A European

Researcher’s
Guide to
China

Odette Paramor & Jingjing Shao

The University of Nottingham Ningbo China
DragonSTAR Plus (2015-2018)
The Horizon 2020 DragonSTAR Plus project is an EU-funded initiative which supports EU-China cooperation and collaboration
in research and innovation. Our activities include organising thematic EU-China expert workshops, match-making events and
awareness raising of the Horizon 2020 research programme in China.

The project is led by the Foundation for Research and Technology (Greece) and supported by partners from the Ministry of
Science and Technology, China Science and Technology Exchange Centre (China), Agenzia per la Promozione Della Ricerca
Europea (Italy), Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação (Portugal), Phemonoe Lab / EMETRIS SA PHEMONOE (Greece), China
Agricultural University, China-EU Centre for Information & Communication Technologies in Agriculture, (China), Steinbeis-
Europa-Zentrum (Germany), EUrelations (Switzerland), The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (China), Beijing Software
Enterprise Advisory Centre (China), KAIROS Future (Sweden) and Österreichische Forschungsförderungsgesellschaft
(Austria).

ENRICH in China (2017 – 2021)

Horizon 2020 ENRICH Centres have been established in China, Brazil and the USA to promote and support European research
and innovation activities with these countries. ENRICH in China will follow up and expand on the activities of the DragonSTAR
Plus project. For news, information and support for your EU-China research and innovation activities, please follow us on
social media or contact us directly. We would be very happy to help you!


china@enrichcentres.eu
Greetings from Ningbo!

The idea for this publication came about

after many philosophical discussions over
dinner and at the pub with international
researcher friends who wished that they
had been better prepared for their working
lives in China. This booklet is a very
modest attempt to bring together some of
that information.

It is focussed unashamedly on the areas of

interest to ourselves and our friends, but
we hope you that find it useful too!

Odette Paramor & Jingjing Shao

Ningbo, China
January 2018
Acknowledgements

The authors are grateful for the support and advice of our friends and colleagues in the EU-China research & innovation
community (past, present and visiting), particularly Ada Qian, Alex Lehmann, Ali Cheshmehzangi, Andrea Střelcová, Andy
Sowter, Anne Kari Johansen, Annemie Wyckmans, Atilla Incecik, Benjamin Denjean, Cao Cong, Chen Zhongyuan, Choo
Huileng, Chris Cheung, Chris Rudd, Christos Fragakis, Dai Le, Dariusz Wanatowski, David Higgitt, David Pho, Dimitri Lavillette,
Dong Keqin, Eugene Ch’ng, Fabien Pfaender, Faith Chan, Feng Meili, Fu Ping, Gao Peng, Gary Chen, George Chen, Giulia
Romano, Halldór Berg Harðarson, Han Danwei, He Gengen, Hu Binjie, Huib de Ligt, James Walker, Jacques de Soyres, Julien
Le Kernec, Jo Darkwa, John Feng, Jun He, Kari Kveseth, Kiran Choudhry, Laura Rampazzo, Laurent Bochereau, Lin Goethals,
Liu Chang, Liu Chungui, Liu Ha Trieu Hung, Liu Jian, Manuel Perez Garcia, Martin de Jong, Matthew Pike, Massimo Bagnasco,
Meng Xiaolin, Nachiappan Subramanian, Ng Sio-Mei, Nicolas Dandois, Nicky Liu, Nusrat Sharmin, Paul Dempster, Paul
Nathanail, Otthein Herzog, Ove Kenneth Nodland, Peter Hofman, Philippe Vialatte, Qi Tiantian, Richard Deng, Richard Mills,
Ricky Tsui, Rositsa Petrova, Sally Waters, Sara Medina, Sarina Liu, Siegfried Yeboah, Simon Spooner, Tang Sile, Tang Yu-Ting,
Thomas Løge Hansteen, Wang Yu, Wendy Ren, Wu Chen and Wu Deng. We would also like to thank all our friends and
colleagues on the DragonSTAR and DragonSTAR Plus projects!

Finally, many thanks to our beloved project coordinator Epaminondas Cristofilopoulos and project officer Diego Sammaritano
for their immense kindness (and patience!). Thank you 

About the authors

Odette Ay Ling Paramor is Head of School of Geographical Sciences and an Associate Professor of Marine Biology at The
University of Nottingham Ningbo China (UNNC). Odette started her career at the glamorous end of marine biology digging
up worms on various mudflats just outside of London, before moving into fisheries management where she spent almost a
decade coordinating EU projects. She started working in China in September 2009, first on a secondment to Xi’an Jiaotong-
Liverpool University where she helped to set up their Department of Biological Sciences, followed by a full time appointment
to UNNC in September 2010, where she was the pioneering member of the School of Geographical Sciences. She has been
involved in four EU-funded projects whilst in the Middle Kingdom (DragonSTAR, DragonSTAR Plus, URBAN-EU-CHINA and
ENRICH in CHINA) and two Chinese-funded projects.

Jingjing ‘Michelle’ Shao is a shiny new Assistant Professor in Building Services Engineering at the Ningbo University of
Technology. Prior to this, she was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at UNNC working on the DragonSTAR Plus project where
she led studies on Chinese participation in EU framework programmes, and showcased her superb multi-tasking (and
diplomacy) skills in delivering a high level EU-China experts workshop on sustainable urbanisation alongside colleagues from
the European Commission, the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology and JPI Urban Europe. She has research interests
in building energy efficiency, particularly in relation to temperature control, and the climate resilience of cities, particularly
in relation to energy infrastructures. She is also involved in the Horizon 2020 URBAN-EU-CHINA project.

Suggested citation: Paramor, O.A.L. & Shao, J. (2018) DragonSTAR Plus: A European Researcher’s Guide to China. The University of
Nottingham Ningbo China: Ningbo. pp. 41 ISBN 978-0853583202

The views and opinions presented in this report represent those of the authors only and not of their
employers or funders. The European Commission and the University of Nottingham Ningbo China are
not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

This document has received funding from the European Union's H2020 Programme under Grant
Agreement n° 645775 (DragonSTAR Plus).
CONTENTS
Preface
Acknowledgments
Authors’ details
Publishing details

Chapter 1 Coming to China

Introduction 1
Finding a job 1
Employment packages 1
PhD scholarships 1
Postdoctoral scholarships 2
Academics 2
Visas 2

Chapter 2 Universities and Research Institutions

Introduction 3
Universities 3
Project 211 3
Project 985 3
C9 league 4
World-Class 2.0 4
Sino-foreign higher education ventures 4
Research Institutes 5
Chinese Academy of Sciences 5
Europe - China Joint Research Structures 6

Chapter 3 Research & Innovation Funding

Main Chinese funding agencies 7
Structure of the Chinese funding system 7
Eligibility 7
Accessibility of Chinese funding to international researchers 8
National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) 8
NSFC International Young Scientists’ Programme 8
NSFC Standard Grant 8
Talent Programmes 9
Costs 10
General application guidance 10
Topics 10
Language 11
Tone 11
Title 11
Abstract 11
Introduction and literature review 11
Research plan 12
Deliverables 12
Researcher competence 12
Senior Chinese mentor 12

Chapter 4. Work & Research Environment

Introduction 13
Guānxi (Personal relationships) 13
Miànzi (Face) 13
Gender equality 14
Ethnicity 14
Internet access 14
 Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) 14
Academic search engines and journals 15
Books 15

Chapter 5. Settling in
Introduction 16
Mobile phones 16
Networks 16
App Stores 16
Handsets 16
Apps 16
Learning Chinese 16
Chinese accents and dialects 17
Banking 17
Transport 18
City buses 18
Long distance buses 18
Metro 18
Trains 18
Bike-sharing 18
E-bikes 18
Walking 18
Taxis 19
Personal cars 19
Flights 19
Restaurants 19
Serving staff 19
Dietary restrictions 19

Chapter 6. Other sources of information

Support organisations in China 21
Recommended reading list on Europe - China research and innovation 22
Recommended reading list on China in general 22

Chapter 7. References 23

Appendix 1
Table A1. The top Chinese universities and their classification 26

Appendix 2.
Table A2.1.Examples of Natural Science Foundation (NSF) Funding 30
Table A2.2 Examples of Provincial & Municipal level NSF programmes 32
Table A2.3 Examples of Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) Funding 33
Chapter 1. Coming to China
Introduction

There are many excellent reasons for European researchers to work to China [1, 2], and conditions are
improving all the time as a result of the accelerated development of the country’s science and
innovation landscape to support its rapid economic growth [3]. Following the 1978 Open Door Policy,
Chinese government policies have been aimed at ‘rejuvenating the nation with science, technology
and innovation’, to build up ‘an indigenous innovation capability’ and more recently to turn China into
an ‘innovation-orientated nation’ [4-6]. This has resulted in some massive, and well-publicised,
financial investments in the country’s research programmes and infrastructure in recent decades

One of the outcomes of this drive has been to encourage international cooperation in terms of both
researcher mobility and increased investment in the size and number of joint Sino-foreign research
projects, and there are some excellent opportunities for international researchers at all levels.

