I.  About YES China

The China Scholarship Council (CSC) implements the Youth of Excellence Scheme of China (YES China) to nurture global governance talent equipped with international perspectives, outstanding overall competences, essential leadership qualities for professional excellence, and cross-cultural sensibilities. Xiamen University is one of the higher-education institutions accepting students under YES China.

Xiamen University (XMU), founded in 1921 by renowned patriotic overseas Chinese leader Mr. Tan Kah Kee, was the first Chinese university established by an overseas Chinese person. XMU has long been listed among China’s leading universities on the national 211 Project, 985 Project and Double First-Class Initiative, which have been launched by the Chinese government to support selected universities in achieving world-class standing. Nestled snugly between green hills and the blue sea, XMU is renowned as one of the most beautiful universities around the world for its excellent education facilities and beautiful environment.

Xiamen University currently comprises Siming Campus, Zhangzhou Campus, Xiang’an Campus and XMU Malaysia. XMU consists of a graduate school, six academic divisions, 33 schools and 16 research institutes. In 2022, six XMU disciplines – education, chemistry, marine science, biology, ecology and statistics – were included in the nation’s list of disciplines for achieving world-class status. XMU ranks among ESI’s global top 1% in 19 disciplines, with chemistry, materials science and engineering in ESI’s global top 1‰. XMU currently has a faculty of nearly 3,000, of whom 74.3% are full or associate professors. Among them, 32 are the members of the Chinese Academy of Sciences or of the Chinese Academy of Engineering. XMU currently has an enrollment of more than 44,000 students, including over 20,000 students in bachelor’s degree programs, 18,000 in master’s degree programs, and 5,000 in doctoral degree programs.

XMU implements a comprehensive global outreach strategy. The University has signed cooperation agreements with 259 overseas universities. Actively involved in international Chinese education, XMU has built 14 Confucius Institutes and 48 Confucius Classrooms in 12 countries on five continents, the highest numbers with the most extensive geographic coverage among Chinese universities on the List of “Double First-Class” Universities. In July 2014, XMU Malaysia broke ground, making XMU the first Chinese university to open an international campus, hailed as a jewel on the crown of the “Belt and Road Initiative”.

II. Program Details

Program Title: Cultivation Program for Marine Affairs Talent of Excellence in the Countries along the “Belt and Road”

Course of Study: Marine Affairs

Academic Degree: Master's

Medium of Instruction: English

Duration of Study: 2 years

Financial Support: Full scholarship (living allowances are paid only in the first academic year).

About the MMA Program

The International Master’s Program in Marine Affairs (MMA) at Xiamen University was the first master’s program in this field to be officially approved by China’s Ministry of Education. The MMA Program is conducted in English and open to both Chinese and international students. Since 2007, the Program has enrolled 218 students, including 77 international students from 29 countries along the Belt and Road in Asia, Europe, Americas and Africa (as of September 2022).

As a cutting-edge interdisciplinary program in the “Great Ocean”, the MMA Program is staffed by faculty members from various disciplines, including marine science, environmental science and ecology, public administration, law and economics and so on. The key research areas include: (1) Global Ocean Governance; (2) Ocean Development Strategies and Policies; (3) Marine and Environmental Law; (4) Marine Economy; (5) Coastal and Ocean Management; (6) Coastal Marine Environmental and Ecosystem Health; and (7) Ocean Carbon Management.

Faculty Team of 2023 (in alphabetical order)
School of Law: He Lixin, Shi Yubing, Xu Peng, Zhong Hui, Zhu Xiaoqin
School of Public Affairs: Li Dan, Lv Zhikui, Meng Hua, Zhou Xi
School of Public Health: Xu Ling, Zhao Ran
College of Ocean and Earth Sciences: Bai Xiaolin, Cai Minggang, Cai Yihua, Chen Yougan, Gao Guang, Gao Kunshan, Guo Weidong, Li Jianghui, Li Zhongping, Lin Xin, Liu Tao, Liu Zhiyu, Shang Shaoling, Shangguan Minjia, Wang Deli, Xu Peng, Zhang Wenjng, Zhang Wenzhou, Zhang Yao
College of the Environment and Ecology: Cao Wenzhi, Chen Luzhen, Chen Nengwang, Fang Qinhua, Huang Jinliang, Li Shaobin, Li Yangfan, Li Yi, Lu Yonglong, Peng Benrong, Tan Qiaoguo, Wang Pei, Wang Xinhong, Xie Minwei, Xue Xiongzhi, Yu Ang, Zhang Qian, Zhang Yihui, Zhang Zengkai, Zheng Yue, Zhu Xudong
School of Architecture and Civil Engineering: Li Yuan
School of Economics: Cai Jingjing, Li Zhi, Tang Lizhi
School of Sociology and Anthropology: Gong Wenjuan

Requirements:

The MMA program is a two-year course of study. In the first year, students will complete the course, research and thesis preparation. In the second year, students can return to their home country and complete their thesis in the light of their work before defense. Students who pass the defense will be allowed to graduate and obtain the degree. The total number of credits is greater than or equal to 24, including 22 credits for courses (including 4 credits for common courses, 9 credits for compulsory professional courses and 9 credits for elective professional courses) and 2 credits for other training programs. The Coastal and Ocean Management Institute (COMI) offers 13 courses, including 2 common courses, 6 compulsory courses and 5 elective courses. The courses include Frontiers of Marine Affairs, Marine Science and Marine Utilization, Academic Writing, Marine and Coastal Zone Management, Marine Resources and Environmental Economics, Marine Policy and Law and other core courses, all of which are taught in English. Students can also take other courses offered by the University.

