ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship: the conditions the matcher checks
Unofficial summary · Sources checked
Citizens of the ten ASEAN Member States plus Timor-Leste can apply for the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship (ACYLS) if they already hold an undergraduate degree, are under 45 when applying for a master's or doctoral degree, have at least one year of work experience, score IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 or above, and are not already holding another Chinese government scholarship. Those lines come from item 4 of the Guidebook to the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship, published by the China Scholarship Council on Campus China.
The scholarship match on this site runs your answers against ACYLS and 18 other national programmes and labels each result Conditions met, Check a condition or Not met yet. Below is the guidebook's text first, then exactly which of those conditions the tool can test.
The eligibility lines
Item 4 of the guidebook lists nine conditions. Applicants must be:
| Ref | Condition |
|---|---|
| 4.a | Citizen of an ASEAN Member State: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste or Viet Nam |
| 4.b | In sound physical and mental health |
| 4.c | Proficient in English, with IELTS at least 6.0 or TOEFL at least 80 points |
| 4.d | Holder of an undergraduate degree and under 45 for a master's degree |
| 4.e | Holder of a graduate/master's degree and under 45 for a PhD degree |
| 4.f | Holder of at least an undergraduate degree for the short-term research programme |
| 4.g | Holder of at least one year of work experience in government agencies, public or private institutions, universities, think-tanks or similar social agencies |
| 4.h | Not a concurrent awardee of a Chinese government scholarship |
| 4.i | Compliant with other admission requirements of the Chinese universities applied to |
Condition 4.g also names experience that is preferred rather than required: work related to foreign and international affairs, especially ASEAN and China-ASEAN affairs; work or study in the People's Republic of China; and academic work on China or ASEAN-related affairs. Because item 4.g words it as a preference ("preferably"), it is not a pass/fail requirement.
The guidebook states no age limit for the short-term research programme, so if you apply on that route the age line in 4.d and 4.e does not reach you. Where your case is borderline, ask the national focal point handling it.
Categories, length and language
Item 1 sets out three supporting categories, each with its own length of schooling and matching length of scholarship. Recipients must complete their studies within the scholarship duration.
| Category | Length of schooling | Length of scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| Master's students | 2–3 academic years | 2–3 academic years |
| Doctoral students | 3–4 academic years | 3–4 academic years |
| Research scholars | 4–5 months | 4–5 months |
Instruction language is English, and candidates are strongly advised to register for English-taught programmes, with English proficiency meeting the requirements of the applied programme (item 1). The introduction also lists participation in training courses as a supported activity, but the category table in item 1 gives no length for training courses.
Funding is described in the introduction as a full scholarship covering all program-related expenses: tuition waiver and other school fees, accommodation, round-trip international air fare, comprehensive medical insurance and stipends. The Chinese government funds it mainly through the ASEAN-China Cooperation Fund. Item 2 sets a monthly stipend of 4,000 RMB for master's students and 5,000 RMB for doctoral students and research scholars, and a one-time settlement fee of 3,000 RMB. It also sets reimbursement ceilings for air fare (3,000 RMB each for the first trip to China and the return after graduation, 6,000 RMB for each home-visit round trip, and no more than 6,000 RMB for research scholars; chapter VI, item 3). Item 2 gives no figure for tuition, accommodation or medical insurance.
When and where to apply
Item 3 of the guidebook sets the route, not a date. Applicants submit applications to the ACYLS national focal point of their home country before the deadline. Faculty and staff of ASEAN universities applying through the ASEAN University Network (AUN) and AUN Thematic Networks submit to the AUN Secretariat before the deadline.
The guidebook says applications generally open from January to March every year, and says applicants should consult the ACYLS national focal points or the AUN Secretariat directly for the current year's deadline. The Campus China page gives no application deadline date, and its focal point list is headed "As of 2026"; treat any year-specific date as belonging to that year's cycle and confirm the current one with your focal point.
What the match tool can and cannot test
On the answers you enter, the tool tests four things against ACYLS: your citizenship group (ASEAN member state), your study level, your age, and whether you tick "I hold IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80, or above". It also asks about programme language and HSK level, neither of which is a condition for ACYLS in item 4.
Everything else in item 4 falls into Check a condition: health (4.b), the one-year work experience (4.g), not holding another Chinese government scholarship (4.h), and the university's own admission requirements (4.i). A result labelled Check a condition means nothing failed — the tool simply cannot read those. Programmes closed to your level, country group or age are dropped from the results and counted in a line beneath them. Each result links to the official notice it came from, and a result is not an award or an eligibility decision.
Questions people ask
Does the guidebook give an application deadline date?
No. Item 3 says applications generally open from January to March every year and directs applicants to the ACYLS national focal points or the AUN Secretariat for the current year's deadline. The Campus China page itself states no deadline date.
Is there an age limit for the short-term research programme?
Item 4 of the guidebook states none. Item 4.f requires at least an undergraduate degree for that route; the under-45 line appears in items 4.d and 4.e, which cover master's and doctoral degrees.
Can I hold another Chinese government scholarship at the same time?
No. Item 4.h states the applicant must not be a concurrent awardee of a Chinese government scholarship.
Sources
- Guidebook to the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship — China Scholarship Council (Campus China, campuschina.org)
Checked 10 October 2026. This page is an unofficial summary, is not legal or immigration advice, is not published by the bodies named, and if anything here differs from the official text or from the instructions of the body handling your application, the official text and those instructions prevail.