Finding a job

Research positions in China targeted at international researchers are advertised regularly on the
following sites:

Chinese Academy of Sciences

Euraxess Links China
Jobs.ac.uk
Nature Jobs
Science Jobs
Times Higher Education Jobs

These adverts will cover everything from PhD studentships up to senior professorships. If you already
have contacts in China, it is worthwhile approaching them too as there are many municipal and
provincial level schemes available to recruit international researchers which are not well advertised
[7].

Whilst many Chinese research organisations have recruitment targets for international researchers at
all stages of their careers, there is a particular drive to recruit senior (and more importantly,
productive!) academics from the most prestigious international universities and research institutes,
even for part-time positions

Employment packages

PhD scholarships

The PhD scholarship packages for international students are likely to be the same as those offered to
domestic students. At the time of writing, a standard student stipend is in the region of 3500 – 4500
RMB per month, but this varies regionally and by research organisation (and there are rumours that it
may shortly start being taxed at around 700 RMB a month). Accommodation does not tend to be
included in scholarship packages (although some do include it), but is very cheap and costs around
1000 RMB a year for basic university accommodation, and around 4000 RMB for a room in
international halls of residence. Likewise medical insurance is not usually included, but is cheap and
in the region of 100 RMB per year.

7
Postdoctoral scholarships

Postdoctoral researchers hold a slightly different status to those in Europe, and are considered to be
somewhere between a student and a more independent researcher. As such, employment conditions
are usually only slightly better than those for a PhD student, with salaries in the region of 4000 – 5000
RMB a month (occasionally up to 16,000 RMB a month), but with the addition of annual bonuses.
Accommodation (or an accommodation allowance) is usually included in the employment package
and is usually in the range of 1500 – 2000 RMB a month. Medical insurance is generally included as
standard.

Academics

The employment packages offered to full-time academic staff vary considerably by region and
employer. Most of the academic positions advertised in the international media will have
internationally competitive salaries, and a few employers will also include additional items such as an
accommodation allowance, a Cost of Living Allowance (COLA), international household moving costs,
international school fees for children up to 18 years of age, comprehensive international-level medical
insurance and annual return flights to your home country. International-level pensions are exceedingly
rare though.

Outside of the internationally-advertised positions, a standard salary for an assistant professor in a

Chinese university is in the region of 6000 – 7000 RMB per month. Although these contracts do not
usually include an accommodation allowance, there do tend to be various subsidies and other social
welfare programmes available.

Established academic staff may also have access to national, provincial and municipal talent schemes
to supplement their incomes. In some areas, such as Ningbo, these schemes can be very generous and
provide up to 1 million RMB of additional income over a period of five years. Although most
‘international’ talent programmes are targeted at returning Chinese, other international researchers
are eligible to apply too [7].

Visas

The Chinese visa system underwent a reform recently, and a new, streamlined, points-based system
was rolled out nationally in Spring 2017. The new ‘Foreigners’ Work Permit’ replaces the old ‘Foreign
Expert Certificate’ and ‘Alien Employment Permit’ and categorises foreigners as either: (A) high level
talent, (B) professional personnel, or (C) foreigners who are non-technical or service workers hired on
a temporary/seasonal basis [8]. Under this system, international researchers are classified according
to how many points they accrue based on their qualifications, annual salary in China, level of
education, number of working years, amount of time spent working in China annually, Chinese
language skill, the geographic location of their job in China, age, the quality of their work experiences
and whether their discipline is in high demand in China. The system is still settling in so it is difficult to
comment on how well the reform is working or what the different categories mean in practical terms
at this time, but anecdotal evidence suggests that international researchers are being placed into
either categories (A) and (B), and that there is quite a lot of variation in how the points system is being
interpreted by the different regional offices. Generally, it is seen as a good thing as the level of
bureaucracy is much reduced and more transparent than the previous system [9].

8
Chapter 2. Universities and Research Institutes
Introduction

There are many thousands of universities and research institutes in China, and their numbers are still
growing rapidly [10]. The ability of these organisations to support the career development and
research agenda of international researchers is highly varied and it is worthwhile investigating
whether these institutions have been selected by the Chinese government for accelerated
development to make them more internationally competitive (see below), and/or if they have a
history of supporting high numbers of international researchers.

Universities

The well-publicised rise of Chinese universities in international league tables was driven by a series of
government higher education reforms starting in the 1990s. Whilst the reforms have generated some
truly world-leading research institutions [11], there is a very wide disparity in research and teaching
quality across the country’s 2,596 universities [12, 13]. As such, it is worth describing a few of the
reform programmes as these are often used as a short-hand to describe high quality universities
(although there are many excellent and well-resourced universities which have not been targeted by
these programmes). The list of Chinese universities advanced under these various programmes is
presented in Appendix 1.

Project 211 (1996 – 2016)

The aim of ‘Project 211’ was to strengthen the research capabilities of 118 universities in specific key
areas, and to bring Chinese educational standards up to ‘world-class quality’ [14]. More than 47.5
billion RMB of additional funding was allocated to the universities involved [15], and particular
emphasis was placed on disciplines and specialisations which would promote the country’s social and
economic development, scientific and technological advancement, and national defence system. Of
the 602 specialisms identified, 42% were in engineering and technological science, 15% were in
fundamental science, 11% were in health and medicine, 10% were in humanities, 10% were in law
and economics, 7% were in environmental sciences and 5% were in agricultural sciences [16].

The project had a significant impact on the Chinese higher education system, as although this group
of universities was comprised of only 6% of China’s higher education establishments, they trained 80%
of the country’s doctoral students, 66% of its graduate students, 50% of its international students and
33% of its undergraduates. They also received around 70% of China’s scientific research funding during
this time (although skewed by the C9 League, see below) [15].

Project 985 (1999 – 2016)

The aim of ‘Project 985’ was develop ‘World-Class universities’ and to promote the reputation of the
Chinese higher education system internationally. This was to be achieved through the targeted
development of 39 universities, and involved an investment of 32.9 billion RMB from central
government funds, with additional funding from provincial governments. All Project 985 universities
were also involved in Project 211 [17].

The project was delivered in three phases, focusing on infrastructure and the creation of new research
centres and facilities, building platforms for innovation and international collaboration, and the
development of research teams to support indigenous innovation.

9
C9 League (2009 - )

The elite ‘C9 League’ of universities were further singled out for government reform to raise their
global status. These universities are generally recognised as being the most successful in China.
Overall, they receive about 10% of China’s R&D funding, consistently generate more than 20% of the
country’s journal article output, which in turn attracts around 30% of its total citations despite
involving only 3% of its researchers [11]. Most of this group is also ranked in the global top 200 Times
Higher Education World University Rankings 2018, with Peking University ranked at 27, Tsinghua
University at 30, Fudan University at 116, University of Science and Technology of China at 132,
Nanjing University at 169, Zhejiang University at 177 and Shanghai Jiao Tong University at 188, with
only the Harbin Institute of Technology ranked outside of this at between 501-600 (but it is an
excellent and highly prestigious university) [18].

The C9 universities are the most prestigious universities in China and they regularly target the
recruitment of eminent or very senior international researchers. These individuals tend to be very well
supported by their Chinese employers in terms of support for grant applications, networking within
China and setting up new labs.

Double First Class University Plan (‘WorldClass 2.0’) (2017 - )

The latest higher education reform is the ‘Double First Class University Plan’ or ‘WorldClass 2.0’ which
was introduced in September 2017 to create even more world class universities and disciplines in
China [19]. This is a slightly more complicated initiative than previous iterations and it is unclear how
some of the disciplines were selected. Under this programme, there are 39 ‘Class A’ universities, six
‘Class B’ universities (targeted to rapidly ‘catch up’ with the Class A universities [20]) and an additional
95 universities with ‘double first class disciplines’ which includes subjects where China is close to
becoming world class, those which are urgently required by the country, those which support industry
transformation and development, or those which support regional development [21]. This scheme
also encourages its universities to develop deeper cooperation with international institutions and
researchers.

