China Scholarship Council (CSC program) - Information for PhD students and their promotors

Ghent University has a firm tradition of collaboration with Chinese research institutes and top universities in many disciplines. Ghent University and the CSC therefore jointly offer doctoral and postdoctoral scholarships to Chinese researchers. We welcome all Chinese students who visit our University in order to do a PhD, a jointly-supervised PhD (including double PhD degree), Post-doctoral research, as well as visiting scholars, who are coming here in order to conduct part of their research in the framework of their PhD.
This page is specifically designed to support PhD students and their supervisors.
The China Scholarship Council has many different programs that offer scholarships for doctoral studies.

The two most frequently used programs are:

Preference program of CSC

Ghent University has signed a cooperation agreement with the China Scholarship Council (CSC) to promote Ghent University as host institution for Chinese PhD students. This cooperation agreement will last for 5 years from 30 November 2023 until 30 November 2028.
Each year, Ghent University and CSC will select approximately 50 PhD students, who opt for Ghent University as their host institution and aim to earn a PhD degree either at Ghent University or through a Joint (or double) PhD program between Ghent University and their home university.
Students selected under this preference program will be exempted from paying tuition, bench fees, or any other study-related costs at Ghent University. Additionally, the selected students will receive a small top-up scholarship from Ghent University, supplementing their CSC scholarship to ensure a total monthly income of 1580 euros (following the Ghent University policy on recommended financial support for PhD students).
It's important to note that exchange or visiting PhD students, who are enrolled as PhD students at a Chinese university and intend to obtain their PhD degree solely from their home university in China, are ineligible to apply under the Preference Program. Exchange PhD students can apply for a scholarship in the framework of the Personal program of CSC with the support of a Ghent University supervisor instead.
Deadline and information about the Preference program.
For questions about the yearly call launched by Ghent University, please contact: BOF@ugent.be

Personal program of CSC

Chinese students who wish to pursue doctoral studies at Ghent University can also apply for a CSC Personal program scholarship. The CSC Personal program scholarship consists of a basic study allowance from CSC to the student. No standard supplement (top-up) is provided by Ghent University.
Students with a Personal program CSC scholarship can benefit from fee waivers (bench fee and tuition fee). However, they are not automatically entitled to a top-up funding at Ghent University such as preference CSC students.
Please note that the monthly amount paid by CSC to each CSC scholarship holder (1350 euros) does not correspond to the recommended minimum income for Ghent University doctoral students (1580 euros). Ghent University advises future PhD students without a minimum of 1580 euro/month that they should discuss their financial situation with their supervisor. In cases where the scholarship is too low, and no other means are available, Ghent University advises supervisors to consider topping up the grant of the PhD students to 1580 euro. Where this is not possible, both student and supervisors should consider whether the PhD project should be progressed in its current form.

Ghent University guideline concerning financial means for phd students.

All information about the CSC scholarship in the framework of the Personal program is available on the official website of CSC. 
This website also contains more than 60 pages of guidelines in Mandarin Chinese clearly stipulating all the requirements and the procedure for application in general.

!!! Point of attention: Candidates cannot simultaneously apply for a CSC scholarship both in the framework of the Preference program and a Personal program of CSC in China.

Applicants for the UGent-CSC Preference program must first submit a pre-selection application in Ghent. Only Ghent University pre-selected candidates can then submit a CSC preference application to CSC in China. Candidates who are not pre-selected by Ghent University can decide, in consultation with their supervisor, whether to submit a CSC application under the Personal program instead.
Only when you actually receive the CSC scholarship and can provide a CSC Confirmation Grant Letter, you will be able to enroll as PhD student at Ghent University and receive the tuition fee waiver and bench fee waiver.

Note for Ghent University supervisors: CSC does not provide a bench fee. This means that your department will bear the research costs of the PhD student. CSC standardly requires scholarship applicants (both preference and personal) to be exempt from any study costs. Therefore, an exemption from tuition fees and bench fees is always necessary.

1. Who is eligible

You must have Chinese nationality, and meet eligibility requirements of CSC.

For a full PhD (4 years)

You are a last-year Master student from a Chinese university (4-year scholarship)
Or a last-year Master student from a university outside of China (4-year scholarship)
Or a student who already obtained a Master degree (4-year scholarship)
Or a first-year PhD student currently enrolled in a university outside of China (3-year scholarship)
For an exchange PhD (< 1 year)
You are a current PhD student enrolled in a Chinese university

For a joint PhD (2 years – 6 years)

You are a current PhD student enrolled in a Chinese university

Ghent University offers two kinds of jointly supervised PhD programs:

1. Student researchers who are visiting Ghent University to perform research in the context of their PhD (for which they are enrolled at another university) and who intend to obtain a PhD degree at their Chinese home university only, are considered as ‘exchange’ PhD-students at Ghent University. maximum duration <12 months.

