Belt & Road Scholarship 2026 — guide for CIS applicants
The Belt & Road Initiative Scholarship (一带一路奖学金) is a grant for students from 140+ countries that signed onto the “One Belt — One Road” initiative. Unlike the wide-net CSC, Belt & Road competition is 2–3× lower.
Who can apply
- Citizens of BRI countries: Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus, Thailand and 130+ more.
- Bachelor, master, PhD.
- Age limits identical to CSC.
- HSK 4 for Chinese-taught programs or IELTS 6.0 for English ones.
What it covers
- Full tuition.
- Dormitory (twin room).
- Stipend 2,500–3,500 ¥/month (same as CSC).
- Sometimes — flight reimbursement (depends on the province).
How it differs from CSC
- Lower competition. Belt & Road averages 1:8 vs 1:30 for CSC.
- Funded by the province, not the central government. Distribution goes through provincial departments of education.
- Softer research-proposal requirements. 800–1,200 words is enough.
- Field restrictions usually align with BRI strategy: transport, energy, IT, economics.
How to apply
Step 1. Choose a province
Top picks for Belt & Road: Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Chongqing. Each has its own quotas and priorities.
Step 2. Pick a university
Inside the chosen province find a school that offers Belt & Road. Often a Project 211 university.
Step 3. Documents
The standard CSC pack + recommendation letters that emphasise BRI cooperation between your country and China.
Step 4. Deadline
Typically February–April.
Real cases of our students
- Aigul (Bishkek) — Belt & Road at Yunnan University, MBA in English.
- Dmitry (Moscow) — Belt & Road at Xi'an Jiaotong University, PhD in transport.
- Malika (Tashkent) — Belt & Road at Zhejiang Normal University, teaching Chinese.
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