The initiative will be delivered in three steps:

• by 2020: to develop a number of world-class universities and a group of world-class disciplines

• by 2030: to have more universities and disciplines among the best in the world; a number of
universities and a group of disciplines to be among the best in the world; to have significant
improvement in China’s overall higher education strength by 2030: to have more universities and
disciplines among the best in the world; a number of universities and a group of disciplines to be
among the best in the world; to have significant improvement in China’s overall higher education
strength

• by 2050 : the number and quality of world-class universities and disciplines to be among the best in
the world, China to have become a higher education power [21].

Sino-Foreign Higher Education Ventures

The number of Sino-foreign higher education ventures has been growing steadily over the last couple
of decades. There are three general models of cooperation: Joint Education Institutes (JEIs), Joint
Education Programmes (JEPs) and Joint Ventures (JVs) [22]. Policies to encourage the development of
JEIs and JEPs were formalised in 1995, and 25 JEIs and 438 JEPs were established over the following
eight years. JEIs and JEPs are based in Chinese universities and are not independent

10
institutions/programmes as still they belong to their parent universities. The development of JVs
followed the 2003 ‘Regulation on Sino-Foreign Cooperative School Management’ which allowed
foreign universities, with a Chinese partner, to establish new Chinese universities, complete with their
own campuses. There are currently only seven of these joint ventures in existence1, the first of which
was The University of Nottingham Ningbo China which was established in 2004 under the leadership
of the British University of Nottingham’s Chancellor Professor Yang Fujia (who was also the first non-
European to hold the position of Chancellor in a European university).

Sino-foreign higher education ventures tend to employ high numbers of international staff, and whilst
their academic staff tend to be well looked after, these institutions do not tend to be as well
networked into the Chinese research system as more traditional Chinese universities, and there may
be issues around support and guidance for international staff in applying for Chinese research funds
[23].

Dr Mike Gow’s excellent blog The Daxue is well worth reading if you have an interest in this area.

Research Institutes

Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

The Chinese Academy of Sciences is probably the single most popular destination for international
researchers moving to China. CAS is an enormous organisation with a mixture of research, education
and think-tank functions and is consistently ranked as one of the most research active organisations
in the world. It employs around 67,900 staff (including around 56,000 researchers, 22,800 of which
are research professors or associate professors) at its 104 research institutes, 12 regional branches
and three universities (University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), the University of the
Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS) and ShanghaiTech University) [24]. There is no equivalent of CAS
anywhere else in the world (although it was originally modelled on the Soviet Academy of Sciences).

CAS is one of the more internationally active Chinese research organisations. Not only do they have a
target of increasing the number of international researchers working in their institutions from 1 to 3%
by 2020 (by targeting ‘world-class scientists’, although they support international PhD students too),
they also have extensive international cooperation activities. They have established 20 collaborative
research groups with the German Max Planck Society (MPG), in areas such as astronomy, life sciences
and materials science, in addition to the CAS–MPG Partner Institute of Computational Biology, and
have established the Institut Pasteur in Shanghai jointly with the French Institut Pasteur [25]. They
also recently signed an agreement with the European Joint Research Centre (JRC) to work more closely
on issues linked to the EU–China Strategic Agenda 2020 for Cooperation [26], in areas such as air
quality, renewable energy, climate, environmental protection, digital economy, regional innovation
policy, smart specialisation and support for evidence-informed policies [27].

CAS scientists have also initiated international science programmes, such as the Third Pole
Environment (TPE) Programme, the Northwestern Pacific Ocean Circulation and Climate Experiment
(NPOCCE) and the International Meridian Project on space weather (IMP), take an active role in global
science programmes, such as the Human Genome Project (HGP) and the International Thermonuclear

1 The University of Nottingham Ningbo China (Nottingham and Zhejiang Wanli), Xi'an Jiaotong Liverpool University (Xi'an
Jiaotong and Liverpool), United International College, Zhuhai (Beijing Normal & Hong Kong Baptist), Wenzhou Kean
University (Wenzhou and Kean), Duke Kunshan University (Duke and Wuhan), NYU Shanghai (New York University and East
China Normal), and CUHK-Shenzhen (Chinese University of Hong Kong and Shenzhen Municipal Government).

11
Experimental Reactor (ITER) Programme, as well as participating in various international programmes
on climate change, including IGBP, IHDP, WCRP and DIVERSITAS [25].

CAS recently underwent a major reform to streamline its activities and improve the quality of its
research [28]. Professor Cao Cong provides an excellent overview of CAS and its reform in his chapter
on China for the UNESCO Science Report (2015) [3].

Some European researchers have extremely successful careers at CAS institutes, in terms of their
publication rate and success in obtaining Chinese research funding. The authors recently met one mid-
career French researcher working at a CAS institute in Shanghai who has had three successful NSFC
applications over the last five years (with just one failure). This is an incredible achievement even for
a similarly positioned Chinese researcher working at a prestigious Chinese university. When asked
what he thought were the reasons for his success, he said that he focused very closely on areas of
research which were of high interest to the Chinese government, and that he was heavily reliant on
experienced Chinese colleagues to guide and support his applications as he had initially severely
underestimated the level of detail required for the proposals (e.g. the exact number of disposable
plastic pipette tips likely to be required for a three year project…) (see Chapter 3).

Europe - China Joint Research Structures

There are currently 144 known Europe - China Joint Research Structures in China and their numbers
are increasing at a rate of about eight per year [29]. Approximately half of these initiatives are based
in Beijing and Shanghai, with CAS and the 985 universities being the most common Chinese partner
(although a wide range of universities and companies are involved overall) [30]. Most of these
structures are relatively small (between 6-25 members), but there are a few which support several
hundred researchers (e.g. the Sino-UK universities) [31]. The main fields of study are Physical Sciences
and Life Sciences, with those structures focused on more multi-disciplinary areas, or in social sciences
and humanities, less common.

The EU Delegation to China and Euraxess Links China have held regular workshops on the challenges
facing these research structures which includes IPR, access to funding, researcher mobility and their
legal status in China since 2011, and the findings of their last workshop, which was held in September
2017, have been published online [29]. It is difficult to comment about the career prospects of
international researchers working for these structures as these initiatives are so diverse in terms of
their operation model, funding and levels of government support…

12
3. Research & Innovation Funding
Main Chinese funding agencies

The main Chinese government funding agencies are the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST),
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), Ministry of
Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and the Ministry of Education (MoE), and significant
additional funds are also available from the private sector.

At the national level, the volume of funding from government sources in 2017 was:

Funding agency Annual funds (billions RMB)

Ministry of Science and Technology 38
Chinese Academy of Sciences 33
National Natural Science Foundation of China 27
Ministry of Industry and Information Technology 6
Ministry of Education 5
Taken from Jia, 2018 [32]

Structure of the Chinese funding system

The entire Chinese research and innovation funding system underwent a major reform between 2014
– 17, with over 100 programmes merged to create five new funding ‘pillars’ [33]. It is difficult to
comment on how well things will work in practice under this new structure, but it certainly looks to
be more straightforward and transparent than in the past and is definitely a move in the right direction
[34, 35]. Cao and Suttmeier (2017) provide an excellent overview and discussion of the reform process
if you are interested in this area [36].

The five new research and innovation funding ‘pillars’ at the national level are:

 National Science Foundation of China

 National Science and Technology Mega Projects
 National Key Research and Development Projects
 Technology Innovation Guidance Fund
 Bases and Talents Programme

MoST, the NSFC and MoE also provide funding at provincial and municipal levels which follow a similar
programme structures at each level (e.g. each level has a standard programme & young scientists’
programme), but the amount of funding available per project reduces from national down to
municipal levels, and call topics become increasingly targeted at issues of interest to local government.
However, application success rates for the local funding programmes tend to be higher than for those
at the national level.

A very detailed review of the reformed Chinese funding pillars at the national level, with an
assessment of the extent of European researcher and institutional involvement, has been recently
been published Development Solutions Europe and is well worth a read if you would like further
information about the structure of national level Chinese research and innovation funding [33].

