Whenever you hear someone plans to study overseas, which country’s name do you typically hear the most? For most cases, the usual list is: the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, or Australia.

However, only focusing on the West might result in overlooking similarly valuable opportunities closer to home. One such opportunity, hidden in plain sight within Asia, particularly in China, is the Belt and Road Scholarship.

Meet Prottush Panday
Prottush Panday is currently a senior majoring in Green Energy & Smart Technology (GEST) at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU). When Prottush was accepted into his dream university, he was awarded not only a Full Admissions Scholarship but also the prestigious Belt and Road Scholarship.

The Belt and Road Scholarship primarily covers tuition fees and is specifically designated for students from Belt and Road partner countries across Asia, Africa, Europe, and beyond. On the other hand, the Full Admissions Scholarship provides additional financial support, including accommodation expenses, and is more broadly open to international students.

Depending on their profile and eligibility, students may receive either one of these scholarships or, in some cases, both. Interestingly, applicants do not have to submit a separate scholarship application. Instead, the university itself evaluates the admitted students for all relevant entrance and admission scholarships (including both the Full Admissions Scholarship and the Belt and Road Scholarship) in accordance with its own selection criteria.

What does the Belt and Road Scholarship offer?
Beyond the financial support, Prottush emphasised the broader opportunities that come with the award. “You get to connect with respected scholars, business leaders, and professionals through conferences and university affiliations, allowing further exploration into different career sectors,” he shared, highlighting the networking opportunities that come along with the scholarship.

What are the academic requirements for this scholarship?
This part can be a bit tricky and confusing, as there is no specific set of requirements outlined for non-local students. Yet, it does not mean that good grades are not important. It is still absolutely essential! However, given the rising competition in global education, maintaining meaningful extracurricular activities is equally important, as it helps an application to stand out.

As Prottush explained, “They look into the applicant as a whole instead of just academics.”

Therefore, firstly, you must be accepted into a university that offers the Belt and Road Scholarship. Unfortunately, there is no centralised website or an official list showing which universities can avail this scholarship. Therefore, applicants must carefully check whether their desired university offers this particular scholarship or not.

After getting accepted into the appropriate university, students then compete with other international applicants for the award. This is where extracurricular achievements can play a decisive role.

For Prottush, aside from maintaining solid grades, he placed equal emphasis on his extracurricular activities too. At the time of application, he had worked as a research assistant on climate change and had also published an article on it in an international magazine. Additionally, he participated in national Olympiads, winning the divisional rounds of the National Physics Olympiad twice. To further strengthen his profile, Prottush also served as an Academic Officer at Initiative Bangladesh.

Prottush believes these experiences helped his application stand out. His journey reinforces an important message: by the time we graduate, our extracurricular involvement can be just as influential as our grades.

What is the ideal time to prepare?
Prottush advised that the ideal time to begin preparing your application is right after AS Level or the first year of HSC. Starting early would help to avoid piling up all the work for the last moment. It also allows sufficient time to build a strong profile. If everything is prepared in advance, the application process should not take long. For him, it took between 3 and 4 days to complete it with no unexpected hurdles or barriers.

Based on his experience, Prottush has seen many applicants struggle with crafting their personal statements and preparing for interviews. When it comes to the personal statement, he suggested focusing on three key points:

“Why are you a good fit for the university?”
“Why is the university a good fit for you?”
“What do you hope to achieve if given the opportunity to study there?”

Prottush faced an interview after submitting his application and before the final admission and scholarship decisions were made. Some of the questions that were asked included: an introduction about himself, why he applied to the university, why he chose Hong Kong as a study destination, and what his future plans were.

He also pointed out the importance of researching the university beforehand. For instance, he prepared potential questions and practised his answers in advance. Additionally, he prepared thoughtful questions of his own to ask the interviewers, which demonstrated genuine interest and dedication.

Is language proficiency required?
Yes, IELTS is generally required for international applicants. However, for O Level and A Level students, English proficiency tests may not be necessary if English was taken as a subject in either exam. For national curriculum students, a minimum band of 6.0 in IELTS is required.

On the other hand, Chinese is not mandatory, but it can certainly be an advantage in daily life. For those who are concerned about the language barrier, Prottush offers reassurance, “Till now, I can barely communicate in Chinese. I just know a few sentences, that’s all.”

How is prottush finding Hong Kong?
‘It is a city of beauty and also a city that never sleeps!’

Beyond academics and scholarships, life in Hong Kong has been both exciting and enriching for Prottush. He is particularly fond of the close-knit community, which allowed him to build lifelong friendships and connections. At the same time, he enjoys the city’s vibrant lifestyle, from its bustling streets to the numerous shops and restaurants that remain open late into the night.

Like any international student, initially, Prottush did face a bit of difficulty in adjusting. As he explained, ‘I had a bit of a problem with directions and language at first. But later on, as days went by, I adapted to the culture.’

One of the main challenges he faced was that many people in the local shops did not know English. However, it was only a matter of time before Prottush developed his own way of managing the language barrier.

For those with a bit of flexibility in choosing their study destination, China is certainly worth considering. If you are unsure about how to select the right university, Prottush offers one final piece of advice.

When shortlisting institutions, he first focused on whether the programme was taught in English, which is generally not an issue in Hong Kong, as English is one of its official languages. His second target was the availability of scholarships. Only after these two criteria were met did he focus on selecting the appropriate major.

His journey serves as a reminder that sometimes the most rewarding opportunities are not always the most obvious ones. While many students may instinctively look towards the West, fully funded pathways also exist within Asia, waiting to be explored. As Prottush said, “Shoot your shot and see what happens. You miss 100% of the shots you don’t take!”

This article is written in partnership with Abroadmates, the all-in-one mentorship platform for study abroad.

To know more about the Belt and Road Scholarship, book a session at https://www.abroadmates.com/prottush-panday