The ocean, covering about 71% of the Earth’s surface, plays a primary role in addressing the climate change and supporting the global economy, trade and livelihood. The sustainable ocean development has direct impact on the development and prosperity of all coastal countries now and in the future. and it has become an inexorable trend worldwide that through international cooperation and exchange we should deepen our understanding of the ocean and promote sustainable ocean development to enhance regional and global economic prosperity. Under this consideration, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) and the Ministry of Education of China jointly initiate the program of Marine Scholarship of China (hereinafter called the Scholarship) for the purpose of providing financial support to outstanding students from the coastal countries or regions around the South China Sea, the Pacific and the Indian Oceans and African, American developing countries to study in China for a master's or doctoral degree in oceanography or other related specialties, cultivating advanced professionals of the related fields for developing countries, enhancing international marine cooperation and exchange, and promoting the harmonious ocean development in the region and around the world. China Scholarship Council (CSC) is in charge of the admissions and routine management of the Scholarship.

I.  Enrollment Candidates  

i.   The applicant should be a citizen of non-Chinese nationality in good health, from a coastal/island country of South China Sea, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific and its surrounding island countries, or an African, American developing country.

ii.  The applicant must apply for the postgraduate program of ocean-related specialties.

iii. Any applicant who is currently engaged in oceanographic and relevant sectors will be given high priority.

II.  Universities to offer the Scholarship (listed in no particular order)  

Xiamen University, Zhejiang University, Ocean University of China, Tongji University

III. Eligibility  

i.   The applicant for master's degree studies is required to have a bachelor's degree and be usually under the age of 40.

ii.  The applicant for doctoral degree studies is required to have a master's degree and be usually under the age of 45.

IV. Duration of the Scholarship  

i.   Candidates for master's degree: 2-3 years of study with the Scholarship

ii.  Candidates for doctoral degree: 3-4 years of study with the Scholarship

iii. Scholarship awardees who choose Chinese as the teaching language and request Chinese language training prior to their formal academic studies, will receive one- year training and have their scholarship funding extended correspondingly for one year.

iv.  The duration of the Scholarship will be defined upon the student's admission to the university, and will not be extended in principle. If a student is unable to finish the program for some special reasons, his or her scholarship may be extended appropriately until graduation with prior consent of SOA, the university and CSC.

V. Scholarship funding details  

i.   Exemption from tuition fees, and provide accommodation on campus

ii.  Living allowance: RMB 3,000 per month for master's students, and RMB 3,500 per month for doctoral students

iii. The Comprehensive Medical Insurance for Chinese Government Scholarship Students

iv.  International travel expenses: to be paid by the student

Notes:  

1.  Extra experiment or internship beyond the teaching program, if requested by the Scholarship student, shall be at the student's own expense.

2.  Living allowance is to be granted by the university on a monthly basis, starting from the date of entrance of the student. For the first month, the students who register before or on the 15th day of the month will receive the allowance in full, and those after the 15th day of the month, in half. The allowance will extend half a month after the specified graduation date designated by the university. As for those who suspend, quit or complete their academic program and return to their own country, the allowance will stop from the next month. The allowance covers the holidays recognized by the university. Those who are away in the holidays and unable to get their allowance in time may receive their dues when return to the university. and as for those who are late for the registration or stay away from the school without any formality of asking for absence for a time longer than one month, the allowance for that month shall be cancelled.

3.  Those who have to suspend their program because of pregnancy or severe disease must return to their own country for delivery or recovery, and the travel must be at their own expense. Those who have been approved by the school authority to suspend their program, their qualification for the Scholarship may extend for no longer than one year and the allowance will stop during the suspension. But those who suspend their program on other excuses will be disqualified from the scholarship.

4.  The Comprehensive Medical Insurance for Chinese Government Scholarship Students mainly covers the fees incurred by the student's inpatient treatment for major illnesses or personal accident. The premium will be prepaid by the university or the designated rescue agency that will go to the insurance company with the receipt for the fees to make the claim. The insurance company will not settle personal claims.

VI. Application time and channels  

Every year, from 1st January to 30th April, an applicant may apply to the universities designated by this Scholarship program.

