for stay in china.
Candidates visiting China for more than 6 months, are required to apply for the X1 visa. They must include the completed Chinese Foreigners Physical Examination Form, the Visa Application Form for Study in China (JW201), the Blood Test Report, the Admission Notice, and a passport valid till their stay in China.

Must be registered with the Chinese institution. It must be done with the original copies of the Admission Notice, the Visa Application Form for Study in China, the Chinese Foreigners Physical Examination Form and the Blood Test Report (if applicable).