An Indonesian receives the Chinese Government Scholarship to Pursue his Master's at Shihezi University

Hi, I am Hendri Wibowo, I live in the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Indonesia but in the cityside, a small town whose first commodity is vegetables, so my family is in the business of trading vegetables. Coming from this economic background, I was drawn to do business and accounting which gave me the motivation to study more about accounting. My first degree was in Accounting Education, I graduated with a bachelor's in 2021 then worked as a teacher for one year and dedicated myself to joining Indonesia Mengajar (NGO in Education) in a remote area of Indonesia at Seram Bagian Timur, Maluku, Indonesia for teaching and living there from 2021 to 2022. I worked at a primary school and helped the society make use of the resources they had.
Given the economic background of my family and my own passion for accounting, I decided to pursue my master's degree in the accounting field.

Scholarship Details

The scholarship is called the Chinese Government Scholarship by the ASEAN University Network (AUN). It’s aimed at students from ASEAN countries who want to pursue a master's or Ph.D. in China. There are 30 spots available for this scholarship, covering both master’s and PhD programs, and there’s no country-specific quota within ASEAN.

The scholarship covers accommodation, including a dormitory, access to university facilities, free tuition, and a monthly stipend of 3,000 RMB for living expenses.

There are three steps to apply for this scholarship:

1. First, register on the CSC (Chinese Scholarship Council) portal and choose three universities that offer this scholarship. It’s important to research which universities in China are participating.
2. Next, complete the application requirements for both the university and the CSC. Sometimes, the CSC has additional requirements, so it’s important to pay close attention to their website.
3. Since this scholarship is offered through AUN, you need to send the hard copy of your application to the AUN Secretariat at Chulalongkorn University. They will then forward your file to the universities you selected. You can choose up to three universities, so if your application isn’t accepted by the first one, it will be sent to the second, and so on. If you are accepted, you’ll receive an email to proceed with the interview. After the interview, they will recommend you for the Chinese Government Scholarship. The entire selection process takes about four months after you send in the hard copy of your application.

I ended up being selected for my second choice: a Master's Degree in Accounting at the School of Economics and Business, Shihezi University, Xinjiang, China.

Educational Background

I began my Bachelor's degree in 2016 at Yogyakarta State University, where I studied Accounting Education in the Faculty of Economics and Business. During that time, I received several scholarships, earned various achievements, gained organizational experience, and actively participated in paper innovation competitions.

Here are some of the achievements and scholarships I received from 2016 to 2021:

• 2017: Indonesian Youth Innovation by ACE Hardware Company
• 2017-2018: Awardee of the Indonesian Bank Scholarship
• 2019: Awardee of the Faculty of Economics and Business Most Outstanding Student in Research and Reasoning
• 2019: Awardee of a student exchange scholarship at Sultan Idris Educational University, Malaysia
• 2019-2020: Academic Achievement Improvement Scholarship (PPA)
• 2020-2021: Awardee of the Indonesian Bank Scholarship
• 2023-2024: Awardee of the Taiwan Education Experience Program at National Sun Yat-sen University and National Kaohsiung Normal University

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the Chinese Government Scholarships and Shihezi University?

The scholarship requirement in 2021 was a minimum TOEFL score or HSK level 3. To prepare, I focused on assessing my own capabilities and made a list of universities that matched my grades and strengths. I believe this strategy played a key role in helping me get into the university I'm at now.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

I would prepare to study the Chinese language before applying because the scholarship doesn’t cover it. There are only two Chinese language courses offered, and we need to pass HSK level 3 to meet the graduation requirements

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

Prepare well and do what makes you happy. Take a good look at your capabilities and then choose a university that matches them. If the university you’re aiming for is more challenging than your current level, be ready to study hard