Eligibility

The good news is that international researchers are eligible to apply for many Chinese funding
programmes as Principle Investigator (PI) or Co-Investigator (Co-I), but only under certain conditions

13
(Tables A2.1 – 2.3, Appendix 2). The primary condition is that the researcher must be employed by an
organisation which is registered with the Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) and/or the
National Science Foundation of China (NSFC) on an employment contract which means that they
spend the majority of the year in China (6-9 months minimum in most cases) and which lasts for the
duration of the project. Chinese funding is not generally available to international researchers
employed outside of China2.

Other eligibility conditions may also apply, but these apply to all researchers and not just non-Chinese
citizens. For instance, some funding programmes have age restrictions, or require that the researchers
have a PhD and/or a ‘senior title’ (e.g. associate professor or above), and/or require proof that
researchers are competent research managers. For the latter condition, the funding agencies expect
to see evidence of a successfully completed three year, national level project before the researcher is
allowed to apply for larger grants. Unfortunately, evidence of the successful delivery of large research
projects in countries outside of China is not recognised. There are also restrictions on the number of
projects a researcher can be involved with as a named researcher.

Accessibility of Chinese funding to international researchers

Although international researchers are eligible to apply for many Chinese funding programmes, in
practical terms, the accessibility of these programmes varies considerably [33]. The most popular
national-level funding agencies and programmes for international researchers are described below.

National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC)

The NSFC has a good reputation amongst international researchers as the assessment process is
considered relatively fair and transparent. It is highly competitive though with success rates at around
20%. Some of the main NSFC grants which are open to international researchers are listed in Table
A2.1 (Appendix 2).

NSFC International Young Scientists’ Programme

Applications to the national-level NSFC international young3 scientists’ programme can be made in
English and the programme generally has higher success rates than its equivalent programme targeted
at Chinese citizens (which is also open to international applicants). The application form does not have
a clear structure to it, but it would sensible to look at the Chinese equivalent and not stray too far
from this format as adherence to the application form structure tends to carry a lot of weight for most
other Chinese grant applications.

The one drawback of this international programme is that they have a maximum duration of two years,
which means that successful applicants would still not be eligible to apply for the higher level NSFC
grants afterwards (e.g. an international cooperation grant) as these require successful completion of
a three year project.

NSFC Standard Grant

For those international researchers who are ineligible to apply for the young scientists’ programme
(as well as suitably qualified ‘young’ scientists), the national-level NSFC standard grant is a good
programme to target as it is the first step on the NSFC ladder and will allow you to apply for larger

2 The authors have only encountered one Chinese-funded research project where research funds were used to pay for the
salaries and research expenses of two international postdoctoral fellows outside of China. This was part of a special
postdoctoral centre between the UK and China.
3 Applicants must be 40 years old or less.

14
NSFC grants afterwards. However, this programme is highly competitive and requires serious Chinese
grant writing skills...

Although there have been no official notices about accepting applications written in English, some
thematic NSFC offices have verbally encouraged researchers to do so and there are many cases of
successful applications being written in English. If your technical Chinese language skills are not up to
scratch, or if you have concerns about the quality of the translation services available, then it is well
worthwhile asking your institute’s research office to ring the specific thematic NSFC offices on your
behalf to ask if they will accept applications written in English. [Submissions to provincial and
municipal level NSF programmes will always need to be written in Chinese.]

The application form for the standard grant is very clearly structured and proposals must strictly
adhere to this format. It is highly likely that you will need a lot of guidance from experienced Chinese
colleagues about stylistic writing issues (both in Chinese and English) (see ‘General application tips’).

Talent Programmes

The aim of the talent programmes is to recruit the most eminent global researchers, but particularly
those who have studied or worked at the most prestigious universities overseas and who can
demonstrate outstanding research achievements. In general, the talent programmes are considered
to be very positive in terms of encouraging both research and researchers as they provide both high
level government recognition of excellence, plus generous funding schemes. It also means that the
assessment criteria for these programmes is set at an extremely high level [7].

Talent programmes are available at national, provincial and some municipal levels targeting Chinese
citizens, returning Chinese (with a different nationalities) and international citizens. Applications are
made through the employer [37] and involves the completion of an application form and a verbal
defence (often in Chinese). Most talent programmes are highly lucrative for the individual researchers,
with, for example, tax-free personal funds of 1 million RMB being made available (on top of their
regular salaries) in addition to research funds in the region of 3-5 million RMB being delivered over a
three year period for some of the national level programmes [38], or a tax-free personal fund of 1
million RMB being made available over a five year period at some municipal levels [7]. In addition to
this, it is also possible for an individual to receive funds from the national, provincial and municipal
talent programmes simultaneously, although the applications need to go in separately.

These programmes are not without criticism however, and some observers argue that they have not
attracted enough high level talent to China [3, 39]. To be fair, this is most likely due to the challenges
of trying to persuade established researchers to start up new laboratories, with new teams, in
unfamiliar environments and the risk that may entail to their careers. Others have also questioned the
review process and suggest that reviewers are less interested in the creativity, originality or the
significance of the research, and are more focused on the researcher’s ‘brand’ (i.e. whether they
graduated from a top global university and the number of articles published in high impact journals),
how quickly their work in China would be published and attract further funding, and how much added
value the research would bring to their chosen research institution [37].There has also been at least
one high profile case where there appear to have been a few issues between the international talent
and his employer related to the internal administration of the award [40], and anecdotally, even
international talents who have worked in China for several years have also sometimes encountered
similar issues with regards to the internal management of their talent awards.

15
Costs

Most Chinese research funds will only cover the direct costs of the research. Funding cannot be spent
on permanently-employed academic staff, but can be spent on ‘non-salaried’ research staff on
temporary contracts. For the NSFC, there is now no limit to the proportion of the funding which can
be spent on non-salaried staff and travel within a project, but there is generally less interest in paying
for large equipment costs so if required, this needs to be well justified, or potentially come from
another funding source. Descriptions of all expenses need to be highly detailed (e.g. the number of
coffees required for a meeting or the number of disposable pipette tips required for a three year
project).

General application guidance

Most of the guidance in this section has been provided by several very kind national-level NSFC
reviewers who have run training sessions for international researchers at The University of
Nottingham Ningbo China.

Topics

A good research topic was considered to be one that was novel, demonstrated a high level of
innovation and closely matched the prioritised development needs of the country. Some level of
interdisciplinarity was also recommended. The reviewers stated that a research topic should not be
proposed simply because it ‘filled a gap’ in the existing knowledge, as this was unlikely to be innovative
or novel, or because it was a ‘hot’ topic, as these were likely to be the most competitive areas.

In terms of demonstrating innovation, the strongest approach was considered to be one where a new
theory, concept or method was applied to address a new problem/issue and where a unique
contribution to science could be made. The next level down was where a new theory, concept or
method was applied to study a well-studied problem/issue, and then significantly beneath this came
the application of an existing theory, concept or method to study a new problem/issue. The
application of an existing theory, concept or method to investigate a well-studied problem/issue was
considered to be a non-starter.

As the massive government investment in research and innovation has been driven by the need to
support specific development needs in China, it means that some topics and disciplines are very highly
sought after, and that when developing a proposal, it is important to consider how these priority areas
can be addressed. This may mean that that proposers need to consider which specific disease or
species to investigate based on their impact or worth to Chinese society for instance.

One successful European researcher also suggested that you should not apply for a national - level
grant unless you are already intending to do the work rather than writing the application in order to
be able to do the work.

Although the identification of the broad research priority areas is largely a top-down process, there
are often regular opportunities for researchers to feed ideas into the funding calls, particularly at
municipal and provincial levels where the governments may have very specific research needs based
on their local situation. These open consultations are held on a regular basis and researchers may
submit their ideas to the funders via their employers (who will need to be registered with the funding
agency). At the municipal level, the consultations are held 2-3 months before the release of the
funding calls to allow the funding agencies time to liaise with the proposers and hone any propositions
of interest into a call. Once this is completed, the calls are then open to everyone, not just the

16
proposer, to apply for. There is usually no limit on the number of ideas which can be proposed during
each round of consultation.

Language

One of the most important considerations is the quality of the language used in the application. If you
are writing the application in Chinese, the language and vocabulary used must to be absolutely perfect
and a considerable amount of time should be spent polishing the text. Poorly written, vague
applications are one of the main criticisms of proposals being submitted by international researchers
as they are just not competitive, even if the ideas are good.

