The Higher Education Commission (HEC) has invited applications for a six-month research fellowship in China under the Academic Collaboration program of the CPEC Consortium of Universities.
The opportunity is aimed at full-time MS, MPhil and PhD scholars enrolled at recognised universities in Pakistan. It will allow selected researchers to work at Chinese universities and laboratories, gain international research experience and develop academic links between Pakistan and China.
The official call describes the research fellowship as fully funded and allows selected scholars to conduct part of their degree research in China for up to six months.
Applicants must be:
The proposed work in China must be directly connected to the applicant’s degree research and should be achievable within six months.
Both the applicant’s Pakistani university and the proposed Chinese host university must be members of the CPEC Consortium of Universities.
PhD applicants must have completed their required coursework and should be in the research stage of their degree.
They must have completed at least 18 months of enrolment and should not have exceeded three-and-a-half years in their PhD program by the closing date.
Their research topic and synopsis must be approved by the Board of Advanced Studies and Research, Directorate of Advanced Studies and Research, or an equivalent university body.
MS and MPhil applicants must have completed at least 18 credit hours of coursework.
They should be in the thesis or research stage, with their research topic approved by the relevant university, department or academic body.
Applicants must obtain an official invitation or acceptance letter from a supervisor at a Chinese university, research institute or laboratory.
The host institution must be part of the CPEC Consortium of Universities. The acceptance letter should clearly identify the host supervisor and proposed research placement.
HEC will give priority to research proposals in national and emerging fields, including:
Applicants from related disciplines may also apply when their proposed research matches the program objectives.
Applicants must upload the required documents as one combined PDF file, including:
Eligible candidates must visit the official HEC program page and open the online application form provided for the fellowship.
Applicants should complete all required sections and upload the supporting documents in a single PDF file. They must check that the final application status is shown as “Submitted.” Applications left in “Saved” status will be treated as incomplete.
A hard copy is not required at the initial application stage. HEC may ask selected candidates to submit a signed printed application and supporting documents later.
The online application form opened on July 26, 2026.
The last date to apply for the HEC six-month research fellowship in China is August 14, 2026.
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