2. Jointly supervised PhD students who wish to obtain a double/Joint PhD degrees from both Ghent University and their home university in China are considered as ‘Joint PhD’ students at Ghent University.
They need an joint PhD agreement signed by their supervisors at Ghent University and Chinese university. The agreement contains elements such as: form of degree, authorship for publications and intellectual property, jury composition, place of defense, tuition fee, etc.

2. Language

English at level B2 is required for a PhD study at Ghent University. The supervisor can also confirm that the student has the required level of English.

The candidates who obtained a UGent-CSC scholarship are fully exempted from the APS screening procedure (APS certificate) since the academic year 2018-2019. CSC grant holders selected in the framework of the Preference program and Personal program of CSC will be automatically exempted based on the lists of selected CSC candidates provided by CSC to Ghent University via the Chinese Embassy in Brussels. 

3. CSC Application & admission

If you consider to apply for a CSC scholarship, the first step is to approach a professor in your research area. All applications require the explicit commitment of a Ghent University professor who will act as your PhD supervisor. Once you have found a professor who is willing to become your supervisor (‘promotor’), you can jointly prepare your application. Candidates can look for a Ghent University supervisor in their domain of interest by browsing the list of faculties and research topics.

Candidates for a CSC scholarship are not automatically admitted to doctoral studies at Ghent University. All CSC applicants should add an official Ghent University Letter of Admission/Letter of Invitation to their CSC application.
A personal invitation letter from their professor/future supervisor will not be accepted.

Therefore, students & supervisors are strongly advised to initiate the admission/registration procedure for the doctoral program in time and before the CSC application.
Upon the finalization of the admission procedure at Ghent University, the Ghent University student administration will email a Letter of Admission (LOA) or a Letter of invitation (LOI) to the student.
This letter must be included in the CSC application, confirming to CSC that, if selected for the CSC scholarship, the student will be welcome as a PhD student at Ghent University. It will also confirm that CSC scholarship students are exempt from additional study costs at Ghent University (i.e., tuition and bench fees). Additionally, the letter will specify the expected duration of the PhD study (4 years on average) and the language of instruction (English for international PhD students).

1. Admission Information on how to become admitted as a full PhD degree student:

The admission procedure at Ghent University needs to be initiated by the Ghent University supervisor through the Oasis-tool. This is a mostly administrative procedure during which the academic aspects (equivalence of your degree, research proposal and language skills) will be evaluated.
Students are advised to ask their promotor to start this procedure in a timely manner and hand in all documents to the Registrar's Office as requested.

2. Information on how to become admitted as a Joint PhD degree student:

• First contact the student administration services of your home institution to make sure that joint PhD’s can be awarded there. Make sure you have a supervisor at both institutions.

• Start the admission procedure at Ghent University. The admission procedure at Ghent University needs to be initiated by the Ghent University supervisor. This is a mostly administrative procedure during which the academic aspects (equivalence of your degree, research proposal and language skills) will be evaluated.

Students are advised to ask their promotor to start this procedure in a timely manner and hand in all documents to the Registrar's Office as requested.

• After being awarded a CSC scholarship, you can take further steps to arrange a joint doctoral degree.
You will need an joint PhD agreement signed by your supervisors at Ghent University and your Chinese university. Candidates must be admitted and enrolled at Ghent University before a joint PhD agreement can be finalized—but the joint PhD process can be initiated before the enrolment is complete. It is often wise to do so, as the negotiation of a joint PhD agreement can take time.

All information about how to start a Joint PhD can be found here.

3. Information on how to become admitted as an Exchange PhD student:

New exchange-PhD candidates initiate the application here.

Students who are admitted as a future exchange PhD student will receive an official Ghent University Invitation letter (LOI). This Letter will guarantee that CSC funded PhD students will be able to study at Ghent University without paying tuition and bench fees. This letter will also mention the expected duration of study and the language of study.
Supervisors can include a Letter of Support with the application. If needed, supervisors can request the template for this letter by emailing to phdexternalfunding@ugent.be.

Please check our highly informative webpage for students with external funding. It contains essential information regarding what steps to take before traveling to Belgium and what to do upon arrival.