Tone

It is important to be humble in your application. Unlike European research applications where it is

important to vigorously demonstrate your research prowess, Chinese reviewers take a dim view of
anything which might be regarded as boasting. They will be looking for information about whose
research is underpinning your research and will expect to see a certain level of respect directed
towards these individuals (as they may well be the reviewers themselves). It is important not to be
negative or ‘look down on’ other researchers’ work.

Title

We have been advised that project titles should be ‘attractive’, ‘eye-catching’, ‘innovative’ and appeal
to a wide non-specialist audience. A good title should be concise4, yet clearly explain the nature of the
research, its aims, the research methods to be used and/or the scope of the research whilst not using
too much jargon or key words.

Abstract

The abstract should be precise, explicit and state what will be achieved in concrete terms. It should
clearly demonstrate innovation.

Introduction and literature review

The introduction and literature review are very important and probably carry more weight than in
European proposals. This is also one of the areas where Chinese grant applications diverge quite
radically from European proposals, as not only should the review be balanced between research
conducted in China and elsewhere, it should also cite well-known Chinese scientists (i.e. the reviewers
themselves). Several reviewers have said that they would not support a proposal which did not cite
their work or which was overly bias towards research conducted abroad.

One of the main purposes of the introduction is to demonstrate that the applicant has an excellent
understanding of the topic. This can be achieved by clearly and concisely providing an explanation of
the challenge(s) to be addressed, the underlying research base, how the topic was identified, the
hypotheses to be tested, how the research is novel and innovative (the innovative points should be
listed briefly). References should be ‘high level’ and primarily from work published in the last three
years. There should only be limited background discussion and no vague language. It should also
clearly state how the proposal is of value to China.

4
This might be more easily achieved using Chinese characters where a whole meaning can be conveyed using a single
character, rather than writing out what you mean rather more laboriously in English…

17
Research plan

The research plan should contain a clear, accurate and concrete plan of action which is realistic and
capable of being delivered within the time frame and budget described. The plan should be problem-
oriented and have a well-defined research scope which is focused on problem-solving.

Deliverables

The descriptions of the project outputs need to be very detailed and supported by clear evidence of
how they will be delivered. All journal articles, patents and other deliverables must be described. In
the case of journal articles, the names of the target journals need to be specified. It is important that
the description of the quantity and quality of deliverables is realistic.

Researcher competence

As in Europe, the researchers need to demonstrate that they have competence and strength in the
subject of the proposal. This is usually assessed through the number and quality of publications related
to the proposal and any history of research income in that specific area. If this is not clearly
demonstrated, then applicants are rejected on the grounds of inexperience and lack of specific
competence.

Senior Chinese Mentor

All the NSFC reviewers felt that it was important for international researchers to have a senior Chinese
mentor who could help guide them to write their grant applications. They had all reviewed proposals
prepared by international researchers and the quality of the proposals varied wildly largely based on
the amount of support and guidance they had received. They did not have problems with the actual
science, so much as the presentation of the proposal.

18
Chapter 4. Work & Research Environment
Introduction

Obviously every university and research institute has its own work culture regardless of where it is
located. In the authors’ experience, there are only a few broad differences between Chinese and
European work cultures which relate primarily to ‘guānxi’ (personal relationships), hierarchical
management structures and the concept of ‘miànzi’ (face) and the diversity of the workforce. In terms
of the working environment, there are also some other well-publicised issues related to research
ethics, health and safety and academic misconduct, but these are not China-specific and occur
globally, and the government has made strenuous efforts to try and improve the situation in recent
years [41].

In terms of trying to conduct research in Chinese, there are some special challenges related to access
to information.

Guānxi (Personal relationships)

The concept of ‘guānxi’ in China cannot be explained easily in English, but essentially it relates to a
special type of mutualistic relationship in which individuals support and promote each other to other
individuals or organisations, forming networks which permeates through both the professional and
personal aspects of one’s life.

Most international researchers have limited or no guānxi on arrival in China and it is important that
they develop their guānxi networks as soon as possible as it can be extremely difficult to integrate
with the Chinese research system and meet Chinese collaborators unless they are recommended by
their guānxi contacts. Although these personal connections are generally viewed with suspicion by
those outside of China, many Chinese see guānxi as a positive phenomenon as it means that
individuals can work with others who have been personally recommended to them by trusted
associates [42].

Whilst foreign researchers are not expected to understand the finer aspects of guānxi, they are
expected to understand the general concept if they intend to work in China, and will need to consider
what they have to offer potential guānxi contacts to balance any assistance or hospitality they may
receive. Be wary of accepting large gifts if you are not willing, or cannot reciprocate, the favour at a
later stage as this would be considered extremely disrespectful.

In the past, guānxi had a huge impact on how research funding was distributed, particularly at
municipal and provincial levels, but this has changed in recent years and efforts have been taken by
the government to limit its impact.

Miànzi (Face)

Again this is a concept which is difficult to define in English, but it relates to a person’s social standing,
prestige or dignity, particularly in a public setting. Face can be given and lost. Giving face is largely a
matter of being nice to people (e.g. giving complements, nice gifts or taking them out for dinner).
However, causing someone to lose face, particularly in front of others, can cause huge personal
offence. Unfortunately for international academics, especially those coming from cultures where
robust discussions are permitted between all levels of the academic hierarchy, and are indeed
encouraged, miànzi can be a highly fraught and problematic issue in the Chinese work environment.
It is worth being aware of this as more junior colleagues or students may not immediately let you

19
know that there is a problem, purely out of politeness in case one of you loses face over it. Also,
dependent on the personalities of your colleagues (and in particular, your more senior colleagues), it
may explain why individuals stop talking to you once in a while…

Gender equality

Unfortunately, Chinese society appears to have moved on from its previous enlightened position on
gender equality where women were considered to ‘hold up half the sky’, to a situation which is in rapid
reverse [43, 44] (although the billionaire Chairman of the Alibaba Group, Jack Ma has been very vocal
fighting against it [45]). Leta Hong Fincher’s book ‘Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender
Inequality in China’ has become somewhat of a classic text in this area and is well worth a read [46].
Although the authors do not agree with all of her arguments, she does provide a decent overall
description of some of the discrimination facing women in modern China.

On a personal level, the authors have not found gender discrimination to be widely dissimilar from
their day to day work experiences in Europe, but there is a definite suspicion of highly educated
women, particularly unmarried highly educated women amongst the wider populace, and there is a
well-known ‘joke’ about how ‘there are three types of people in the world: men, women and women
with PhDs’ [47].

Ethnicity

The experiences of different nationalities and ethnicities of researcher working in China varies
considerably. Given that relatively few foreigners live in China (particularly outside of the major cities),
crude stereotypes about different nationalities and ethnicities are common [48, 49].

Internet access

The Great Firewall of China is an issue and does restrict the ability of China-based researchers to
conduct international-level research. At the time of writing Google, Yahoo, Facebook, You Tube,
Instagram and their subsidiaries such as Dropbox and Flickr, plus most international blogsites, such as
those hosted by WordPress, and some news sites such as the New York Times, SCMP and The
Economist, are blocked on mainland China. WhatsApp is also blocked at the current time. Very, very
occasionally access to all international websites is blocked or slowed down significantly, but this is
very rare and usually coincides with a major political event.

There have been protests from Chinese academics about the impact of these internet restrictions on
their ability to conduct international-level research, but it is unclear how this situation is developing.
Whilst some sites have been blocked for obvious reasons [50], it is less clear why the NASA Jet
Propulsion Laboratory should also have be blocked [51].

Access to Chinese websites, including the Baidu search engine, is always fast and efficient.

There are ways around some, or all, of the Firewall, and many research organisations have permission
to accesses the wider internet though either a tunnel or VPN line.

Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)

VPNs can be used to bypass the firewall completely, but in early 2017, the Ministry of Industry and
Information Technology announced that it would tighten regulations over internet services, including
VPNs and, at the time of writing, it is unclear whether VPNs will be made illegal in the very near future
[51]. Apple removed VPNs from their App Store at the request of the Chinese government in August
2017 [52].

20
Academic search engines and journals

Access to academic search engines such as SCOPUS and Web of Knowledge is unhindered (although
Google Scholar is blocked), and until recently, there were no problems accessing journal webpages
and downloading articles. Although unusual, events around the censorship of China Quarterly articles
which is published by Cambridge University Press are concerning [53], and at the time of writing it is
unclear how the situation will develop and what the wider implications are likely to be [54].

