Update per October 2023: there will be no application round for the academic year 2024-2025. Please see below for more information.

About this scholarship

The Sino-Dutch scholarship programme focuses on excellent Chinese 3rd-year bachelor, master or PhD students who want to study or do research in the Netherlands for at least 1 academic year.

The China Scholarship Council (CSC) is responsible for the pre-selection of candidates. Nuffic administrates the scholarship programme, DUO, the Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs, takes all official decisions regarding the scholarships and make all corresponding scholarship payments.

New application round

There currently is no new application round. The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is reassessing its policy in the field of international student mobility. In addition, the Ministry is reassessing all existing bilateral programmes for scholarships. The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science intends to restructure these bilateral scholarship programmes to an overarching scholarship system that aligns better with new policies on internationalisation. As a consequence , there will be no new application round for the Sino-Dutch programme. It is therefore not possible to apply for a Sino-Dutch scholarship for academic year 2024-2025.

This means that subsidy as laid down in the current regulation will expire from academic year 2024-2025 and will be replaced in a new integral regulation. The Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science will announce this new scholarship system in the future and aims – where feasible - for a swift operationalisation.

China remains a priority country within the International Knowledge and Talent Strategy.

Current scholarship holders

There are no consequences for current scholarship holders. If you have a Sino-Dutch scholarship, you can continue and complete your education or research while retaining the scholarship.
Do you have questions? You can contact us via sds@nuffic.nl.

Obligations for scholarship holders:
Certain obligations apply to the scholarship. Please read these carefully and consult CSC for additional criteria or conditions.

Sino-Dutch Scholarship Review Form 2023 (69.10 kB)

Code of conduct

Nuffic or programmes managed by Nuffic may not be involved in activities involving unacceptable behaviour. It can be about Interpersonal or financial misconduct or abuses of power. Nuffic has an Integrity Code of Conduct to combat unacceptable behaviour. In addition, activities involving the following situations/behaviour are considered unacceptable:

  • bankruptcy, insolvency or winding-up procedures;
  • conduct related to a criminal organisation;
  • money laundering or terrorist financing;
  • terrorist offenses or offenses linked to terrorist activities;
  • irregularity;
  • creating a shell company;
  • being a shell company.


When we implement our programmes, we acknowledge our Code of Conduct. In our Code of Conduct we describe how we put our mission and values into practice every day. We explain the professional and ethical behaviour that is expected from all of us and those who handle Sino-Dutch scholarships.

Read our Code of Conduct.