African Development Bank Shanghai Ocean University Scholarship 2027

African Development Bank Group Shanghai Ocean University Scholarship 2027

Key facts:

• Organisation: African Development Bank Group (AfDB) and Shanghai Ocean University (SHOU)
• Category: Scholarship
• Country / region: China
• Deadline: 2026-11-12 (confirm on the application portal)
• Official URL: https://www.afdb.org/en/vacancy/2027-african-development-bank-group-shanghai-ocean-98313
• Open to nationalities: Africa — nationals of African Development Bank Regional Member Countries.

• Funding: Full tuition, accommodation, meals and monthly stipend. Applicants pay their own flight tickets and visa fees.
• Study level: Master's and PhD.
• Field of study: Aquaculture, biology, fisheries, marine science, food science and engineering, fishery economics, applied economics and related areas. A separate Master's opportunity is also available in foreign languages and area studies.
• Duration: Master's – 3 years; PhD – 4 years.
• Host institution: Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China.
• Language requirement: Generally IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80 for English-taught programmes. Chinese-taught programmes may require HSK Level 5 with a score above 180. Check the requirements for your chosen programme.

About the programme

The African Development Bank Group (AfDB), in partnership with Shanghai Ocean University (SHOU), is inviting qualified African candidates to apply for its 2027 scholarship programmes in China.

The initiative aims to strengthen Africa's technical and institutional capacity in areas such as sustainable fisheries, aquaculture, marine science and resource management. It supports the development of skilled professionals who can contribute to Africa's blue economy, food security and sustainable use of aquatic resources.

Shanghai Ocean University is a research-focused institution known for its work in marine science, aquaculture and ocean governance.

The main postgraduate scholarship announcement covers Master's and PhD programmes across several academic colleges:

• College of Fisheries and Life Science: Aquaculture and Biology.
• College of Marine Living Resource Science and Management: Fishery Resources.
• College of Oceanography and Ecological Science: Marine Science.
• College of Food Science and Technology: Food Science and Engineering.
• College of Economics and Management: Fishery Economics and Management, and Applied Economics (Chinese).
• College of Engineering Science and Technology: Electronic Information (Chinese) and Marine Science.

There is also a separate Master's scholarship announcement through SHOU's College of Foreign Languages. It offers a three-year Master of Translation and Interpreting programme (Chinese-taught) and a three-year Master of Foreign Languages and Literatures (Area Studies) programme (English-taught). Applicants interested in these programmes should review the separate announcement and its language requirements.

Who can apply

Applicants must be nationals of an African Development Bank Regional Member Country. The requirements depend on the level and programme selected.

Master's applicants

Applicants are generally expected to:

• Be a national of an AfDB Regional Member Country.
• Have experience in the fisheries or blue economy sector.
• Hold a bachelor's degree in a relevant field, or in another field with a clear interest in pursuing a career in fisheries or the blue economy.
• Demonstrate English proficiency with at least IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80, where required.
• For Chinese-taught programmes, meet the HSK Level 5 requirement, with a score above 180, where applicable.
• Be no older than 30 years as of 1 September 2027.
• Have a strong academic record, with a GPA of 3.0 or above given as an example in the announcement.

Applicants who do not yet meet the required Chinese-language level may be able to undertake up to two years of Chinese-language study before beginning their degree, subject to the programme's conditions and age requirements.

PhD applicants

Applicants are expected to:

• Be a national of an AfDB Regional Member Country.
• Hold a Master's degree in Marine Science, Aquaculture, Economics, Environmental Policy, Development Studies or a related field.
• Have experience in the fisheries or blue economy sector.
• Meet the English-language requirement of at least IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL 80.
• Be no older than 35 years as of 1 September 2027.
• Have research experience, including at least one published paper.
• Demonstrate strong analytical, research and policy development skills.
• Have good communication and teamwork abilities, including experience working in multicultural environments.

PhD applicants are strongly encouraged to contact a potential supervisor at Shanghai Ocean University before submitting their application. They should send their CV, research proposal and published paper or papers for an initial assessment. The supervisor's name should be included in the application form.

Supervisor directory: https://ieo.shou.edu.cn/18224/list.htm

Note: Requirements can differ between individual programmes. Applicants should check the official vacancy announcement for the specific degree they intend to pursue.

What you get

Successful applicants will receive:

• Full payment of tuition fees.
• Accommodation.
• Meals.
• A monthly stipend to support living expenses.
• Access to experienced academic staff and research facilities.
• Specialised professional and academic training in marine and aquatic sciences, depending on the chosen programme.

The programme is designed to help students gain practical knowledge of China's aquaculture systems, develop skills in aquatic organism observation, environmental sampling and hatchery operations, and improve their cross-cultural communication and teamwork abilities.

Expenses not covered: Successful candidates are responsible for their own international flight tickets and visa fees.

The scholarship does not provide employment with the African Development Bank Group after graduation.

How to apply

Interested and qualified candidates should follow these steps:

1. Review the official AfDB announcement and identify the programme that matches your academic background and career interests.
2. Check the specific academic, age and language requirements for that programme.
3. Prepare the required application documents.
4. PhD applicants should contact a suitable SHOU supervisor in advance and submit their CV, research proposal and published paper(s) for pre-evaluation.
5. Complete and submit the online application through the official African Development Bank application page before the deadline.

Official postgraduate application announcement:
https://www.afdb.org/en/vacancy/2027-african-development-bank-group-shanghai-ocean-98313

Separate Master's programme in Foreign Languages and Area Studies:
https://www.afdb.org/en/vacancy/2027-african-development-bank-group-shanghai-ocean-98320

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stage, which may include an online interview with Shanghai Ocean University.

For technical problems with the application, contact AfDB HR Direct at HRDirect@AFDB.ORG. Include a clear explanation of the issue and, where possible, a screenshot.

Documents required

Applicants should prepare the documents relevant to their chosen programme. These may include:

• Academic certificates and transcripts.
• A current curriculum vitae (CV).
• Proof of nationality from an AfDB Regional Member Country.
• English-language test results, where required.
• HSK certificate for Chinese-taught programmes, where required.
• Research proposal for PhD applicants.
• Evidence of at least one published research paper for PhD applicants.
• Any additional documents requested in the official application form.

PhD applicants should also send their CV, research proposal and published paper(s) to a potential SHOU supervisor for pre-evaluation.

Important dates

• Application opening: 05 November 2026.
• Published closing date on individual AfDB vacancy pages: 12 November 2026.
• Alternative closing date shown on another AfDB vacancies listing: 17 November 2026.
• Programme commencement: 2027.

Important: The African Development Bank's vacancy pages show conflicting closing dates. Applicants should use the earlier date of 12 November 2026 as a precaution and verify the deadline on the official application page.