The Chinese academic search engine China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI)5 is an extremely
powerful database containing information on research publications (both in Chinese and English
languages), patents and funded Chinese research projects (including information on project titles,
abstracts, Principal Investigators, institutions and funding bodies). It also contains information on
upcoming Chinese funding calls. There is no equivalent database in English although parts of it could
very loosely be compared to databases such as Scopus and Web of Knowledge.

The main CNKI interface is in Chinese although there is a much reduced version in English and CNKI
have been developing collaborative partnerships with international databases and publishers.
Detailed instructions of how to use the Chinese version of CNKI are provided in Tang and Paramor
(2015) [55].

Books

All academic books which are imported into China are first screened by the official import agent.
Although the agents can refuse to bring the books into China, this is a relatively rare phenomena.

5
http://www.cnki.net/

21
Chapter 5. Settling in
Introduction

There are some technologies which make life very simple in China. The most important is a smart
phone with the WeChat and AliPay apps downloaded. Maybe Baidu Translate too.

Mobile phones

Networks

China Mobile and China Unicom are the only two network providers in China. Pay-as-you-go and
monthly contracts are available from both companies (and very cheap), but it is worthwhile asking
colleagues for advice about which has the best network coverage in your area.

SIM cards can be purchased from dedicated phone network stores or from news sellers and mini-
markets. You will need to show your passport for registration purposes.

An alternative to purchasing a Chinese SIM card is to investigate whether a network provider in

another country can organise a reasonably-priced international roaming account for you. With an
international roaming account, colleagues report that they can access blocked websites without a VPN
on their phones, and for monthly roaming charges which are not hugely dissimilar to Chinese mobile
packages.

App Stores

The Google Play App Store is not accessible without a VPN or an international roaming account. The
Apple App Store works fine at the moment (although they have recently removed VPNs from their
stores at the request of the Chinese government).

Handsets

Just a note that Android handsets sold in China come pre-loaded with a Chinese operating system so
do not have the usual Google services installed and these cannot be installed later (including the
Google Play App Store) unless you have the IT skills to do so. Also, mobile phones do not tend to be
significantly cheaper to purchase in China than in Europe.

Apps

Many international apps are blocked in China (see Chapter 4, Internet access), but there are Chinese
equivalents, some of which are actually far superior in terms of their functionality.

WeChat was launched in 2011 and it is probably the most popular app in China. There is very little you
cannot do with it (messaging, ordering taxis, payment, ordering food, train tickets and so on) [56].
Most organisations have WeChat accounts (including research organisations and funding bodies), and
it is the main form of dissemination for many organisations.

Between Alipay and WeChat Pay, you will never need to use cash or cards again…

Learning Chinese

English is not commonly spoken in China and it is important to learn some Chinese. It is relatively easy
to get up to an emergency level of Chinese to help navigate your way through restaurants, shops and
public transport, and there are plenty of phone apps which can help (e.g. Baidu Translate). However,

22
moving beyond this level into small talk and up to a level where you can discuss research ideas in
Chinese is rather more challenging…

Probably the best advice is to learn in advance and start taking lessons as soon as you arrive and before
you get into bad habits (the mono-lingual author is expert at pointing at something and saying zhège
or ‘this one’ which is remarkably effective, but makes her sound like a two year old who hasn’t yet
learned to form sentences…). The majority of international researchers who speak a decent level of
Chinese tend to have studied the language well in advance of taking up their jobs and have often spent
time in China for this specific purpose. If you are interested in making your career here, there are
plenty of Chinese government funded programmes for international students to learn Chinese. Many
of these are held at some of the most prestigious universities in China (e.g. Nanjing University, Peking
University & Fudan University). Student feedback on the various programmes varies quite a lot so it is
worth checking the online comments.

If you are trying to learn the language whilst also doing your job, there are plenty of private language
schools and tutors around. It might require a little experimentation to work out which learning
approach suits you best...

Chinese accents and dialects

There are considerable variations in language and accents across the whole country. Standard Chinese
is called pǔ tōng huà, and the clearest accents tends to be heard in and around Beijing. Regional
accents can be quite strong and if you have learnt pǔ tōng huà in Beijing, you may well struggle to
communicate with people elsewhere in the country where they may speak with a very strong accent
(e.g. Ningbo) or dialect (e.g. Cantonese).

Banking

If you need to set up a Chinese bank account, the largest banks are the Agricultural Bank of China (中
国农业银行), Bank of China (中国银行), China Construction Bank (中国建设银行) and the Industrial
and Commercial Bank of China (中国工商银行), but there are many others. Your employer may set
up an account for you in advance for your salary deposits. If not, then you will need to bring your
passport and any visa documents to the bank to set up an account. Many bank staff speak a good level
of English and it is relatively straightforward to set up an account.

The main finance system in China is called Union Pay (similar to Visa). It is possible to get hold of Union
Pay debit and credit cards (also Visa cards from some of the Chinese banks) and get multi-currency
cards (e.g. RMB and Euros or US Dollars). Union Pay is increasingly being used outside of China
(certainly in London and Paris to make things easier for the Chinese tourists).

If you wish to transfer money out of China, then you will need a tax certificate prepared by your
employer every time you wish to do so. You will also need to bring your passport, visa details and a
copy of your employment contract. You are only allowed to transfer your registered earnings outside
of China.

Most payments are made through phones these days using Alipay or WeChat pay. Alipay and WeChat
Pay can be linked to Chinese and international debit cards, but it is worthwhile setting up a separate
bank account with a separate card which contains very limited funds just in case there is any
fraudulent activity so that your main bank account is not affected.

23
Transport

Public transport is generally very good with extensive bus, metro and train networks across cities and
across China. Most major cities have Smartcards which can be charged up at train and metro stations
and at a few designated Smartcard offices. For travel between cities, you will normally need your
passport in order to book and collect the tickets.

City buses

City bus journeys can be paid on-board (normally only two or three RMB) or are available at a slight
discount if you use your Smartcard. The bus routes and bus stops can be identified using the Baidu
map app.

Few bus routes are translated into English so it is worthwhile having an idea about where you need to
get off (e.g. the actual number of stops), or track yourself on a map.

Long distance buses

Long-distance buses are now less popular than a few years ago as the high speed trains have sped up
journey times. However if you have the time, or if you’re travelling with a lot of luggage, they are an
excellent way to travel as there are general so few passengers and all your luggage can be stowed in
the hold.

Metro

Metros are one of the latest fashions and have been adopted at an astonishing speed in most of the
major cities. These are cheap, clean and highly reliable.

If you know that you definitely need to be somewhere on time in Beijing, Shanghai, Chengdu or any
other city with bad traffic, then the metro is probably the most reliable form of transport.

Trains

China’s modern high speed trains are an excellent way of travelling long distance. They are very rarely
cancelled or particularly late. Train tickets do regularly sell out so it is best to purchase tickets in
advance (online or in WeChat).

Bike-sharing

Bike-sharing is incredibility fashionable at the moment. Different cities have different schemes.
Normally, you will need to download the bike app on your phone, place a deposit (around 200 RMB)
and then you can cycle.

E-bikes

Electric bikes or e-bikes are very common and popular in cities as petrol-engine motorbikes are
banned on air quality grounds. You do not need a driving licence or insurance to own or drive one
which has a maximum speed of 20kmph (although, quite frankly, this wouldn’t be such a terrible
idea…), but e-bikes with higher speeds are licenced as motorbikes and need all the accompanying
paperwork.

Walking

Some Chinese cities are very walkable, whilst others are less pedestrian-friendly with pavements full
of parked cars, e-bikes and hawker stalls.

24
As a pedestrian, e-bikes are probably the biggest safety concern. They are quiet, are often driven on
the pavement and/or the wrong way up streets and most drivers do not turn on their lights at night
to conserve the battery. It’s worth doing a 360 before veering off your straight line…

Taxis

Taxis are an excellent way of getting around a city, although you may need to strong nerves
(probably best that you don’t sit in the front seat if you’re of a nervous disposition).

Taxis can be hailed on the street (wave your arm about) or by app (Didi, Baidu).

Personal cars

The regulations on driving licences and car ownership vary quite considerably across China so you will
need to check . If you already have a driving licence from Europe, then you will normally have to take
at least the theory part of the Chinese driving test before you are allowed to drive. This may involve
answering around 100 multiple choice questions within a one hour time frame. The test is often
available in English.