Graduate students in marine affairs should abide by academic ethics, respect academic integrity, love scientific research, have a rigorous scientific research style and the spirit of scaling the heights of science. They should have a solid grasp of the basic theories and systematic expertise in the relevant disciplines; understand the latest developments and challenges facing marine affairs at home and abroad; master the basic theories and methods in marine affairs-related fields; have the ability to solve complex problems in marine affairs; have a global perspective and be able to use English to communicate professionally; be capable of conducting scientific research or undertaking specialized technical work, as well as applied research and management practice in the fields of marine and coastal zone management, marine economics, marine policy and law, etc., to meet the needs of government departments, research units, consulting agencies and other sectors of society for professional talents in marine affairs.

The topic chosen for the thesis of postgraduate students in marine affairs should be in line with the research direction set by the major, oriented towards the research and practical needs in the field of marine science and management, combined with the actuality of their own work, and fully reflecting the interdisciplinary and international characteristics. The thesis should have a certain theoretical and practical significance, with feasible research methods, rigorous argumentation process, reliable research results, accurate expression and standardized format. The thesis should demonstrate that the author has received systematic academic training. The thesis proposal should normally be completed by the autumn term of the second academic year, and the thesis should be submitted for examination and defensed in the spring term of the second academic year.

III. Application Eligibility

1. Applicants should be a citizen of a country other than the People’s Republic of China, not older than 45 years of age, and be in good health;

2. Applicants should hold a bachelor’s degree or above and have three or more years of working experience. Prefernce will be given to those who have academic or professional experience in a field related to the course of study applied to.

3. Applicants should belong to one of the following four categories of personnel:
① Civil servants at the rank of section chief or above (or equivalent) in a government department of their home country;
② Senior managerial personnel at institutions or enterprises;
③ Administrative personnel at universities or research institutes;
④ Personnel with work or internship experience with an international organization

4. Applicants should present a TOEFL iBT certificate with a score of 80 or above, or an IELTS (academic) certificate with an overall score of 6.0 or above, either of which must be within its period of validity. Applicants who have completed undergraduate studies at a university with English as the medium of instruction are exempted from this requirement, but a medium-of-instruction certificate from the university should be furnished. Applicants from English-speaking countries are not required to provide an English proficiency certificate.

5. Applicants should obtain a “Supervisor Pre-acceptance Letter for XMU International Applicants” signed by their supervisor and stamped by the XMU Coastal and Ocean Management Institute and the Admissions Office. (To obtain this letter, please refer to the Applications Procedures.)

6. For other application eligibility requirements pertaining to master’s degree programs with English as the medium of instruction, please refer to the Prospectus for Admission to Master’s Degree Programs in 2023.
(https://admissions.xmu.edu.cn/Admissions/Master_s_Students.htm)

IV. Application Procedures

Online Application:

(1) Obtain a “Supervisor Pre-acceptance Letter”

① Download and complete the “Supervisor Pre-acceptance Letter for XMU International Applicants” (https://admissions.xmu.edu.cn/cn/info/1136/2362.htm);
② Submit, via email, the completed “Supervisor Pre-acceptance Letter for XMU International Applicants”, certification documents about academic and professional experience as listed in the Application Eligibility section, and other application materials required in the Prospectus for Admission to Master’s Degree Programs in 2023, to the XMU Coastal and Ocean Management Institute (comi@xmu.edu.cn) (cc: admissions@xmu.edu.cn) (please indicate “YES China Program – Supervisor Pre-acceptance Letter” in the subject line of the email);
③ The Coastal and Ocean Management Institute and the Admissions Office will carry out pre-evaluations, and a “Supervisor Pre-acceptance Letter for XMU International Applicants” will be issued to applicants who meet the pre-acceptance requirements.

(2) Application Materials Required

Applicants should complete online registration before April 30, 2023 in the Chinese Government Study-in-China Management Information System (http:// studyinchina.csc.edu.cn/#/login) and submit their application materials to the China Scholarship Council. When completing online registration, choose “Type A” for the type of scholarship (Institutional Code: 1563; Program for Application: “YES China Program”), and fill in “Xiamen University”.

Application materials required include:

① The “Supervisor Pre-acceptance Letter for XMU International Applicants” signed by the supervisor and stamped by the XMU Coastal and Ocean Management Institute and the Admissions Office;
② Certification documents about academic and professional experience as listed in the Application Eligibility section;
③ Other application materials required in the Prospectus for Admission to Master’s Degree Programs in 2023 and in the Chinese Government Study-in-China Management Information System.

Application Acceptance:

The China Scholarship Council (CSC) directly accepts applications from individual international students. Materials submitted by applicants will be reviewed by the CSC and evaluated by an expert panel organized by the CSC.

V. Evaluation and Decision

The CSC will conduct preliminary evaluation of the application materials received.
The CSC will organize an expert panel to evaluate the application materials, and a final decision will be made on the application after evaluation by the expert panel.

VI. Timetable

VII. Contact Information

1. China Scholarship Council
http://www.campuschina.org  

2. Admissions Office, Xiamen University
Add.: Admissions Office, Xiamen University, Xiamen, Fujian, China (postcode: 361005)
Tel: +86 (0)592 2184792/2188375
Fax: +86 (0)592 2180256
Email: admissions@xmu.edu.cn
Website: http://admissions.xmu.edu.cn

3. Coastal and Ocean Management Institute
Add.: Jinquan Building, Xiang’an Campus, Xiamen University, Xiang’an District, Xiamen, Fujian, China (postcode: 361102)
Tel: +86 (0)592 2880260
Email: comi@xmu.edu.cn
Website: http://comi.xmu.edu.cn/enindex.asp