Shenzhen University PhD Scholarships 2027 in China (March Intake)

About the scholarships

Shenzhen University (SZU) in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, runs two PhD intakes a year for international students, in March and September. This article covers the March 2027 intake, which opened on 10 October 2026 and closes on 30 November 2026. There are 21 PhD programme options in 17 academic and 4 professional doctoral degrees — 19 taught in English and 2 in Chinese (Education and Psychology). All PhD study is full-time, lasting 3 to 4 years (5 years at most).

The main award is the Liyuan International Scholarship: a full tuition waiver plus CNY 4,000 to 6,000 a month — First Class CNY 6,000, Second Class CNY 5,000, Third Class CNY 4,000. Two other scholarships are available alongside it: the Guangdong Government Outstanding International Student Scholarship (CNY 30,000 a year) and the Shenzhen Universiade Scholarship (CNY 40,000 a year). Supervisors also provide their recruited international PhD students with at least CNY 12,000 a year for research or academic exchange. Note what is not promised: the official brochure lists university accommodation charges separately, so free accommodation is not explicitly included in the Liyuan benefits — do not budget as if it were.

Eligibility

• Be a non-Chinese citizen with a valid foreign passport, in good physical and mental health, and abide by Chinese laws and university rules.
• Hold a master’s degree or above and be under 40. Applicants who have not yet graduated can provide an expected-graduation certificate, but the official diploma must be provided before enrolment.
• For Chinese-taught programmes: a minimum score of 180 in HSK5.
• For English-taught programmes: an English proficiency certificate within its validity period. Native speakers of Chinese or English can be exempted after recognition by the university.
• Secure a recommendation letter from a potential supervisor before applying — this is mandatory, not optional.

Benefits

• Liyuan International Scholarship: full tuition waiver + CNY 6,000 / 5,000 / 4,000 a month (First / Second / Third Class).
• Guangdong Government Scholarship: CNY 30,000 a year.
• Shenzhen Universiade Scholarship: CNY 40,000 a year.
• Supervisor support: at least CNY 12,000 a year for research or academic exchange.
• Not explicitly included: free accommodation — the brochure lists accommodation charges separately (single room CNY 2,400–8,000 a semester; double room CNY 750 a semester).
• Tuition for reference: CNY 34,000 a year (liberal arts), CNY 40,000 (science and engineering), CNY 52,000 (medicine/arts/physics); health insurance CNY 800 a year.

Documents to prepare

• A recommendation letter from a potential supervisor (use the template in the official brochure).
• A valid passport.
• Master’s degree certificate (or expected-graduation certificate) and transcripts.
• A language proficiency certificate (HSK5 for Chinese-taught; English proficiency certificate for English-taught).
• A study plan / research proposal.
• A physical examination form.
• Proof of funds and other documents as required by the online system.
• The CNY 400 application fee payment voucher (CNY 400 / USD 60, non-refundable).

How to apply

1. Contact a potential supervisor from the official list and ask for a recommendation letter — do this first, before anything else.
2. Register online at lxs.szu.edu.cn (College of International Exchange).
3. Fill in personal and visa information and upload all documents plus the fee payment voucher.
4. Submit by 30 November 2026.
5. Pre-admission results arrive in December 2026; admission documents in January 2027.
6. Contact: szulxs@szu.edu.cn, +86-755-26558894 (College of International Exchange, Shenzhen University).

FAQs

Verified 27 Oct 2026: en.szu.edu.cn/info/1024/1979.htm (official SZU admission brochure, March 2027 intake, English) — programmes (21 options, 19 English, 2 Chinese), duration 3–4 years (max 5), eligibility (non-Chinese, valid passport, master’s degree or above, under 40, HSK5 180+ for Chinese-taught, English proficiency certificate for English-taught), application time 10 October–30 November 2026, procedure (contact supervisor for a recommendation letter first, register at lxs.szu.edu.cn, upload documents and fee voucher); lxs.szu.edu.cn/en/info/1112/3623.htm (official brochure, Chinese mirror) — same dates; ScholarshipClaude, scholarshipclaude.com/blog/shenzhen-university-phd-scholarship-application-guide — checked 16 October 2026 against the official brochure: Liyuan CNY 4,000–6,000/month, Guangdong CNY 30,000/year, Shenzhen Universiade CNY 40,000/year, supervisor support at least CNY 12,000/year, fee CNY 400, pre-admission December 2026, admission documents January 2027; CSCGuideOfficials — same figures, contact szulxs@szu.edu.cn, +86-755-26558894, apply link status.szu.edu.cn; DAADScholarship.com (deadlines of 37 Chinese universities, checked 25 October 2026) — SZU March 2027 PhD admission 10 October–30 November 2026, "university scholarship options, not a general CSC deadline", supervisor recommendation required; ScholarshipsLand — stipend CNY 4,000–6,000/month, 80 scholarships, age 40. CONFLICTS: none material. NOTES: (1) the queue title says "Graduate Research Opportunities 2026 (Master’s & PhD)" — the live scheme is the March 2027 PhD intake only; the article is written on the live cycle. (2) free accommodation is not explicitly included in the Liyuan benefits (per CSCGuideOfficials reading of the brochure) — stated as such. (3) tuition figures (CNY 34,000–52,000/year) and accommodation/insurance charges are from ScholarshipsLand's reading of the brochure, not from the en.szu.edu.cn text retrieved — flagged here, used in the article as brochure figures.