Doctorate in International Chinese Language Education: the scholarship conditions

A doctoral applicant under Category 1 of the 2025 guidelines for the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship shall hold a Master's degree in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, linguistics, international Chinese language education, or an education-related discipline. The applicant shall also have a minimum score of 200 on HSK Level 6 and 60 on HSKK Advanced. The answer rests on the Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, published by the Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC).

This page covers one scholarship. Its conditions apply to that scholarship only and are not general admission rules for self-funded students. The Chinese Government Scholarship has its own terms, which this page does not set out. See also Routes on this site.

The dates in these guidelines are for the 2025 cycle, and that cycle has passed. Read the current year's guidelines for dates.

Category 1: the doctoral conditions

Category 1 of the guidelines is the Scholarship for Doctor's Degree in International Chinese Language Education. It sets the following:

• Start: the program commences in September 2025.
• Length: the scholarship is provided for a maximum of four academic years.
• Degree: applicants shall hold a Master's degree in teaching Chinese as a foreign language, linguistics, international Chinese language education, or education-related disciplines.
• Scores: applicants shall have a minimum score of 200 on the HSK Test (Level 6) and 60 on the HSKK test (Advanced Level).
• Priority: priority will be given to applicants who may provide an employment contract with a teaching institution upon completing their studies in China, or proof to the same effect. The guidelines word this as priority, not as a condition.

The HSK and HSKK tests are described on the official test site. This page does not describe their content.

Eligibility under Section I

Section I sets five conditions for applicants:

1. Be a non-Chinese citizen.
2. Be friendly to China, have no criminal record, abide by the laws and regulations of China and the rules and regulations of the Host Institution.
3. Be in good physical and mental health, and be in good academic and behavioral standing.
4. Be interested in Chinese language education and related work.
5. Be aged between 16 and 35 years on September 1, 2025. The maximum age limit for in-service Chinese teachers may be extended to 45, but those who apply for a scholarship for a Bachelor's degree shall be younger than 25 under most circumstances.

Application materials (Appendix 2)

Appendix 2 lists the following materials for the doctoral category.

Item B(e) also says that priority will be given to applicants who may provide an employment contract with a teaching institution upon completing their studies in China, or proof to the same effect.

Allowance and accommodation (Appendix 1)

Appendix 1 says the scholarship supports tuition, accommodation, a living allowance (excluding four-week study program students), and comprehensive medical insurance.

• Tuition (item 1): Host Institutions use the tuition fees for the education and management of recipients, cultural programming, and HSK tests. Item 1 gives no tuition amount.
• Accommodation (item 2): Host Institutions provide free on-campus accommodation, typically double rooms. Recipients may live off campus after application and approval from the Host Institution. In that case, doctoral students are entitled to an accommodation allowance of RMB 1,000 per person per month.
• Living allowance (item 3): Host Institutions pay the allowance monthly. For doctoral students in International Chinese Language Education, it is RMB 3,500 per person per month.
• Registration (item 3): Recipients must register with the university within the period stated in the Letter of Admission, otherwise the scholarship will be revoked. Those who register on or before the 15th of the month (inclusive) receive the full allowance for that month. Those who register after the 15th receive half.
• Absence from China (item 3): If a recipient leaves China for more than 15 days for personal reasons during the study period, excluding summer and winter vacations, the living allowance for the time abroad is suspended.
• Suspension, withdrawal, or discipline (item 3): If a recipient is suspended or withdrawn for personal reasons, or is subject to disciplinary action by the Host Institution, the living allowance stops from the date of suspension, withdrawal, or notification of discipline.
• Graduation (item 3): The living allowance for graduating students is paid until half a month after the graduation date set by the Host Institution.
• Insurance (item 4): Host Institutions buy the comprehensive medical insurance in line with the Ministry of Education of China's regulations on overseas students. For students studying more than one year, the premium is RMB 800 per person per year.

Deadlines and selection (Section III)

Section III says online registration is available from February 20, 2025, on the International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship website. The deadlines are below, in Beijing Time.

The doctoral category in Category 1 commences in September 2025. The table lists May 15 for programs commencing in September. The September 15 date in the table is for programs commencing in December.

Section III says CLEC will entrust an expert panel to review the applications. Decisions will be based on HSK and HSKK levels and scores, geographical distribution, and other factors. Results will be announced about three months before the program starts.

Sources

• Application Guidelines for International Chinese Language Teachers Scholarship 2025, Center for Language Education and Cooperation (CLEC)

Checked 10 October 2026.

This page is an unofficial summary. It is not legal or immigration advice, and it is not published by the bodies named here. If the official text and the instructions of the body handling your case differ, the official text and those instructions prevail.