EVENTS

ICS-HYI MULTI-YEAR DOCTORAL FELLOWSHIP FOR CHINA STUDIES: 2025

We are excited to announce that we are currently accepting applications for the ICS-HYI Multi-Year Doctoral Fellowship in China Studies for the upcoming 2025-26 academic year!

The Institute of Chinese Studies - Harvard-Yenching Institute (ICS-HYI) Joint Scholarship for Doctoral Research is now established as one of the most sought-after and prestigious scholarships for Indian scholars engaged in research on China. It is a long-term initiative of the ICS, in partnership with the HYI, for supporting and training the next generation of China scholars in India.

Two scholarships for a period of five years each are awarded to selected candidates enrolled in the doctoral programme in Indian universities. Generally speaking, in the first year the selected candidates will concentrate on strengthening their Chinese language capability. They will then spend the second year conducting dissertation research at an HYI partner university in China. They will spend the third year at the Harvard-Yenching Institute, based at Harvard University in the United States before returning to India to complete their doctoral degree.

The applicants must be registered in a PhD programme in an Indian university or in the process of applying to a PhD programme in the social sciences or humanities including anthropology, archaeology, art history, cultural studies, economics, geography, history, international relations, language and literature, legal history, philosophy, political science, religion, and sociology with a specific China focus in their research.

The Fellowship is subject to the following conditions:

1. Research carried out by the candidate must have a China focus.
2. The candidate must possess or must have the willingness to acquire Chinese language proficiency adequate for scholarly research purposes.
3. The PhD synopsis of the candidate must be approved, or be in the process of being approved by the home university.

The selected candidates will need to sign a bond agreeing to spend the two years following submission of the doctoral thesis in a teaching or research position in India that is of relevance to the development of China Studies. 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

The applicant will submit the following documents by e-mail to icshyi.fellowship@gmail.com with cc to icsdelhi.in@gmail.com:

1. CV with the date of birth, academic record, awards, contact details.
2. Academic transcripts from MA-level onwards (scanned copies).
3. PhD research proposal submitted or being submitted to the university. If the synopsis has not been finalised, a 1,000-word proposal outlining the research focus.
4. Statement of purpose, detailing the candidate’s interest in China and relevance of the PhD proposal for Chinese studies or India-China comparative studies.
5. Proof of Chinese language capability, if applicable (scanned copies).
6. Three signed references on official letterhead, at least two of which must be from academics/scholars in universities or research institutions.

IMPORTANT DATES

For further enquiries, you may also contact former recipients of the ICS-HYI Fellowship via email (with cc to icsdelhi.in@gmail.com). The contact information is as follows:

1. Dr. Veda Vaidyanathan (2014 ICS-HYI Fellow), Associate Fellow, Centre for Social and Economic Progress; Associate, Harvard University Asia Center.
   Email: vedavaidyanathan@fas.harvard.edu
2. Dr. Madhurendra Jha (2016 ICS-HYI Fellow), Assistant Professor, Department of Chinese Studies, School of Languages, Doon University
   Email: maoduliang@gmail.com
3. Mr. Pawan Amin (2020 ICS-HYI Fellow), PhD Scholar, Jawaharlal Nehru University; Fudan University, Shanghai.
   Email: pawanamin@gmail.com

For further enquiries, please contact  icshyi.fellowship@gmail.com | Website: www.icsin.org