Exchange with Wuhan University

Target group
Two tuition-free study places, preferably for students of Chinese studies (major or minor) who have completed four semesters of their BA or intermediate examination in law at the start of the program. MA students are also eligible.

Benefits
Waiver of tuition fees

Further information
https://admission.whu.edu.cn/ADMISSION/PROGRAMS/DEGREE_PROGRAM/UNDERGRADUATE_PROGRAM.htm

https://admission.whu.edu.cn/info/1201/1051.htm

Application deadline
Always at the beginning of January – please refer to the information in the current announcement.

Exchange with Xiamen University

Five tuition-free exchange places for one or preferably two semesters. Participants can choose from both Chinese-language and English-language BA and MA courses at Xiamen University. Prerequisites are English language skills and/or basic knowledge of Chinese.

Target group
Students of all subjects who have completed four semesters of their BA or passed their intermediate examination in law at the start of the program, as well as students in MA programs.

Benefits
Waiver of tuition fees at the host university.

Further information
https://admissions.xmu.edu.cn/

https://admissions.xmu.edu.cn/info/1022/1597.htm

Application deadline
Always at the beginning of January – please refer to the information in the current announcement.

Exchange with East China Normal University, Shanghai

Up to four tuition-free exchange places to study at our partner university, East China Normal University.

Target group
Students of all subjects who have completed four semesters of their BA or passed their intermediate examination in law at the start of the program, as well as students in MA programs.

Benefits
Waiver of tuition fees.

Further information
lxs.ecnu.edu.cn

Application deadline
Always at the beginning of January – please refer to the information in the current announcement.

Scholarships from the China Scholarship Council (CSC) as part of the Chinese Government Scholarship Bilateral Program

Target group

The program is aimed at bachelor's and master's students.
 

Description of the program

The scholarship enables students to study at a university accepted by the China Scholarship Council. Both full and partial scholarships are available. However, a full scholarship in the Bilateral Program is only possible with a prior DAAD application.

Annual scholarships for study abroad
Combined study and practical semesters abroad for undergraduate and master's students
Scholarships for master's studies abroad
Scholarships for studying Asian languages
Duration

Study abroad stays of between one semester and five years are eligible for funding.
Please note the scholarship durations of the respective DAAD scholarships, if applicable.
 

Scholarship benefits

Financial support varies depending on the program and is based, among other things, on the status of the scholarship holder. A full scholarship corresponds to approximately half of a DAAD annual scholarship. A partial scholarship covers only the tuition fees at the Chinese university up to a certain maximum amount.
Application requirements

Applicants should not have Chinese citizenship. Depending on the study program, certain age restrictions apply. An application for a full scholarship must be preceded by an application for a DAAD annual scholarship.
Application deadline

Current application deadline: February 19, 2025, for funding to begin in the winter semester 25/26 or summer semester 26.

The application deadline is updated once a year. In most cases, it is the same as the previous year. Applications are submitted via the CSC portal. Please also contact the DAAD as part of your application. We advise you to allow sufficient time for preparing your application documents.

To apply for a full scholarship, you must first apply for a DAAD annual scholarship. The application deadline for this is in September of the previous year.

Further information can be found here:
https://www.campuschina.org/content/details3_74776.html

daad.de/go/stipd10000535

Program objective

The objective of the program is to offer German graduates the opportunity to participate in a language and practice-oriented program in China. Scholarship holders are given the opportunity to thoroughly learn the Chinese language and experience the country's culture and economy firsthand. The DAAD, as a higher education organization, and the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) see this program as a contribution to the development of China experts in business, administration, and industry.

Who can apply?

The target group is primarily those with little or no experience of China who are interested in pursuing a career in a German-Chinese context. However, those with in-depth knowledge of China are also welcome to apply.
The application requirement is at least a bachelor's degree in computer science, natural sciences, engineering, law, political science, economics, social sciences, or architecture.
Medical, humanities, and arts subjects are excluded.
The DAAD would also like to encourage interested parties who already have professional experience to submit an application.
You can also apply if you are not a German citizen. The requirements can be found in our important scholarship information under Section A, Point 1.

What is funded?

A two-week preparatory course in language and regional studies at a German language institute for applicants with little or no knowledge of Chinese

A ten-month language course in China (at a language school selected by the DAAD), supplemented by excursions to learn about the country and visits to research institutions and companies

A six-month internship at a Chinese or German-Chinese company or at an administrative institution in China.

The DAAD office in Beijing is responsible for organizing the supporting program during the stay in China. Scholarship holders are responsible for finding their own internship placements. The office can assist with the placement process.
The internship is an integral part of the program.

Those interested in exclusively language training are referred to the program Scholarships for the Study of Asian Languages.

Duration of funding

This scholarship is generally valid for a period of approximately 16 months:
 

Preparatory course at a German language institute, if necessary

Language course in China: starting in September

Internship in China: from July of the following year until the end of December

The scholarship cannot be extended.

