For whom

Outstanding Chinese master's students, recent graduates and young (academic) professionals who want to pursue a PhD degree at Leiden University.

All fields of research at Leiden University are eligible for funding, however the following areas are given priority:

• Law - focus areas: International Law, Air and Space Law, Public Law and Private Law
• Social and Behavioural Sciences
• Archaeology
• Humanities - focus areas: Linguistics, Art History and Literary Studies, Asian and Middle Eastern Studies, Philosophy and Religion
• Science - focus areas: Mathematics, Computer Science, Astronomy, Physics, Chemistry, Drug Research, Biology and Environmental Sciences
• Medicine

For more information, please visit the CSC study abroad website.

Eligibility requirements

To be eligible for a CSC Scholarship, you must:

• be a citizen of the People’s Republic of China at the time of application
• be between 18 and 35 years old
• hold a Master’s degree or be in the process of obtaining a Master's degree
• be (conditionally) admitted to the relevant graduate school at Leiden University
• have a high level of English language proficiency, answering to the demands of the relevant Graduate School
• have a letter of acceptance for a PhD programme at Leiden University
• satisfy the CSC selection criteria

Obligations       

Scholarship awardees should return to China upon completion of their PhD programme.

Scholarship amount

The scholarship is funded by CSC.

The below-mentioned funding and support will be available for a maximum duration of 48 months.

CSC provides the following coverage:

• Living allowance (including health insurance)*
• Return ticket from China to the Netherlands and vice versa

For more information, please visit the CSC study abroad website.

* Please be aware that the CSC living allowance has to meet the minimum monthly requirement for the visa application. This requirement is set by the Dutch immigration and naturalisation service (IND).  

Application process

1. Find a PhD position and supervisor at Leiden University.
   Visit the website of the relevant graduate school for details of how to do so.
2. Once you have found a PhD position and supervisor, your perspective supervisor will nominate you to the graduate school for admission to the PhD programme. The deadline of the nomination by the supervisor to the Graduate School is 13 February 2026.  
3. After admission, your PhD supervisor (promotor) will provide you with an acceptance letter using the format from the Graduate School. The letter must be signed and written on Leiden University or LUMC letterhead stationery.
4. With a signed acceptance letter from your supervisor, you can apply for the CSC Scholarship via the CSC online application portal. You can find more information about the application procedure and the CSC deadlines on the CSC website. Please be aware that your home institution may have different deadlines and requirements.

Specific information

• Contact the relevant graduate school for more information about obtaining a PhD position and admission to a PhD programme.
• Visit the CSC study abroad website for more information about the CSC.
• For more information about practical matters that you need to arrange before and after your arrival in the Netherlands:
  LUMC candidates only: Ask your PhD supervisor to contact the relevant HR department.
  Candidates for all other faculties: Please check the website of Leiden University’s Service Centre International Staff.

Disclaimer

The prospective PhD candidate is responsible for submitting an application that is complete, correct and on time by following the steps described above. Leiden University cannot be held responsible for late, incomplete and/or incorrect applications for the CSC-Leiden University scholarship.

The CSC-Leiden University Scholarship provides scholarships for outstanding Chinese master's students, recent graduates and young (academic) professionals who want to do a full-time PhD programme at Leiden University.

The CSC-Leiden University Scholarship falls under a joint contract of the China Scholarship Council and Leiden University.