The World Academy of Sciences Scholarship For Developing Countries 2025

The World Academy of Science Scholarships is jointly sponsored by the Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO), the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), and the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS/UNESCO) to advance science in developing countries.

Every year, the ANSO-CAS-TWAS/UNESCO PhD Scholarship provides fully funded grants to up to 40 students/scholars from developing countries to study for doctorate degrees in China for up to four years.

The Alliance of International Science Organizations (ANSO) was founded in 2018. It is a non-profit, non-governmental organization with 37 scientific institutions, universities, and international organizations as its founding members. ANSO aims to improve regional and global capacity in science and technology, human livelihoods, and well-being and to promote broader S&T cooperation and communication.

The CAS-ANSO Scholarship for Young Talents, which used to be known as the ANSO Scholarship for Young Talents, was formally launched in 2019 with the goal of training and cultivating young scientists from all over the world.

200 Master’s students and 300 PhD students are selected as recipients of the World Academy of Science Scholarship every year to pursue postgraduate education at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), or institutes of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) around China.

Tuition Fees in China

Suppose you are pursuing undergraduate studies in a public university in China. In that case, you are expected to pay tuition fees within the range of $2,000 to $10,000/year, depending on the university and major. The cost for private universities fluctuates and can rise to $30,000 per year. In the case of MBA degrees, it goes as high as $40,000 per academic year.

The tuition fees for PhD programs in China vary depending on the university or city you choose to study in. But on average, an international student will be required to pay between $2,008 and $7,700 per year.

Eligibility Criteria

You are qualified for the scholarship if you meet the requirements listed below.

• Eligible applicants should NOT hold Chinese citizenship;
• Eligible applicants must be nationals of eligible developing countries in the South (Developing Countries in the South | TWAS)
• Eligible applicants should be proficient in English or Chinese;
• For PhD program applicants: you should be born after 1st January 1988­­ (inclusive);
• Eligible applicants should meet the admission criteria for international students of USTC/UCAS;
• Eligible applicants should NOT take up other assignments during their scholarship period.

If the applicant is pursuing a doctoral degree at any university/institution in China, s/he will NOT be eligible for the PhD program of this scholarship. Otherwise, s/he will be disqualified from admission, and the situation will be reported to the current university/institution.

Scholarship Benefits

The World Academy of Science Scholarship will provide full tuition coverage for beneficiaries and a monthly stipend of ¥6,000 or ¥7000 (depending on whether the awardee has passed the qualification test arranged by the university). The scholarship will also cover campus accommodation for international students.

Other costs included in the financial aid are:

• Health insurance.
• Application fee waiver.
• International travel allowance from the awardee’s home country to China (one trip per awarded candidate).
• A one-time visa.

Any scholarship awardee on site in China, the host country, at the time of application will NOT be eligible for any travel subsidy. All awardees are required to finish centralized training in Chinese language and culture and all required credits, as well as practical research and completion of degree thesis at colleges and schools of USTC/UCAS or CAS institutes.

Any PhD awardee who fails the qualification test or annual assessment will face the consequences, including:

• Termination of his/her scholarship;
• Discontinuity of his/her doctoral study;
• Being provided with a certificate of attendance for the study period undertaken in China. This is not a formal doctoral degree.
• All the awardees are required to abide by Chinese laws and USTC/UCAS regulations and rules.

Application Procedure

File and submit your application in the USTC/UCAS admission system as requested before the deadline.

When applying:

• Firstly, choose “the CAS-ANSO Scholarship” in your application.
• Secondly, if you want to be considered a potential candidate for the ANSO-CAS-TWAS/UNESCO PhD Scholarship, check the box as instructed in the application system.

Please choose BOTH Young Talents AND the ANSO-CAS-TWAS/UNESCO Scholarship when applying. Ensure you apply to any one of the following institutions below;

1. USTC admission system
2. UCAS admission system

You can NOT apply for the ANSO Scholarship in USTC and UCAS simultaneously. If you do so, you will be disqualified from admission.

Deadline/Expiration: February 15, 2025

Find other scholarship programs currently open for application