Flights

Most major cities have excellent modern airports. However reliability can be an issue. When booking
your flights most travel agents will provide the punctuality of each flight (e.g. Ctrip).

Restaurants

Meal times tend to be a little (or quite a lot ) earlier than in Europe. Breakfast starts at 6am, lunch is
generally at 12 (but from 11am onwards) and dinner is normally somewhere between 5pm and 6pm.
Many local restaurants will be empty or closing by 7.30pm.

Attracting the attention of the serving staff

Apologies if this sounds patronising, but we are including this information here because a British
colleague once told us that he and another international colleague had been unable to eat at a Chinese
restaurant the previous night, not because they couldn’t understand the menu, but because they
couldn’t attract the attention of the serving staff…

As a general rule, serving staff are not looking to catch their customers’ eyes so customers need to be
a little more active. Stick your arm in the air, wave your hand up and down and politely shout
fúwùyuán in order to get their attention. Watch how the locals do it.

Dietary restrictions

Vegetarians & Vegans: Although plenty of Chinese cuisine is vegetarian or vegan, these dishes are
sometimes a little hard to identify. Vegetable dishes are often topped with minced pork, pork fat is
often added to dough for breads and noodles, meat is commonly used to make the gravy for vegetable
and tofu dishes and bones are boiled to make soup stock.

In the major cities, it’s common to find Chinese vegetarian or vegan restaurants (not all, but many of
these restaurants are catering for the Buddhist market), but they’re less common outside of these
areas unless there are temples nearby.

25
No pork: There is a high level of awareness around dietary restrictions on pork in China. Every Chinese
university campus will have at least one canteen which does not serve pork products (the ‘Muslim
canteen’), and pork-free restaurants are very common in general (look for those restaurants serving
Xinjiang cuisine).

No dairy: Dairy is generally easy to avoid as it is not a commonly added to dishes.

26
Chapter 6. Other sources of information
Support organisations in China

There are many organisations in China which provide support for European research and innovation
stakeholders. Most of these are based in, or are associated with, European embassies and consulates,
with the Austrian, British, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Italian, Norwegians, Spanish,
Swedish and Swiss being particularly active. It is well worthwhile contacting the research and
innovation representative at your embassy for information about their support services and funding
opportunities in China. Some host annual events for their researchers based in China, whilst others
may provide modest funds to support international workshops and meetings.

Outside of the embassies of individual countries, there are also a few EU (or EU-funded) organisations
which are active in China and which are also useful:

Organisation Information WeChat QR code

ENRICH in China currently has two centres (Beijing and
Chengdu) which provide support, training and information
services to the European research and innovation
community trying to access China. They hold regular
ENRICH in China webinars and training events on issues such as IPR and
Horizon 2020 funding.

Euraxess are very active in China and host regular social

events for Chinese and European researchers in Beijing and
Shanghai, including their annual Science Slam competition.
They also produce excellent publications on European
funding opportunities available to China-based researchers
Euraxess Links and Europe-China Joint Research Structures, in addition to
China providing regular updates on EU-Chinese research news.
The Science, Technology and Environment Section of the EU
Delegation to China work closely with their Chinese
counterparts on policy and funding issues, but also regularly
support EU-China events and initiatives promoting
Delegation of cooperation in research and innovation. The team organises
the European the annual Tour of China to disseminate information about
Union to China Horizon 2020 and other European research and innovation
funding programmes around major Chinese cities.

For all your high level EU-China research and innovation

European policy and funding news!
Commission,
DG Research
and Innovation

27
Recommended reading list on Europe - China research and innovation

If you would like more in depth information, these are probably the most useful recent reports on
the Chinese research and innovation landscape:

Cao, Cong (2015) Chapter 23. China. UNESCO Science Report: Towards 2030. pp. 620-640

Development Solutions Europe (2018). Advance EU access to financial incentives for innovation in
China: Guide for EU Stakeholders on Chinese national STI funding programmes. pp.129

International Labour Organisation (2017) Attracting skilled international migrants to China：A

review and comparison of policies and practices. pp.124

Nature (2018) Career Guide: China

Recommended reading list on China in general

This is a deeply inexhaustive list of non-fiction books on China I’ve found interesting over the last
few years...

Chang, Leslie T. (2010) Factory Girls: Voices from the Heart of Modern China. Picador. 448pp.

Clissold, Tim (2010) Mr China. Constable. 336pp.

Dunlop, Fuchsia (2011) Shark's Fin and Sichuan Pepper: A sweet-sour memoir of eating in China. Ebury
Press. 320pp.

Fincher, Leta Hong (2016) Leftover Women: The Resurgence of Gender Inequality in China. Zed Books.
224pp.

Midler, Paul (2011) Poorly Made in China: An Insider's Account of the China Production Game. John
Wiley & Sons. 272pp.

Mustacich, Suzanne (2016) Thirsty Dragon: China's Lust for Bordeaux and the Threat to the World's
Best Wines. Henry Holt and Co.

Osnos, Evan (2015) Age of Ambition: Chasing Fortune, Truth and Faith in the New China. Vintage.
416pp.

Pai, Hsiao-Hung (2013) Scattered Sand: The Story of China's Rural Migrants. Verso. 320pp.

Yu, Hua (2013) China in Ten Words. Gerald Duckworth & Co Ltd. 240pp.

28
Chapter 7. References

1. Jobs.ac.uk. Interview with Professor Stijn van der Veen, Professor of Microbiology. 2007
Available from: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/careers-advice/academic-case-
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31
Appendix 1.
Table A1. The top Chinese universities and their classification

University 211 985 C9 WorldClass 2.0

Anhui University DP
Beijing University of Technology DP
Beijing Foreign Studies University DP
Beijing Forestry University DP
Beijing Institute of Technology A
Beijing Jiaotong University DP
Beijing Normal University A
Beijing Sport University DP
Beihang University (formerly known as Beijing University of
A
Aeronautics and Astronautics)
Beijing University of Chemical Technology DP
Beijing University of Chinese Medicine DP
Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications DP
Capital Normal University DP
Central Academy of Drama DP
Central Academy of Fine Arts DP
Central China Normal University DP
Central Conservatory of Music DP
Central South University A
Central University of Finance and Economics DP
Chang'an University DP
Chengdu University of Technology DP
Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine DP
China Academy of Art DP
China Agricultural University A
China Conservatory of Music DP
China Foreign Affairs University DP
China Pharmaceutical University DP
China University of Geosciences (Beijing) DP
China University of Geosciences (Wuhan)
China University of Mining and Technology (Beijing)
China University of Mining and Technology DP
China University of Petroleum (Beijing) DP
China University of Petroleum (Huadong)
China University of Political Science and Law DP
Chongqing University A
Communication University of China DP
Dalian Maritime University DP
Dalian University of Technology A
Donghua University DP

32
East China Normal University A
East China University of Science and Technology DP
Fourth Military Medical University DP
Fudan University A
Fuzhou University DP
Guangxi University DP
Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine DP
Guizhou University DP
Hainan University DP
Harbin Engineering University DP
Harbin Institute of Technology A
Hebei University of Technology DP
Hefei University of Technology DP
Henan University DP
Hohai University DP
Huazhong Agricultural University DP
Huazhong University of Science and Technology A
Hunan Normal University DP
Hunan University B
Inner Mongolia University DP
Jinan University DP
Jiangnan University DP
Jilin University A
Lanzhou University A
Liaoning University DP
Minzu University of China (formerly known as the Central
A
University for Nationalities)
Nanchang University DP
Nanjing Agricultural University DP
Nanjing Forestry University DP
Nanjing Normal University DP
Nanjing University A
Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics DP
Nanjing University of Chinese Medicine DP
Nanjing University of Information Science and Technology DP
Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications DP
Nanjing University of Science and Technology DP
Nankai University A
Ningbo University DP
Ningxia University DP
National University of Defence Technology A
North China Electric Power University DP
North China Electric Power University (Baoding)
Northeast Agricultural University DP
Northeast Forestry University DP