Scholarship benefits

The scholarship includes the following benefits:

A monthly scholarship rate determined by the host country: Scholarship calculator (the rates for doctoral candidates apply in this program). The scholarship rates are subject to change for scholarships awarded for funding in the 2025/2026 academic year.

Travel allowance

Health, accident, and personal liability insurance

Coverage of the costs of the preparatory course (including pocket money) for applicants without prior knowledge

Coverage of the costs of language lessons in China

A challenging accompanying program

Link

daad.de/go/stipd50722609

Program objective

From the world's “workbench” to an innovation and technology nation with global leadership aspirations: Since Deng Xiaoping's policy of opening up, China has experienced an unprecedented (re)rise, the effects of which extend far beyond the long-focused dimension of economic development. Given the multitude of fields in which Germany and China interact today, there is a need for people who can shape and accompany this exchange based on their knowledge and experience.

With the China Scholarship Program, the Studienstiftung enables interested students of all disciplines to explore the country in line with their own professional and personal interests, acquire sound language skills, establish personal contacts, get to know the Chinese university and scientific landscape, and gain insights into current political and social developments on the ground.

This is the successor program to the China Scholarship Program, which was funded by the Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation from 1986 to 2024. The program is financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMFTR).

Program description

The program supports highly qualified students in all subjects except art and design during a two-semester study program at a Chinese university. Fifteen scholarships are awarded each year.

The program sees itself as a “door opener” to China and is therefore also aimed at applicants who have had little or no contact with China to date.

Scholarship benefits

Financial support

Admission to the China Scholarship Program also means admission to the Studienstiftung for applicants who have not previously received support from the Studienstiftung.

Monthly financial scholarship benefits consisting of: monthly study allowance of €300

a domestic scholarship calculated on the basis of parental income, similar to Bafög, of up to €855

a subsidy for health and nursing care insurance, if applicable

a foreign allowance of €350 per month, plus a Bafög foreign supplement of €100, if applicable

a travel allowance of up to €1,425

Tuition fees in China covered by the China Scholarship Council

Non-material support

Preparatory intensive language course in March

Access to the educational program and further non-material support from the Studienstiftung

Admission to the alumni network of the China Scholarship Program

Preparatory seminar before departure to China

Support with study planning from contact persons at the office and at the university location

Application requirements

Open to students of all subjects except art and design from the end of the  second semester

Very good academic performance in a broad-based and intensive course of study

Previous language skills are desirable but not a requirement

If you are interested in the China Scholarship Program but are not a German citizen, you can find out here whether you meet the formal requirements for applying.

Application process and program schedule

Both current scholarship holders and individuals who have not yet received funding from the Studienstiftung can apply for the scholarship. The 15 scholarship places will be awarded according to the respective proportion of internal and external applications in the total number of applications.

October 1, 2025: Application deadline. Please send the completed application form (DOC, 0.1 MB) including all other application documents as a PDF attachment by email to china(at)studienstiftung(dot)de.

End of November: After a preliminary selection, promising external applicants will be invited to a selection seminar. The decision on the award of scholarship places for internal applicants will be made on the basis of the application documents.

February: Application for study places in the People's Republic of China via the China Scholarship Council

March: Participation in a three-week intensive language course

End of June/beginning of July: Preparatory seminar

September: Start of the study visit to China

Please be sure to read the FAQs on the application and program schedule (PDF, 0.2 MB).

The following projects cannot be funded under the China Scholarship Program:

Study visits after completion of a master's degree or state examination; the master's degree or state examination must not have been completed at the start of the stay in China.

Study phases in China as part of a double degree program

Study visits to China with the aim of obtaining a Chinese degree (bachelor's or master's)

One-semester study visits to China

Pure internship projects in China

We expressly welcome applicants who bring different life experiences with them, whether through chronic illness, caring for family members, a non-academic background, experiences of poverty, a history of flight and migration, experiences of racism, anti-Semitism, or other experiences of discrimination and marginalization.

Digital information events on the application process

Two digital information events will give applicants the opportunity to find out more about the program and ask questions about the application process. Registration is not required. The content of the two events is identical. The dates and access details for the information events can be found here:

Dates

Wednesday, August 13, 2025, 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Zoom link

Meeting ID: 947 7904 5024

Access code: 154731

Wednesday, September 3, 2025, 5:00 p.m. - 6:30 p.m.
Zoom link
Meeting ID: 969 5828 6206
Access code: 141951

Contact

Program Director

Dr. Julia Schütze
Berlin Office
Phone: +49 30 20370 448
Email: schuetze(at)studienstiftung(dot)de

Staff

Rainer Bauck
Berlin Office
Phone: +49 30 20370 443
Email: bauck(at)studienstiftung(dot)de

Further information

Application folder (DOC, 0.1 MB)

FAQs on applications and the program schedule (PDF, 0.2 MB)