All you need to know about the Great Wall Program

UNESCO’s fellowship 

Fellowships are incredibly specialized training opportunities. It provides qualified individuals practicing or wanting to practice a profession in the fields of UNESCO’s program. The program prioritizes extra research or practical training. The organization has embraced it as an effective means of enhancing Member States’ human resource and capacity-building efforts. Fellowship Program contributes to honest knowledge sharing, international understanding, and the sustainable development of people and communities. It awards and administers fellowships in collaboration with donors and extrabudgetary financial sources. Let’s find out what the Great Wall Program is all about.

What is the Great Wall Program all about?

The People’s Republic of China has made available to UNESCO 75 fellowships for advanced study at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels. These fellowships are for developing member countries in Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, Europe, and the Arab States.

These fellowships, available at a limited number of Chinese universities, are for academics who wish to continue advanced studies or conduct individual research in China for a year with periodic guidance from the designated supervisor. Selected candidates will study as visiting scholars at the host universities. The majority of the study modules will be in English.

Candidates will require to study Chinese before conducting research or studying in their fields of interest in extreme situations.

Twenty-five of the seventy-five fellowships are explicitly for candidates from UNESCO-CFIT Project-supported Teacher Training Institutions in ten African countries. They will pursue an Advanced Training Programme for Education Administrators and Teacher Educators at East China Normal University.

Benefits of the Great Wall Program

The Great Wall Fellowship Program will cover all student or scholar expenditures. Generally, they offer full scholarships for-

• Tuition waiver
• Accommodation
• Stipend
• Comprehensive medical insurance
• Travel fare
• Monthly pocket allowance
• Termination allowance

Eligibility for the Great Wall Program

• The applicant must be someone other than a citizen of the Republic of China to be eligible for the award.
• This fellowship is only available to people from underdeveloped nations.
• Candidates must be in good mental and physical health to pursue this program.
• A bachelor’s or master’s degree, or its equivalent, from a recognized institute, is necessary.
• For the general program, applicants must be under 45 and have a high school diploma (or higher).
• Senior scholar program applicants must have a master’s degree or associate professor and be under 50.

Invited Member States

• Africa- 46 states
• Asia and the Pacific- 38 states
• Arab States- 13 states
• Latin America and The Caribbean- 26 states
• Europe- 12 states

How to apply?

Step 1

Read the announcement letter carefully, especially the accompanying ANNEX II, for the UNESCO/China Co-Sponsored Fellowships Program, to understand the eligibility requirements and application procedures.

Step 2

Contact your country’s National Commission for UNESCO to inquire about the application procedures at the national level. 

They urge the applicants to contact their desired Chinese universities and apply for pre-admission. Please include the pre-admission letters in your supporting documents if you have received them by submission.

Step 3

Carefully prepare your application paperwork (in English or Chinese) following the conditions outlined in ANNEX II.

Step 4

Submit your application to your country’s National Commission for UNESCO.

Step 5

As soon as you receive notification from your country’s National Commission for UNESCO regarding your nomination as a candidate for this program, you should complete the online application and submit all supporting documents through the China Scholarship Council’s online application system.

Note- Hard copies of application materials are no longer necessary, and each nominated applicant must submit their application using the online application system. Candidates should provide their online application serial numbers when submitting their applications to UNESCO. Only applications that include an online registration will get acceptance.

Step 6

National Commissions shall send letters of nomination, copies of China Scholarship Council online Application Forms, and photocopies of valid ordinary passports to UNESCO by the latest date.

Submission and selection of candidates

UNESCO will not accept individual proposals due to their intergovernmental nature. They will evaluate applications approved only by the UNESCO National Commission. Applicants must submit their application materials to the National Commission. 

The National Commission will pick qualifying candidates and forward nomination letters, copies of China Scholarship Council online application forms, and photocopies of valid ordinary passports to UNESCO.

UNESCO and the Chinese government will choose seventy-five most eligible individuals. UNESCO will promptly notify the beneficiaries’ National Commissions to UNESCO.

Key takeaways

• The Great Wall Fellowship Program is for developing member countries in Asia-Pacific, Africa, Latin America, Europe, North America, and the Arab States. 
• They will conduct most of these fellowships in English. In unusual situations, candidates may need to learn Chinese before researching or studying their fields of interest.
• Students must submit application materials to the National Commission.
• The National Commission will pick qualifying candidates and forward nomination letters, copies of China Scholarship Council online application forms, and photocopies of valid ordinary passports to UNESCO.

If you are an aspirant looking to study abroad and have questions about scholarships, grants, or work-study programs, you can reach out to our experts here!

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FAQs

Q1. What kind of certificate or degree will you obtain after this one-year fellowship?

Answer- Generally, a degree curriculum in China lasts two to three years. Candidates chosen for this fellowship program will study and research in China as Visiting Scholars. The host universities in China have the authority and duty to determine whether you will receive a certificate for your one-year studies.

Q2. Do you need to submit a language certificate when you apply for the UNESCO/China Fellowships Program?

Answer- Yes. Applicants must submit faithful language certificates at the time of application. UNESCO offers a ‘Certificate of Language Knowledge’ in an official form. The Certificate of Language Knowledge is necessary for applicants who still need to get a certificate from IELTS or TOEFL. 

Q3. Can you study in China for free?

Answer- You can obtain scholarships and grants with the correct direction and help. Studying in China for free is possible and will be one of the most rewarding experiences for any overseas student.