Introduction

According to a new agreement between the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) for the advancement of science in developing countries, up to 140 students/scholars from the developing world will be sponsored to travel to China for PhD studies for up to four years.

This CAS-TWAS President’s Fellowship Programme provides students/scholars from developing countries (other than China) an opportunity to pursue PhD degrees at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) or Institutes of CAS around China.

Under the terms of the new CAS-TWAS agreement, travel from their home-country to China will be provided to the fellowship awardees in order to begin the fellowship in China (one trip only per student/scholar). Visa fee will also be covered.

Thanks to generous contribution of CAS, fellowship awardees will receive a monthly stipend (including accommodation and other living expenses, local travel expenses and health insurance) of RMB 7,000 (approx. USD 1,100) or RMB 8,000 (approx. 1,250) from CAS through UCAS/USTC, depending on whether he/she has passed the qualification test arranged by UCAS/USTC for all PhD candidates after admission. All awardees will also be provided tuition waivers

Any fellowship awardee who fails the qualification test twice will face the consequences including:

• Termination of his/her fellowship;
• Discontinuity of his/her PhD study at CAS institutions;
• Being conferred a diploma of completion instead of a PhD degree;

All the procedures will adhere to UCAS/USTC regulations and rules.

The funding duration of the fellowship is 4 years, divided into:

• Maximum 1 year study of courses and participation in centralized training at UCAS/USTC, including 4 months compulsory courses in Chinese Language and Culture.
• Practical research and completion of degree thesis at colleges and schools of UCAS/USTC or CAS institutes.
• General conditions for applicants:
• Applicants must:
• Be maximum age of 35 years on 31 December 2014;
• Not take up other assignments during the period of his/her fellowship;
• Be a citizen of a developing country other than China;
• Not hold any visa for temporary or permanent residency in China or in any developed country;
• Be financially responsible for any accompanying family member.

Applicants for PhD study should also:

• Meet the admission criteria for international students of UCAS/USTC (http://english.ucas.ac.cn/Admissions/Pages/Article.aspx?ID=78 or http://en.ustc.edu.cn/admissions/international_students/).
• Hold a master degree before the beginning of the fall semester.
• Provide evidence that s/he will return to their home country on completion of their studies in China according to CAS-TWAS agreement.
• Provide proof of knowledge of English or Chinese language.

Note: Applicants currently pursuing PhD degrees at any university/institution in China are ineligible for this fellowship.

Application materials:

1. Admission Application Form for International Students

2. Application Form for CAS-TWAS President’s Fellowship Programme

3. Notarized photocopy of the highest degree(This year's graduates provide a pre-graduation certificate)

4. Notarized photocopy of transcripts of previous higher education

5. CV/resume

6. Research proposal

7. Photocopy of the title page and abstract of each published academic paper

8. Two academic references from referees in relative research fields or one from a TWAS member

9. Photocopy of the first page of your regular passport

10. Copy of the Foreigner Physical Examination Form

Note：All the mentioned documents should be in English or Chinese.

Application Procedure:

1. Before you apply, make sure there is one professor affiliated with UCAS/USTC colleges, schools or CAS institutes agreed to be your supervisor.

2. Send a soft copy of the application package to your supervisor, and ask your supervisor to fill in the comment pages in the “Application Form for CAS-TWAS President’s Fellowship Programme” and “Admission Application Form for International Students”.

3. Your host institute shall stamp the two forms, and send the soft copy as well as the hard copy of the whole application package to the UCAS Sub-Office. After UCAS Sub-Office checks the documents, it would submit the documents to the General Office.

4. The General Office would be responsible for the organization of primary and final evaluations.

DEADLINE FOR ALL MATERIAL AND APPLICATIONS:

28 FEBRUARY 2014

Contact Information

University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

19A Yuquanlu, Beijing, 100049, China

Tel: +86 10 88256424/6206

Fax: +86 10 88256207

Email: president-fellowship@ucas.ac.cn

Relevant Information

CAS is a national academic institution in China consisting of a comprehensive research and development network, a merit-based learned society and a system of higher education, focusing on natural sciences, technological sciences and high-tech innovation in China. It has 12 branches, 2 universities and more than 100 institutes with around 60,000 staff and 50,000 postgraduate students. It hosts 89 national key labs, 172 CAS key labs, 30 national engineering research centers and about 1,000 field stations throughout China. As a merit-based society, it has five academic divisions. CAS is dedicated to addressing fundamental, strategic and farsighted challenges related to the overall and long-term development of China. CAS and TWAS have had a close and productive relationship for many years, often involving TWAS's Regional Office for East and Southeast Asia and the Pacific (http://www.twas.org.cn/twas/index.asp).

Read more about CAS: http://english.www.cas.cn/

UCAS is a research-intensive university with around 40,000 postgraduate students, supported by more than 100 institutes (research centers, laboratories) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), which are located in 25 cities throughout China. Founded in 1978, it was originally named the Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the first graduate school in China with the ratification of the State Council., UCAS is headquartered in Beijing with 4 campuses and is authorized to grant doctorate degrees in 39 primary academic disciplines, offering degree programs in ten major academic fields, including science, engineering, agriculture, medicine, education and management science. UCAS is responsible for the enrollment and centralized management of the PhD candidates of the CAS-TWAS President’s Fellowship Programme admitted by UCAS.

Read more about UCAS: http://www.ucas.ac.cn/

USTC is the first university established by the Chinese Academy of Sciences in 1958. It is a comprehensive university including science, engineering, management and humanity science, oriented to frontier science and high technology. USTC took the lead in launching Graduate School, the School of Gifted Young, large national scientific projects, etc. It is now a prominent Chinese university and enjoys high reputation worldwide, and therefore is the member of the China 9 Consortium consisting of the top 9 universities in China. USTC is one of the most important innovation centers in China, and is regarded as “the Cradle of Scientific Elites”. USTC provides both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. It has around 1500 faculty members, 7200 undergraduates, and 9000 graduate students (2600 PhD candidates). There are 14 faculties, 27 departments, graduate school and software school on campus. According to the world acclaimed university rankings, USTC has always been ranked among the best universities in China. USTC is responsible for the enrollment and management of the PhD candidates of the CAS-TWAS President’s Fellowship Programme admitted by USTC.

Read more about USTC: http://www.ustc.edu.cn/

TWAS is an autonomous international organization, founded in 1983 in Trieste, Italy, by a distinguished group of scientists from the South to promote scientific capacity and excellence for sustainable development in the South. In 1991, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) assumed responsibility for administering TWAS funds and personnel on the basis of an agreement signed by TWAS and UNESCO. In 2004, the Government of Italy passed a law that ensures a continuous financial contribution to the Academy's operation. Read more about TWAS: http://twas.ictp.it/