ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship eligibility: nationality, age 45, IELTS 6.0 and work experience
Sources checked · Unofficial summary
To apply for the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship (ACYLS), you must be a citizen of one of the eleven ASEAN Member States named in the Guidebook to the ASEAN-China Young Leaders Scholarship, be in sound physical and mental health, be proficient in English (IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 or above), hold the degree required for the category you apply to, and have at least one year of work experience. For master's and PhD study you must also be under the age of 45. You cannot hold another Chinese government scholarship at the same time, and you still have to meet the admission requirements of the universities you apply to.
What ACYLS is, in the guidebook's own terms
The guidebook describes ACYLS as a response to the call of the Leaders of the People's Republic of China and the ASEAN Member States to increase people-to-people exchanges and strengthen educational and academic cooperation. It calls the programme "a dedicated project for ASEAN nationals, in particular young and promising professionals with working experience in ASEAN Member States," and says the Chinese government will provide funding mainly through the ASEAN-China Cooperation Fund (ACCF).
ACYLS supports study for master's or PhD degrees, short-term research programmes and training courses in the PRC. The guidebook describes the award as a full scholarship covering programme-related expenses: tuition waiver and other school fees, accommodation, round-trip international air fare, comprehensive medical insurance and stipends.
Instruction language is English. The guidebook says candidates are "strongly advised" to register for English-taught programmes and that their English proficiency must also meet the language requirements of the programme they apply to — so the IELTS/TOEFL floors below sit alongside whatever the university itself requires.
The eligibility criteria as the guidebook lists them
Section 4 of the guidebook sets out nine criteria. They are reproduced here in the order given:
| Criterion | What the guidebook says |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Citizen of an ASEAN Member State: Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam |
| Health | In sound physical and mental health |
| English | Proficient in English: IELTS score of at least 6.0, or TOEFL score of at least 80 points |
| Master's degree study | Holder of an undergraduate degree and under the age of 45 |
| PhD study | Holder of a graduate/master's degree and under the age of 45 |
| Short-term research programme | Holder of at least an undergraduate degree |
| Work experience | At least one year of work experience in government agencies, public or private institutions, universities, think-tanks or similar social agencies |
| Other awards | Not a concurrent awardee of a Chinese government scholarship |
| University admission | Meets other admission requirements of the Chinese universities applied to |
Two details are worth reading carefully. The age condition of "under the age of 45" appears only in the master's and PhD lines; the short-term research line states a degree requirement but states no age limit. And the one-year work experience requirement is written as a general criterion, not attached to one category.
The work experience ACYLS prefers
The guidebook does not stop at "one year." It says applicants preferably have experience in one of the following:
- work related to foreign and international affairs, especially ASEAN and China-ASEAN affairs;
- work or study in the PRC;
- academic work on China or ASEAN-related affairs.
The eligible employers named are government agencies, public or private institutions, universities, think-tanks or similar social agencies. The guidebook does not say how the preference is weighed, or whether experience outside those three areas disqualifies an applicant.
What the guidebook does not say
The page gives no application deadline date. The guidebook's focal point list on the page is headed "As of 2026," but that heading marks the list of contact points, not an application window, so it should not be read as a deadline.
The guidebook also leaves two gaps in its own structure. It names training courses as one of the activities ACYLS supports, but its table of schooling lengths and its eligibility list both cover only master's students (2–3 academic years), doctoral students (3–4 academic years) and research scholars (4–5 months); no duration and no separate eligibility line are given for training courses. And it states no score, quota, or selection weighting beyond the criteria above.
Where the official text is silent, this page says so rather than filling the gap from another programme's rules.
Questions people ask
Do I need work experience to apply for ACYLS?
Yes. The guidebook requires at least one year of work experience within government agencies, public or private institutions, universities, think-tanks or similar social agencies. It also lists three kinds of experience it prefers: work on foreign and international affairs (especially ASEAN and China-ASEAN affairs), work or study in the PRC, and academic work on China or ASEAN-related affairs.
Is Timor-Leste included in the eligible nationalities?
Yes. The guidebook's nationality criterion lists Brunei Darussalam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Timor-Leste and Viet Nam.
What English score do I need?
The guidebook requires an IELTS score of at least 6.0 or a TOEFL score of at least 80 points, and adds that your English proficiency must meet the language requirements of the programme you apply to. It names no other tests.
Can I hold ACYLS and another Chinese government scholarship at the same time?
No. One criterion is that the applicant is "not a concurrent awardee of a Chinese government scholarship."
Is there an age limit for the short-term research programme?
The guidebook states the under-45 condition only for master's and PhD applications. For the short-term research programme it requires at least an undergraduate degree and states no age limit.
Questions people ask about the process
Does the guidebook give an application deadline?
No. The page carries no application deadline date.
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 published by the China Scholarship Council or any of the bodies named above, and the official notice prevails if the two differ.