Approved by the Ministry of Education of China, the Cuban Government Unilateral Scholarships Program, a governmental cooperation project in education between China and Cuba, will recruit candidates through China’s Gaokao (Entrance Examinations for Higher Education) system for the first time this year. The programme is expected to enroll 700 secondary education graduates from 12 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities including Inner Mongolia, Henan, Guangxi, Chongqing, Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Ningxia and Xinjiang, via the Early Admission of the Gaokao system.

The program will offer five bachelor degree majors including Spanish, Tourism, Pedagogy, Medicine and Nursing, with a duration of 4 years for Spanish, 6 years for Medicine, and 5 years for the others. Secondary education graduates taking the Gaokao in the 12 provincial regions with an age of no older than 20 years will be eligible to apply. All successful candidates will take one-year Spanish language training conduced by Havana University after they arrive in Cuba, and continue their degree study if they pass one-year Spanish language test. The bachelor degrees for Spanish and Tourism will be conferred by Havana University, the degree for Pedagogy by ENRIQUE JOSÉ VARONA Higher Education Institute, and the degree for Medicine and Nursing by the Latin America Medical University. The bachelor degrees mentioned above are all recognised by China.

Since year 2006, in total 2228 students have been selected and studied in Cuba through the program. At present, some of the them have returned to China upon graduation, and about 1830 are still studying in Cuba.

Entrusted by Ministry of Education, China Scholarship Council (CSC) will take full responsibility to implement this program, including taking on-line admission on behalf of three Cuban universities together with the provincial Admission Offices involved. The admission result will be confirmed by Provincial Admission Offices first and then send to all successful candidates by CSC with all relevant information of going to Cuba in late July. Meanwhile, the admission result will be published on the official website of CSC (www.csc.edu.cn).

Before leaving for Cuba, a three-day departure training program will be arranged for all enrolled students by CSC for the purpose of adapting them to their future study and life in Cube. The contents of the training will include background introduction of the program, orientation for study, life in Cuba, and etc. The training is anticipated to take place in early or middle August.

Enrolled students will leave for Cuba in early September and their living stipends, medical care and tuition fees will be covered by the Cuban Government Scholarship. Students who successfully finish studies in Cuba will be offered a one-way air ticket from Cuba to China by CSC. If a student drops out of the program after having been admitted, CSC will not take any obligation to arrange for him/her to study in domestic institutions. When students have finished their studies in Cuba, they will be able to pursue job freely, and will enjoy China’s preferential policies setting up for returned Chinese overseas students. There is no any obligation or responsibility for CSC in finding job or arranging further study in both Cuba and China to the students and graduates of this program.