Prospective Scholars: Application Procedures

If you have any additional questions about the program that are not covered on this site, please contact the Visiting Scholar Program Administrator at the email address below:

Skye VanValkenburgh

(吴思凯)

1+510.643.6322 (office)

Please submit all required application materials to

ccs-vs@berkeley.edu.

Please note: Applications sent elsewhere will not be reviewed. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Additional supplementary materials that are not listed as part of the application requirements will not be reviewed.

Application Deadlines

The Center for Chinese Studies will review applications for visiting scholar/student status on a first come first serve basis. As it can take scholars up to four months to go through the entire application and post-acceptance procedures, we suggest that applicants submit applications for visiting scholar/student status in accordance with the deadlines below, or at least four months in advance of their ideal appointment start date. Please reference the table below for a guideline of when you should submit your application.

After you have submitted your application, please allow up to two weeks for the review period. 

As requests for invitation letters tend to be related to securing funding documents, we suggest that applicants who plan to apply for outside funding apply to our visiting scholar program in advance of the funding agency’s application deadline. If you are an international scholar/graduate student, your post-acceptance nomination status will be contingent upon meeting the funding requirements as outlined in the U.S. Department of State J-1 Visa Immigration Requirements

Program Start Date
访学项目开始日期
Application Deadline
截止日期 

 For Arrival During the Fall Semester
秋季学期抵达

March 15th or at least 4 months in advance of your anticipated start date
11:59 pm Pacific Standard Time 

For Arrival During the
Spring & Summer Semesters
春季与夏季学期抵达


August 15 or at least 4 months in advance of your anticipated start date
11:59pm Pacific Standard Time 

If you would like to plan your affiliation dates around the start of the Spring, Summer, or Fall Academic Semesters, please visit the UC Berkeley Academic Calendar for the most updated scheduling information. 

Application Requirements

If you have determined that you meet the minimum prerequisites to be considered for either Visiting Scholar or Visiting Student Researcher affiliation at CCS, please follow the instructions below to begin your application: 

Submit Application Materials

Please email to ccs-vs@berkeley.edu the following application materials: 

1. Research Proposal |访学研究计划 (PDF or WORD document only)

访学研究计划(A4纸1页,英文),内容包括:
One page research proposal answering the following questions (in English):

  1. 研究课题
    The title of your research project
  2. 研究项目详细说明
    What is your proposed research project (in detail)?
  3. 赴伯克利加州大学访学目标
    What do you hope to accomplish during your stay in Berkeley?
  4. 访学期限(抵达和离开日期)
    What is your proposed duration of stay (affiliation start and end dates)?

The Center for Chinese Studies accepts applications for short and long-term affiliation. When deciding affiliation start and end dates, please consider: 

Short-Term Program Category: affiliation for at least three to six months

  • no extensions allowed

Long-term Program Category:  longer than six months and up to one-year

  • extensions allowed if approved by the department and VSPA office.

2. Resumes| 简历 (PDF or WORD document only)

  1. 个人简历(英文),请列明学术论文和出版书籍
    Current English-language curriculum vitae and list of publications. Please include both in the same document
  2. 个人简历(中文或其它语言)
    Current Native-language curriculum vitae (if other than English)

3. Passport |护照扫描件 (PDF or JPEG/PNG documents only)
    (not required for U.S. Permanent Residents & Citizens)

  1. 申请人护照扫描件
    Copy of passport information page for the scholar
  2. 列子
    Example

4.  Optional - Secure a Faculty Sponsor

All applicants may search for a potential faculty sponsor whose area focus and research interests match their own on the CCS Faculty page.

Once an applicant has identified a potential faculty sponsor, they should provide the faculty member with the following information via email:

  • Current English language CV
  • A brief description of the intended purpose and research focus while at Berkeley
  • Beginning and end date for your proposed visit

If the faculty member agrees to sponsor the applicant, please cc the faculty sponsor when you submit your visiting scholar application to ccs-vs@berkeley.edu(link sends e-mail). Please note in the body of the email the name of the faculty sponsor and their department at Berkeley. 

Please note: Securing a faculty sponsor is not the same as an official invitation letter and does not guarantee your acceptance into the program.

Further, the faculty member is at the liberty to request additional materials deemed appropriate for determining whether or not the sponsorship is suitable for both parties. This may include, but is not limited to, proof that the scholar/student possesses sufficient proficiency in the English Language to participate in their program, additional research materials, etc. 

Please be advised that incomplete applications will not be reviewed. Further, supplementary materials will not be reviewed and will be discarded.