The Yenching Academy of Peking University is a one year Master of Arts in Chinese Studies program (in English) that is recruiting its second cohort of 100 students for the 2016-2017 academic year. It is designed to prepare an elite class of future leaders to meet the challenges of the 21st century global landscape. The Yenching Academy provides an extraordinary education experience that draws from western and eastern perspectives; cultivates leaders who will advocate for global progress and cultural understanding.

The Award

All students of the Yenching Academy will be Yenching Scholars. Students admitted to the program will be fully funded - tuition, fees, housing and a stipend for living costs. The program is taught in English although some classes will be taught in Chinese, with Chinese language instruction provided at varied levels.

Yenching Scholars will receive Chinese language instruction tailored to their needs, and will study a core curriculum on their way to a one-year Master’s in Chinese Studies. Academy students with advanced Chinese are able to take courses in that language, in addition to the language tutorials they might have.

They may elect one of the following areas of concentration:

• Literature and Culture
• History and Archaeology
• Philosophy and Religion
• Politics and International Relations
• Economics and Management
• Law and Society

Built on the intention to bring our students the rich Chinese culture and civilization and the real-time development in China, Yenching Academy prepares its students to take leading roles to tackle the world’ s most challenging issues. The Yenching Academy is a residential college within Peking University. Scholars share classroom learning experience, engage in informal dialogues through extra-curricular activities, student-initiated seminars and field studies in different parts of China.

Eligibility

Awards are open to recent university graduates from China and around the world. The program is looking for students with outstanding scholarship and leadership talent, regardless of their field of study, who will have graduated next year and wish to dive deeply into the study of China on the campus of China's leading university. Strong preference will be given to those who are 25 years old or younger on August 31, 2016.

Yenching Application Requirements

Application forms (available from the ORC)
International English test score report (IELTS/TOFEL)

For those whose first language is not English or are not graduating from an English-speaking University.

Stanford official transcript
Two recommendation letters (to be emailed to Diane Murk at dmurk@stanford.edu by campus deadline)

The recommendations should be provided by professors or academic advisors from Stanford, or other individuals who are in a position to comment on the applicant's achievements, character and future potential.

Recommenders of Partner University applicants will not upload their letters to the Yenching Academy online application portal.

Recommendation writers send via email the reference letters and reference form (form available from the ORC) directly to Diane Murk. The ORC will forward the electronic letters to the Yenching Academy. Letters should be on letterhead stationary with the signature and sent as a PDF.

Personal statement

The Personal Statement, not to exceed 750 words wrtten in English, should include a personal introduction and reasons why you wish to be a Yenching Scholar. Use your full name + Personal Statement as a document name. (ie. John Smith + Personal Statement.pdf)

Curriculum Vitae / Resume

Use your full name + CV as a document name (ie. John Smith + CV.pdf)

The Application

1. To apply through Stanford University, candidates need to submit via email their Yenching application to the Overseas Resource Center, attention dmurk@stanford.edu by our campus deadline by 5:00pm on November 11, 2015.
2. References need to email Diane Murk their signed recommendation letter and form by campus deadline.
3. Please do not submit your Yenching online application for the campus level.

Stanford University will review and evaluate applications and then decide on our nominations. Nominees will then complete and submit the online application. Our office will forward the application materials including the letters of recommendation to Yenching Academy for further selection. At the moment, we do not have a maximum number of nominees to forward to the Yenching Academy. As a participating university, there will be two fellowships offered to Stanford students to participate in the Yenching Academy of Peking University.

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