VII. Materials for application  

i. Application Form for Chinese Government Scholarship (to be filled out in Chinese or English)

An applicant is supposed to log on to Chinese Government Scholarship Information System, fill in all the necessary information, and then print the Application Form for Chinese Government Scholarship which will be automatically generated after successful submission. 

ii.     Photocopy of last degree certificate. Certificates in languages other than Chinese or English must be accompanied by notarized translation in Chinese or English.

iii.    Academic transcripts. Transcripts in languages other than Chinese or English must be accompanied by notarized translations in Chinese or English.

iv.   The applicant's study or research plan in China (in Chinese or English).

v.     Two letters of recommendation (in Chinese or English) by Professors or associate Professors.

vi.    Photocopy of Foreigner Physical Examination Form (downloadable from CSC's website) completed in Chinese or English. The applicant must strictly take all the examination as required by the Form. Leaving a blank or absence of signature of the doctor or seal of the hospital will make the form invalid.

vii.   Application for joint training with relevant institutions. The applicant need to submit the application in Chinese or English if he/she needs joint training.

These application documents will not be returned no matter the application is accepted or not. 

VIII. Scholarship admissions  

i. SOA and the universities will jointly organize a panel of reviewers to screen the candidates for the scholarship on the basis of the candidates' academic performance and achievements and their supervisors' opinions. The final list of the scholarship awardees will be publicly announced.

ii.     Entrusted by CSC, the university will mail the Admission Notice and Visa Application Form (JW201) to the scholarship awardee by July 31 every year.

iii.    In principle the Scholarship student is not allowed to change the school, subject and duration of study pre-defined on the Admission Notice.

IX. Annual review of the Scholarship  

i. According to the Measures of Annual Review of Chinese Government Scholarship Status, CSC will carry out a comprehensive annual review of the scholarship students' academic performance, attitude towards study, attendance records, behavior, rewards and punishments etc.

ii.     Scholarship students must pass the review to qualify themselves for next year's scholarship funding. Those who fail the review may have their scholarship suspended or terminated next year.

iii.    Those whose scholarship have been suspended may continue their study at the university at their own expense, and if they wish to recover eligibility of receiving the  scholarship, they may attend the review next year and, upon passing the review, apply for the continuity of the Scholarship.

iv.    Those whose scholarships have been officially terminated are not eligible to apply for recovery of the Scholarship.

For details please refer to Measures of Annual Review of Chinese Government Scholarship Status.

X. Contact  

i. Xiamen University  

Add: Admissions Office, Xiamen University, Fujian, China Postcode: 361005

Tel: +86-592-2184792

Fax: +86-592-2180256

Email: admissions@xmu.edu.cn

ii. Zhejiang University  

Add: P.O. Box W-99, International College, Yuquan Campus, Zhejiang University, No. 38 Zheda Road, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China

Postcode: 310027

Tel:+86-571-87951717/3101/2848

Fax: +86-571-87951755

Email: zjuyhh@zju.edu.cn  

iii. Ocean University of China  

Add: International Education Centre, Ocean University of China, 23 Eastern Hong Kong Road, Qingdao, China

Postcode: 266071

Tel: +86-532-85901555 / 85901666

Fax: +86-532-85901868

Email: iec@mail.ouc.edu.cn

iv. Tongji University  

Add: International Students Office, Tongji University, 1239 Siping Road, Shanghai, China

Postcode: 200092

Tel: +86-21-65980380

Fax: +86-21-65987933

Email: fangxiaozhi@tongji.edu.cn 

v. Department of International Cooperation, State Oceanic Administration  

Add: 1 Fuxingmenwai Avenue, Beijing, China Postcode: 100860

Tel: +86-10-68048072 / 68048080

Fax: +86-10-68048080 

XI. Joint Training Institutions  

i. First Institute of Oceanography, SOA (FIO)  

The First Institute of Oceanography (FIO), State Oceanic Administration (SOA), was founded in 1958. FIO is a comprehensive research institute. The major research fields of FIO are on the regularities, distributions and variations of natural environmental elements in the maritime territory of China, the adjacent oceans and the polar region. In the past 50 years since its inauguration, FIO had been developing continuously and steadily into a famous marine research organization highly respected both domestically and internationally. FIO has contributed insights to the development of marine scientific technology, ensuring the sustainable development of economy and society.

Master Majors  

Physical Oceanography, Marine Chemistry, Marine Biology, Marine Geology, Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering.

Doctoral Majors  

Physical Oceanography, Marine Biology, Marine Geology, Environmental Engineering, Surveying and Mapping (Marine Surveying and Mapping, Geodesy).

