What Confucius Institute Scholarship for International Students (China) actually covers.
The Confucius Institute Scholarship, administered by Hanban/Chinese International Chinese Education Foundation (CIEF), is one of China's most widely available scholarship programmes for international students from Africa and other regions, providing funding for Chinese language studies, undergraduate studies, master's programmes, and doctoral degrees at universities across China. Confucius Institute Scholarships are specifically accessible through local Confucius Institutes established at African universities, making them an especially practical option for African applicants who may already have a connection to Chinese language and culture programmes at their home institutions.
There are currently Confucius Institutes operating at universities in South Africa, Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, Ethiopia, Cameroon, Botswana, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Uganda, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, Rwanda, and many other African countries. Applicants affiliated with these local institutions typically receive preferential consideration and institutional support during the application process, as their host Confucius Institute submits a formal recommendation on their behalf.
The scholarship supports full-time study in China, covering tuition and registration fees, on-campus accommodation or housing allowances, a monthly living stipend ranging from CNY 1,400 (for one-year language programmes) to CNY 3,500 (for doctoral degree programmes), and comprehensive medical insurance. Scholarships for degree programmes typically fund the complete duration of studies — four years for undergraduate, two to three years for master's, and three to four years for doctoral.
For African students seeking to develop Chinese language skills alongside academic qualifications, the Confucius Institute Scholarship represents a unique gateway to studying in China. Many African governments increasingly value graduates with Chinese language proficiency given China's growing economic footprint across the continent.
Who can apply.
Open to undergraduate, masters, phd applicants seeking to study in China. Eligible nationalities are listed below.
46 more eligible countries — full list available on the official application page.
Every academic discipline is accepted.
This programme does not restrict by field. Research proposals across humanities, sciences, engineering, agriculture, and medicine are all accepted.
From here to submitted.
Scholar Africa helps you discover, shortlist, and track. The application itself is submitted on the provider's site.
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Save itAdd this to your shortlist so we can recommend similar scholarships and remind you of the deadline.
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Prepare your documentsMost providers ask for the same set — transcripts, references, a personal statement, ID. Use the checklist below to track progress across all your applications.
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Apply on the provider's siteSubmit on the provider's site before March 15, 2027 · 246 days left.
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Track the outcomeAdd to your tracker so you can update the status as the provider responds (shortlisted, interview, decision).
Document checklist
Checks are local to this device — they're not stored. Always confirm exact requirements on the provider's official application page.
What we checked, when we checked it.
Scholar Africa runs a link-liveness check on every listing before it goes live and an admin manually reviews every scholarship submitted by providers. Confucius Institute Scholarship for International Students (China) has been reviewed and verified by our team. Five deeper checks (contact, organisation, winners, third-party, formal audit) are on the roadmap.
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Other scholarships worth a parallel application.
Same eligibility window or destination. Many strong applicants apply to three or four programmes per cycle.