Yangtze University has once again been selected for theChinese Government Scholarship–Silk Road Program, following the recent announcement by theChina Scholarship Council (CSC)on scholarship allocations for the 2026–2027 academic year. The University's proposed project,High-level Talent Development Program for the Oil and Gas Industry in Belt and Road Partner Countries, has been approved, securing20 fully funded Chinese Government Scholarship quotasfor international master's and doctoral students.
This marks the University's third successful award under the Silk Road Program. Yangtze University previously received funding in 2020 and 2025, obtaining a total of 13 full scholarship quotas for undergraduate, master's, and doctoral international students.
The Chinese Government Scholarship–Silk Road Program aims to cultivate future industry leaders and highly skilled professionals for countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Aligned with China's strategy to expand high-level international education, Yangtze University's newly approved program builds on the strengths of itsPetroleum and Natural Gas EngineeringandGeological Resources and Geological Engineeringdisciplines. The program will recruit master's and doctoral students from ten Belt and Road partner countries, addressing the growing demand for high-level technical professionals to support energy industry transformation and sustainable development.
By preparing internationally competitive professionals in oil and gas exploration and development, the program is expected to strengthen human resource capacity in partner countries, support the global development of China's energy enterprises, and further advance the internationalization of the University's first-class disciplines.
To ensure the success of the application, the University established a dedicated project team and organized more than ten coordination meetings, expert review sessions, and mock defenses to refine the proposal.Vice President Zhao Huirepresented the University during the national project defense, while theCollege of Petroleum Engineering, theCollege of Earth Sciences, and other academic units participated throughout the application process, laying a solid foundation for the successful approval of the project.
Yangtze University has also built a solid foundation for international education. The University has successfully passed the national quality accreditation for higher education of international students in China, established a comprehensive full-chain international education system covering recruitment, training, and student services, and developed the“Study at Yangtze University”brand. Supported by long-standing partnerships with the Hubei Provincial Government, China's three major state-owned oil conglomerates, and numerous international partner universities, the University has accumulated extensive experience in cultivating international professionals in the oil and gas sector, providing strong institutional support for the implementation of the program.
The University officials noted that Yangtze University will strictly follow the program's management requirements by ensuring high standards in student recruitment, curriculum implementation, and quality assurance. The University aims to establish the program as a model for cultivating high-level international professionals in the oil and gas industry and to contribute to high-quality Belt and Road cooperation through education, research, and talent development.
