Gitter Fellowship for Advanced Chinese Language Study

We are pleased to announce a new endowed Fellowship for Advanced Chinese Language Study for GW graduate students, made possible by a generous gift from alumnus David Gitter, MA in Asian Studies ‘15. The Gitter Fellowship supports an academic year (9 months) of intensive, immersive Chinese language instruction in China, or in Taiwan (under certain conditions). The fellowship stipend is $25,000 starting in Fall 2024 and is meant to support reasonable tuition and living expenses while the graduate student is studying in the People’s Republic of China (PRC) or in Taiwan.

The David A. Gitter Endowment for Contemporary China Studies seeks to strengthen the understanding and engagement capacity of American scholars and public service-oriented practitioners by supporting a higher degree of language proficiency and developing a cultural understanding of the PRC or Taiwan. This is in addition to developing an in-depth understanding of the different dimensions of contemporary China, Taiwan, and the broader region through coursework at the George Washington University. MA students would complete one or two years of their coursework at GW and go on Continuous Enrollment status while they live in China or Taiwan to complete the fellowship.

A selection committee comprised of faculty members affiliated with the Sigur Center for Asian Studies will select one (1) fellowship recipient each year. We will notify applicants by about late March 2024.

Eligibility

• US citizen or permanent resident
• China-focused student in the MA in Asian Studies program, joint BA-MA in Asian Studies five-year program, MA in International Affairs program, or MA in Security Studies program (or, on occasion, from a similarly focused GW PhD program), current or enrolled by Fall 2024.
• Have intermediate level of proficiency in the Chinese language (3^rd year and above)
• Able to spend a full academic year (9 months) of intensive immersion in one of the leading Chinese language training programs in the PRC (examples include but are not limited to the Inter-University Program at Tsinghua University, Beijing Language and Culture University, the Yenching Academy at Peking University, and Fudan University). The selection committee can also consider sponsoring applicants seeking to study in a leading intensive language immersion program in Taiwan, if the candidate makes a compelling case for how such study plans fit into their broader contemporary China studies, such as focusing their research on Taiwan politics, security, and cross-Strait relations.

Required Documents

• Application
• Personal statement, including plan of study (and language program)
• A proposed budget detailing the language program’s tuition/fees and living costs
• Transcript(s), demonstrating prior Chinese language study and courses related to China, Taiwan, and/or the broader region
• One letter of recommendation from a professor, instructor, or employer who can attest to the applicant’s focus on China and/or Taiwan