33
Northeast Normal University DP
Northeastern University B
Northwest A&F University B
Northwest University DP
Northwestern Polytechnical University A
Ocean University of China A
Peking University A
Peking Union Medical College DP
People’s Public Security University of China DP
Qinghai University DP
Renmin University of China A
Second Military Medical University DP
Shaanxi Normal University DP
Shandong University A
Shanghai Conservatory of Music DP
Shanghai International Studies University DP
Shanghai Jiao Tong University A
Shanghai Ocean University DP
Shanghai University DP
Shanghai University of Finance and Economics DP
Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine DP
Shanghai University of Sport DP
Shihezi University DP
Sichuan Agricultural University DP
Sichuan University A
South China Normal University DP
South China University of Technology A
Southeast University A
Southwest University DP
Southwest Jiaotong University DP
Southwest Petroleum University DP
Southwestern University of Finance and Economics DP
Sun Yat-sen University A
Soochow University DP
Taiyuan University of Technology DP
Tianjin Medical University DP
Tianjin University A
Tianjin Polytechnic University DP
Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine DP
Tibet University DP
Tongji University A
Tsinghua University A
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences DP
University of Electronic Science and Technology of China A

34
University of International Business and Economics DP
University of Science and Technology Beijing DP
University of Science and Technology of China A
Wuhan University A
Wuhan University of Technology DP
Xiamen University A
Xi'an Jiaotong University A
Xidian University DP
Xinjiang University B
Yanbian University DP
Yunnan University B
Zhejiang University A
Zhengzhou University B
Zhongnan University of Economics and Law DP

35
Appendix 2.
Table A2.1. Examples of Natural Science Foundation (NSF) Funding

International English Approximate

Prerequisite Length of
Level Grant researchers application size of grant Call release dates Other
grant grant (years)
eligible6 & reporting (RMB)
Check with
Annual call
the specific
600,000 – announced in
Standard Yes No NSFC 4
800,000 January with a
thematic
March deadline.
office8
Annual call
Young announced in
Yes No No 3 250,000 Researchers must be aged 40 years or less.
Scientist January with a
March deadline.
Researchers must be a non-Chinese citizen, aged 40
National7
years or less and have a PhD. There is a relatively
(NSFC)
high success rate (higher than for the Standard
Annual call
International NSFC Young Scientist Grant). There is no standard
200,000 per announced in
Young Yes No Yes 1 or 2 structure for the application form, unlike the other
year January with a
Scientist programmes.
March deadline.
A successful application does not make you eligible
to apply for the larger NSFC grants as these require
completion of a three year NSFC project.
International These are highly competitive grants and tend to be
Check call Check call Various – tend
Cooperation Yes Yes10 Various awarded to the most prestigious Chinese
9 text text to be large
universities. An overseas partner is required, but

6
International researchers must be employed at a Chinese NFSC-registered institution on a contract which covers the length of the project and which specifies that they spend at least six
months of every year in China. Researchers will need a PhD and/or a ‘senior title’ (associate professor or above).
7
Information on all NSFC grants is available from: http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/publish/portal1/tab285/
8
Although there has been no official announcement that applications can be submitted to the NSFC in English, some successful applications have been written in English and some specific
thematic NSFC offices have encouraged applicants to apply in English. Ask your institute’s research office to ring the specific thematic NSFC office and ask if they will accept English
applications first. Ring the offices a few times to speak to different NSFC officers to see if they provide a consistent answer.
9
Further information is available from: http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/Portals/0/fj/english/fj/pdf/2016/101.pdf
10
Applicants must have an on-going or completed NSFC research project of at least three years duration.

36
 funding will only cover research activities
completed in China.
Various
Usually identical applications are submitted to all
international
Check call Check call Various – tend the funding agencies involved. Funding from the
co-funding Yes Yes5 Various
text text to be large national agencies only pays for research in their
exchange
specific countries.
grants4
Various
Usually identical applications are submitted to all
international
Check call Check call Various – tend the funding agencies involved. Funding from the
co-funding Yes Yes5 Various
text text to be large national agencies only pays for research in their
research
specific countries.
grants4
Various –
usually
Provincial
standard, Yes No No Various <500,000
(NSF)
youth and
key grants
Various -
usually
Municipal standard,
Yes No No Various 50,000
(NSF) youth and
key
programmes

37
Table A2.2 Examples of Provincial & Municipal level NSF programmes
International English Length Approximate
Prerequisite
Level Grant researchers application & of grant size of grant Call release dates Other
grant
eligible11 reporting (years) (RMB)
Standard Grant Annual call
80,000 –
Yes No No 3 announced in
(一般项目) 100,000
April/May.
Youth Annual call
Male applicants must be less than 33 years old and
Yes No No 3 60,000 announced in
(青年项目) female applicants must be less than 38 years old.
April/May.
Youth Excellence Annual call
300,000 – Only one applicant is involved and they must be less
Yes No No 3 announced in
Zhejiang (杰青项目) 200,000 than 40 years old.
April/May.
Provincial
200,000 –
400,000
(200,000 for
Key Annual call
mathematical
Yes No No 4 announced in Applicants must be less than 52 years old.
(重点项目) and
April/May.
management
science
applications)
Ningbo
Standard Grant Yes No No 50,000
Municipal

11
International researchers must be employed at a Chinese NFSC-registered institution on a contract which covers the length of the project and which specifies that they spend at least six
months of every year in China. Researchers will need a PhD and/or a ‘senior title’ (associate professor or above).

38
Table A2.3 Examples of Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) Funding
Length
International English Approximate
Prerequisite of
Level Grants researchers application & size of grant Call release dates Other
grant grant
eligible12 reporting (RMB)
(years)
This programme has highly detailed call descriptors with
descriptions of the research content, project targets,
number of projects to be funded and the to be funds
Key Research
Rolling release allocated to each project (similar in structure to the
and
Yes No 3-5 20 – 30 million throughout the Horizon 2020 call descriptors). Applications require large
Development
year. consortia and the projects are formed of a series of ‘sub-
Programme
projects’ lead by one coordinating partner. Highly
competitive and usually awarded to the most prestigious
Chinese universities.
This programme addresses the large and most ambitious
R&D challenges for China’s mid to long term
Science and Likely limited
National development. The programme is being replaced by the
Technology to minor role No
2030 Innovation Mega Projects which will run until 2030.
Mega Projects only [33]
Topics include big data, artificial intelligence, aerospace
and smart power grids.
A successful application to Horizon 2020 does not
automatically result in funds being released from the
MoST Horizon 2020 Co-Funding Mechanism.
Horizon 2020 Various. The
The content of the MoST application should
Co-Funding Yes Yes13 No total budget is Twice a year.
complement, but not copy the Horizon 2020 application.
Mechanism €28 million.
Applications are led by one partner. This call is
administered by CSTEC and you should contact them in
advance of your application for detailed guidance14.
Rolling release These calls will be based on specific provincial needs. The
Key Research
Provincial Yes No 5 million throughout the provincial MoST bureaux hold an open consultation with
and
year. Each month industry, research institutions and universities to request

12
International researchers must be employed at a Chinese MoST-registered institution on a contract with means that they spend at least six months of every year in China. Researchers will
need a PhD and/or a ‘senior title’ (associate professor or above).
13
The Chinese consortium must be part of a successful Horizon 2020 bid. The timing of news about the Horizon 2020 application outcome and the application deadline for the MoST Co-
Funding Mechanism may not always synchronise. Also, a successful application to Horizon 2020 does not automatically result in funds being released from the MoST Horizon 2020 Co-
Funding Mechanism.
14
CSTEC: Dong Keqin

39
 Development may focus on a ideas or descriptions of technology limitations or
Programme specific thematic difficulties. Suggestions must come from a MoST-
area. registered institution, but an unlimited number of
suggestions may be made by each institute. Based on the
feedback, a Provincial MoST panel will identify the
priority areas and then the call will open. There is usually
a 2-3 month gap between the end of the consultation
process and the opening of the call.
These calls will be based on specific local needs. The
municipal MoST bureaux hold an open consultation with
industry, research institutions and universities to request
Rolling release
ideas or describe their current difficulties and technology
Key Research throughout the
limitations. Suggestions must come from a MoST-
and year. Each month
Municipal Yes No 2-3 million registered institution, but an unlimited number of
Development may focus on a
suggestions may be made by each institute. Based on the
Programme specific thematic
feedback, a Municipal MoST panel will identify the
area.
priority areas and then the call will open. There is usually
a 2-3 month gap between the end of the consultation
process and the opening of the call.

40
The University of Nottingham Ningbo China
41 ISBN 978-0853583202