How to Email Professors for CSC and ANSO Scholarships in China (With Template)

For research degrees in China, a professor who agrees to supervise you can decide whether your scholarship application succeeds. The CAS-ANSO Scholarship needs a host supervisor, and many universities ask for or prefer an acceptance letter for the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC). This guide shows how to write that first email so a busy professor reads it and replies.

Treat the email as a pitch, not an introduction

Imagine selling a phone. You would not say “this is a phone, please buy it”. You would explain that the camera is excellent, the battery lasts and the price is fair, because buyers decide on features. Emailing a professor works the same way. Your goal is not only to introduce yourself. Your goal is to show, with evidence, that you are a suitable candidate for their research group.

Four things every email must show

• Your skills: lab techniques, software, programming languages or methods you can already use.
• Your research record: projects, thesis work or publications, with one line on what you did.
• The match: how your research interest connects to the professor’s current work. Name a recent paper or project.
• Your contribution: what you can add to the group from the first semester.

Check the professor before you write

Outdated emails are a common reason for silence. Before sending, confirm three things on the official university page:

• The professor still works at that university or institute.
• Their current research area matches yours. Read the titles of their last few papers.
• The email address is the current one.

Write a clear subject line

The subject line decides whether the email is opened. Keep it specific and professional:

• Prospective PhD student (CSC 2027): research interest in perovskite solar cells
• Request for supervision: master’s applicant for the CAS-ANSO Scholarship 2027
• MSc Chemistry graduate interested in your work on metal-organic frameworks

Email template you can adapt

Dear Professor [Surname],

I am [Name], a [degree] graduate in [field] from [university], [country], with a CGPA of [x/4.0]. I am writing because your recent work on [specific topic or paper title] is closely related to my research on [your topic].

During my [thesis or project], I [what you did, the method you used and the result]. I have hands-on experience with [two or three skills or instruments], and I have [published, submitted or presented] [paper or project].

I would like to apply for the [CSC or CAS-ANSO] Scholarship for the [September 2027] intake and continue this work in your group, particularly on [an idea that fits their research]. Would you consider supervising me?

My CV is attached. Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely,
[Name]
[Email] | [Phone]

Keep the body under about 200 words. Replace every bracket with real details, and rewrite the second and third paragraphs for each professor.

Sending rules that improve your reply rate

• Start early. Professors receive many requests close to the deadline, and student places fill up.
• One professor, one email. Never send a group email or copy several professors. Each one must receive a separate, personalised message.
• Attach only your CV as a PDF. Send transcripts and certificates when the professor asks for them. You can use our academic CV template.
• Any reliable email service works. Gmail, Outlook, Hotmail or Yahoo are all fine. A university address helps if you have one.
• Avoid Chinese holidays. Do not send during public holidays such as the National Day week in early October and the Spring Festival, or during university vacations.
• Time it for the morning in China. Schedule the email to arrive at the start of the working day. China is on UTC+8, so 4:30 to 4:40 AM in Pakistan is 7:30 to 7:40 AM in Beijing.
• Follow up once. If you get no reply after four or five days, send a short, polite reminder in the same thread.

Mistakes that get emails ignored

• Generic text with no mention of the professor’s research.
• A long life story instead of evidence.
• Asking “do you have a scholarship for me?” before showing your fit.
• Spelling the professor’s name or university wrong.
• Sending the same email to several professors in one department at the same time.

What to do when a professor says yes

Thank them and ask what the university needs next. This is usually an acceptance letter or a supervisor form. Then complete the scholarship application itself. See the Chinese Government Scholarship (CSC) and CAS-ANSO Scholarship pages for deadlines, benefits and steps.

A reply is never guaranteed, and some professors answer weeks later. Send well-researched emails to several professors at different universities, track them in a spreadsheet and keep improving your pitch.

A follow-up e-mail that works

Professors receive many messages, and a first e-mail is often missed. One polite follow-up is normal. Wait about ten days, then reply to your own first message so that the earlier text is below.

Subject: Re: Prospective PhD student - [your topic] - [your name]

Dear Professor [Surname],

I am writing to follow up on my e-mail of [date] about a possible PhD position in your group for [intake]. I remain very interested in your work on [topic].

I have attached my CV and a one-page research idea again for your convenience. If your group has no space this year, I would be grateful to know, so that I can plan my applications.

Thank you for your time.

Yours sincerely,
[Name, degree, university]

If there is still no answer after the second message, move on. Do not send a third.

What to attach, and what to leave out

• Attach: a CV of two pages, and a research idea of one page. Use PDF files, named with your name.
• Mention, but do not attach yet: transcripts, certificates and your full proposal. Offer to send them.
• Leave out: large files, photos of documents, and zipped folders. Many university mail systems block them.

Keep a tracking sheet

Contact professors in small groups of five to eight, each with a message written for that person. You can only write well about work that you have read.

When you need an acceptance letter

Some scholarships ask for a supervisor’s acceptance or support letter. Rules differ, so read the call first. Commonwealth PhD Scholarships, for example, ask for a supporting statement from a proposed UK supervisor. At Kochi University of Technology in Japan, applicants to its special scholarship programme need a supervisor’s permission before they apply.

When a professor agrees, make it easy for them. Send the scholarship’s official wording or form, your full name as in your passport, the programme, the intake and the deadline. Ask at least three weeks before you need the letter.

Timing: when to write

Start two to four months before the scholarship deadline. Avoid the first week of a semester and the exam period, when inboxes are full. For China, note that the 2027 calls for the CSC and the ANSO scholarships had not been announced when we checked in October 2026. In the last cycle, the HEC deadline for the CSC scholarship in Pakistan was 5 January 2026. If you want to be ready for a similar date, contact professors in the autumn.

If the professor asks for a call

A reply that says "let us talk" is a good sign. Treat the call as a short interview.

• Before the call: read two of the professor’s recent papers again, and prepare a two-minute summary of your own research idea.
• Expect these questions: what you did in your thesis, which methods you can use on your own, why you want this group, and how you plan to fund your studies.
• Have your own questions: what projects new students usually start on, how the group works day to day, and what the professor needs from you for the scholarship application.
• After the call: send a short thank-you e-mail the same day. List what you agreed and the date by which you will send each document.

Be honest about what you do not know yet. Professors look for students who can learn, not for students who claim to know everything.

Frequently asked questions

How many professors should I contact?

Start with five to eight whose research truly matches yours. Add more only after you have improved your message from the first replies.

Should I write in English or in Chinese?

Write in English unless the professor’s page or the programme says otherwise. Keep the sentences short and clear.

What if a professor says there is no funding?

Thank them, and ask whether they would still support your application to a scholarship that brings its own funding. Many professors welcome students with external scholarships.

Is it rude to contact two professors in the same department?

It is better to contact one at a time in the same department. Wait for an answer, or about two weeks, before you write to the next.

What should my one-page research idea contain?

The problem, why it matters, what you would do, and how it connects to the professor’s recent work. Our research proposal guide shows the structure.