In 1921, Mr. Tan Kah Kee, a renowned patriotic leader of overseas Chinese, founded Xiamen University (XMU), making it the first higher-learning institution established by overseas Chinese in the nation’s modern education history. With Xiamen’s close geographic and cultural proximity to Taiwan and its status as a major ancestral home for overseas Chinese and as a special economic zone, XMU has rapidly emerged as a leading center for educational and cultural exchanges with countries along the Maritime Silk Road, as well as with Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan. It has recently been chosen for inclusion in the Chinese Government’s Program of Building World-Class Universities and World-Class Disciplines. The University was placed among the world’s top 400 institutions in various authoritative world university rankings, such as THE, QS, US News and ARWU. Currently, the University has a total enrollment of approximately 40,000 students, including 19,782 in bachelor’s programs and 19,619 in master’s and doctoral programs. Close to 3,500 international students from over 130 countries and regions are studying at XMU. Over the past century, driven by its vision to become a world-class institution, XMU has been dedicated to academic excellence and the education of the whole person. The University has been making significant contributions to China’s great rejuvenation and human development, earning a prestigious reputation as the “Strength of the South”.

I. Scholarship Profile

The Tan Kah Kee Scholarships have been set up by The Xiamen Tan Kah Kee Education Foundation as part of its efforts to promote the legacy of Mr. Tan Kah Kee, “the standard-bearer of overseas Chinese and the glory of the nation”, and to foster the Tan Kah Kee spirit in entrepreneurship and dedication to education. The Scholarships are open to outstanding international students of Chinese descent and students in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who are descendants of Jimei alumni to study at Xiamen. XMU is one of the institutions authorized to enroll students on the Tan Kah Kee Scholarships.

II. Application Eligibility

1. International students of Chinese descent with valid foreign passports and in good health, particularly those from countries in Southeast Asia, South Asia, West Africa and Europe along the routes of the Maritime Silk Road.

Note: Residents of Chinese mainland, Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan who have emigrated to a foreign country and who are now applying to study in bachelor's program in China as international students must have held a valid foreign passport for at least four years, and have actually resided in a foreign country for at least two years in the past four years (as of April 30, 2018). (Nine months of residence in a foreign country may count as a full year. The dates of the entry and exit stamps in the passport will be followed in establishing the actual length of foreign residence.)

2. Applicants shall adhere to the “One China” Principle, be friendly to their mother country, and abide by the laws, rules and regulations of the Chinese Government.

3. Educational Background and Age Limits:

①Applicants for bachelor’s degree programs should have a high school diploma or above and be under the age of 30;

②Applicants for master’s degree programs should have a bachelor’s degree or above and be under the age of 35;

③Applicants for doctoral degree programs should have a master’s degree or above and be under the age of 40;

Note: Applicants who have been awarded any other scholarship are not eligible for Tan Kah Kee Scholarships.

III.  Application Deadline: Feb. 1 to May 10, 

IV.  Application Procedure

Applications for the Scholarships will be considered only after the applicant has been admitted to a program at Xiamen University. (The Application Guidelines for Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral Degree Programs 2018 are available at http://www.2go2cn.com/index.php?s=/index/schools/index/id/452.html)

1.  Applicants shall complete the Application Form for Tan KahKee Scholarship and prepare a printout;

2. Applicants are required to apply online at http://admissions.xmu.edu.cn/application and then print out the Application Form for International Students generated upon successful online application. Application fee is RMB 400 (payable upon signing up online; non-refundable).

3. application documents as required:

An application package shall be mailed to XMU's Admissions Office by courier and arrive before the above deadline and it shall include: documents indicated in the following chart and

①one completed Application Form for Tan Kah Kee Scholarships,

②one completed Application Form for International Students,

③one certification letter from an ethnic Chinese group or an influential ethnic Chinese person in the applicant’s country of residence to certify applicant's ethic Chinese origin（please download the certification letter format: http://admissions.xmu.edu.cn/uploadfile/file/20171218/20171218024358_26086.doc) ,

④one physical examination form. 

★Applicants are expected to keep their phones on and check their email and online application system account regularly as XMU’s Admissions Office will contact them when necessary. Applicants are expected to submit a complete set of application materials and will be held responsible for the authenticity of their documents. Incomplete or forged  application materials will be rejected. No application materials will be returned,  regardless of the outcome of the application.

V. Scholarship Awards

Scholarships will be awarded to 3-5 candidates in doctoral degree programs, 30-35 in master’s degree programs, and 30 in bachelor’s degree programs. Final decisions will be made by the Tan Kah Kee Scholarships Committee. Scholarships cover tuition, on-campus accommodation and insurance expenses and living allowance.

①Doctoral students: RMB 70,000 per year (3 or 4 years)

②Master’s students: RMB 60,000 per year (2 or 3 years)

③Undergraduate’s students: RMB 50,000 per year (4 or 5 years)

VI. Application Evaluation Applications for the scholarships will be evaluated on a competitive basis through an open and impartial process. XMU will prepare a short-list of candidates for the scholarships and submit it to the Tan Kah Kee Education Foundation for evaluation in mid-June and then to the Tan Kah Kee Scholarships Committee for final approval. Scholarship decisions will be made on the basis of the applicants’ academic performance, research achievements, supervisors’ comment, letters of recommendation, and overall merits.

VII. Annual Assessment and Relevant Policies

The recipients’ academic performance will be assessed each year and only those achieving the required standard will have their scholarship renewed for the following year.

In general, scholarship students should not change their university, major or extend their duration of study once they start their studies in Xiamen. When an exception is necessitated, application for a change of the student’s major, university or extension of scholarships should be filed by the host university to the Education Foundation. A change could be made only after the application is formally approved by the Education Foundation. Any change made without approval, or dropout or suspension of schooling will result in the withdrawal of one’s scholarship qualification.