Contact Information  

Address: No. 6 Xianxialing Road, Qingdao, P.R .China, 266061

Tel: 86-532-88967468

Fax: 86-532-88965544

E-mail:bangongshi@fio.org.cn

ii. Second Institute of Oceanography, SOA (SIO)  

The Second Institute of Oceanography (SIO), SOA which was established in 1966, is a comprehensive and nonprofit oceanographic research institute. It is mainly engaged in the ocean scientific research as well as the R&D of the high technology on China seas, oceans and Polar Regions. In the recent years, focusing on the international ocean scientific fronts and the national demands, the institute has lunched various ocean scientific research movements and has made fruitful achievements in marine S&T field, which makes crucial contributions to the economic construction and marine S&T development.

Master Majors  

Physical Oceanography, Marine Chemistry, Marine Biology, Marine Geology, Harbor, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Geodetection and Information Technology.

Doctoral Majors  

Physical Oceanography, Marine Chemistry, Marine Biology, Marine Geology, Harbor, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, Geodetection and Information Technology.

Contact Information  

Address: No.36 Baochubei Road, Hangzhou, P.R .China, 310012

Tel/Fax: 86-571-88080507

E-mail: hongls@sio.org.cn   

iii.    Third Institute of Oceanography, SOA (TIO)  

The Third Institute of Oceanography (TIO), SOA was established in 1959. As a national non-profit comprehensive research institute on marine sciences, TIO focuses on  research  and  application  of marine biology and ecology, marine- atmospheric chemistry, geology and geophysics, physical oceanography and marine meteorolog y, remote sen si ng, a cousti cs, e nviro nment management and sea island use management etc.

Master Majors  

Environmental Science, Marine Affairs, Ocean Geology, Marine Microbiology, Deep Sea Biology, Marine Molecular Biology, Marine Biotechnology, Marine Planktonic Biology, Marine Benthic Biology, Marine Nektonic Biology, Marine Conservation Ecology, Marine Ecotoxicology, Marine Ecology Assessment and Management, Marine Chemistry, Marine Environmental Chemistry, Marine Biogeochemistry, Marine Food Science, Marine Biomaterial Science, Radiochemistry, Radioecology.

Doctoral Majors  

Environmental Science, Ocean Geology, Marine Microbiology, Marine Biology, Marine Molecular Biology, Integrated Coastal Management, Marine Ecotoxicology, Marine Planktonic Ecology, Marine Conservation Biology, Marine Fish Ecology, Marine Chemistry, Marine Environmental Chemistry, Marine Biogeochemistry, Marine Food Science, Marine Biomaterial Science, Radioecology.

Contact Information  

Address: No.178 Daxue Road, Xiamen, P.R .China, 361005

Tel/Fax: 86-592-2086646

Email: hyssrsc@tio.org.cn

iv.  National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center (NMEFC)  

National Marine Environmental Forecasting Center (NMEFC), directly under State Oceanic Administration is responsible for Chinese marine environmental forecasting and disaster warning issue, as well as related business management. It offers master degrees in physical oceanography and meteorology. It also takes part in a joint graduate program with Ocean University of China and Xiamen University, and contains a postdoctoral scientific research workstation.

Master Majors  

Meteorology, Physical Oceanography.

Contact Information  

Address: 8 Dahuisi Road, Haidian District, Beijing, P.R .China, 100081

Tel: 86-10-62105671

Fax: 86-10-62105671

Email: rsc85304@nmefc.gov.cn  

v.   National Ocean Technology Center (NOTC)  

National Ocean Technology Center (NOTC) was founded in 1965. NOTC has formed over ten technical directions, including hydrological and meteorological monitoring, remote sensing, ecological environment monitoring, hydrological monitoring, buoys system , system integration, ship deck equipment, ocean energy development and utilization, ocean development strategy study and oceanic economy evaluation, etc.

Master Majors  

Port, Coastal and Offshore Engineering, which consists of 6 major directions: Marine Remote Sensing Technology, Marine Observation Technology, Marine Optical Technology, Marine Acoustic Technology, Computer Application Technology,   Mechanical Design and Application.

Doctoral Majors  

Ocean Acoustic Survey Data Processing Technology, Acoustic Measurement Technology, Theory and Methods on Evaluation and Classification in the right to use sea area and islands, Island Ecological Monitoring, Evaluation, Ecological Protection and Restoration Technology.

Contact Information  

Address: 219 Jieyuanxi Road, Nankai District, Tianjin, P.R.China, 300112

Tel:86-22-27536919  

Fax:86-22-27367824

E-mail: notcsoa@126.com