studyinchina.helpACYLS paperwork: online application, hard copies and the national focal point
Under the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship (ACYLS) guidebook, you must submit your application online through CGSIS, upload the documents listed in its List of Application Documents, and send hard copies to your country's ACYLS national focal point or to the AUN Secretariat as required, before the deadline. Section 3 (When & where to Apply) gives no calendar deadline. It tells applicants to ask the national focal point or the AUN Secretariat directly for the deadline of the current year.
The English below is the guidebook's own wording where quoted. Step and item numbers follow the guidebook.
Who receives your application
Section 3 says applicants submit to the ACYLS national focal point of their home country. Faculty and staff from ASEAN universities who apply through the ASEAN University Network (AUN) and AUN Thematic Networks submit to the AUN Secretariat instead. The section states: "Faculty and staff from ASEAN universities, who apply through ASEAN University Network (AUN) and AUN Thematic Networks, shall submit their applications to AUN Secretariat before the deadline."
Section 3 also says: "The application generally opens from January to March every year."
The application steps, in order
Step 1: Complete the online application. Visit CGSIS (Chinese Government Scholarship Information System) through Campus China, using the Scholarship Application for Students link to log in. The guidebook says online submission is compulsory for each applicant. You complete the application information and upload all necessary supporting documents.
Step 2: Prepare the documents and submit them. Prepare the application documents according to the List of Application Documents and upload all required documents to the online system. Also submit the hard copies of the application form and relevant documents to the ACYLS national focal points or the AUN Secretariat, as required, before the deadline. The focal points and the AUN Secretariat then review the qualifications of all applicants. They provide the list of recommended recipients to the Joint Committee of the ACYLS, which decides the final recommendation list.
Step 3: Wait for the Chinese Scholarship Council. The guidebook states: "The Chinese Scholarship Council (CSC) will only process the applications recommended by the Joint Committee. Applicants not included in the list will not be considered. CSC reserves the right to make necessary adjustments to the applicants host universities."
The application documents
The guidebook lists 11 items under "IV. List of Application Documents":
- Application Form for Chinese Government Scholarship (in English).
- A copy of your valid ordinary passport home page.
- Notarized highest diploma. Documents in languages other than Chinese or English must be attached with notarized Chinese or English translations.
- Academic report. This document in languages other than Chinese or English must be attached with notarized Chinese or English translations.
- A Study Plan or Research Proposal (written in Chinese or English). This should be a minimum of 500 words for non-degree students, and 800 words for graduate students.
- Two Recommendation Letters (written in Chinese or English). Applicants for the graduate programs or the short-term research scholar programs must submit two recommendation letters, one from the candidate's current employer and one from the candidate's university professor.
- Valid documents of your legal guardians in China (only required for applicants under the age of 18).
- Certificates of English language proficiency (IELTS with minimum 6.0/TOEFL with 80 or above, or other internationally accepted certificates in the equivalent level). The guidebook prints "TOFEL"; the test name here is TOEFL.
- Foreigner Physical Examination Form (written in English, only required for applicants planning to stay in China for more than 6 months). The form can be downloaded from Campus China. The physical examinations must cover all of the items listed in the Foreigner Physical Examination Form. Incomplete forms, forms without the signature of the attending physician, forms without the official stamp of the hospital, or forms without a sealed photograph of the applicant are considered as invalid. The guidebook adds: "Please carefully plan your physical examination schedule as the result is valid for only 6 months."
- A resume or CV including the educational background and working experience after high school (upload to Other Supporting Documents in the CGSIS).
- Non-criminal record report. The applicant shall submit a valid certificate of Non-Criminal Record issued by the local public security authority, usually issued within 6 months prior to the submission date of the application.
The timeline as printed
Section 10 (Timeline) prints months without a year. The guidebook gives these stages:
| Period | What the guidebook says happens |
|---|---|
| January-March | Applicants apply to ACYLS national focal points and the AUN Secretariat and complete the online application through CGSIS. |
| March-April | Focal points and the AUN Secretariat review candidates and submit the recommendation list to the Joint Committee based in Jakarta. The Joint Committee then submits a nomination list to CSC. |
| May-July | CSC engages with the designated universities for placement. |
| End of July | CSC notifies recipients of the final results after the Joint Committee confirms them. Host universities mail admission documents to recipients. |
| August | Recipients receive admission documents and go through the necessary procedures for coming to China. |
| September | Recipients arrive in China and register with the host universities. |
National focal points and AUN
The focal point list in the guidebook is headed "ASEAN-CHINA YOUNG LEADERS SCHOLARSHIP FOCAL POINTS (As of 2026)". It has ten country entries and no entry for Timor-Leste.
| Country | Body named on the page |
|---|---|
| Brunei Darussalam | International Affairs Unit, Ministry of Education Brunei Darussalam |
| Cambodia | Cultural Relations and Scholarship Department, Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Kingdom of Cambodia |
| Indonesia | Working Group of Regional, Multilateral, and Darmasiswa (focal point emails are at kemdikbud.go.id) |
| Lao PDR | Department of External Relations, Ministry of Education and Sport, Lao PDR |
| Malaysia | Regional Cooperation Unit, International Relations Division, Ministry of Higher Education |
| Myanmar | Ministry of Science and Tehcnology (spelling as printed on the page) |
| Philippines | International Affairs Staff, Commission on Higher Education, Philippines |
| Singapore | Four named officers with mfa.gov.sg addresses; the entry names no unit |
| Thailand | Ministry of Education (SOM-ED), Bureau of International Cooperation |
| Viet Nam | International Education Division (IED), International Cooperation Department (ICD), Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) |
For individual contacts, use the official page. This summary leaves out the named officers and their personal contact details.
Questions people ask
Do I apply online or on paper?
Step 1 makes the online application compulsory. Step 2 asks you to submit hard copies of the application form and relevant documents to the ACYLS national focal point or the AUN Secretariat, as required, before the deadline.
What is the deadline?
Section 3 gives no calendar date. It says the application generally opens from January to March every year, and that applicants shall consult the ACYLS national focal points or the AUN Secretariat directly for the deadline of the current year.
How long is the physical examination result valid?
Item 9 says the result "is valid for only 6 months."
Who signs the recommendation letters for graduate applicants?
Item 6 says graduate and short-term research scholar applicants must submit two recommendation letters, one from the candidate's current employer and one from the candidate's university professor.
Sources
- Guidebook to the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship (China Scholarship Council, Campus China)
Checked 10 October 2026
This page is an unofficial summary. It is not published by or affiliated with the Ministry of Education, the China Scholarship Council, the National Immigration Administration, any embassy or any university. It is not legal advice. If the official text and the current notice of the office handling your case differ, the official text and that notice prevail.