In 2023, Shihezi University has 1,200 international students, with 480 (40%) receiving scholarships including 150 Chinese Govt Scholarships, 100 Xinjiang Govt Scholarships, and 230 President’s Scholarships, supporting their study and campus life.
Table of Contents
Program Types
Among the 1,200 international students enrolled in 2023, 70% (840 students) are in degree programs and 30% (360 students) in non-degree programs. Joint education programs cover 5 foreign universities.
- Degree programs include undergraduate (4 years), master’s (3 years), and doctoral (4 years) programs. In 2023, 840 students were admitted to degree programs, accounting for 70% of the total international students, among whom 500 were undergraduates (60% in engineering), 280 were master’s students (40% in agriculture), and 60 were doctoral students (30% in medicine);
- Non-degree programs are divided into language training (6-12 months) and short-term exchange (1-3 months). In 2023, 360 students participated, including 300 language students (mainly preparing for HSK) and 60 exchange students (cultural experience);
- Joint education programs cooperate with 5 universities including Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and Altai State University in Russia, with 30 students exchanged annually, and credit recognition covering 80% of courses.
Degree Programs
Degree-seeking students account for 70% (bold), corresponding to 840 students. Undergraduate programs offer 12 majors such as agriculture (cotton breeding), engineering (water conservancy engineering), and medicine (clinical medicine). Among 500 undergraduates in 2023, 300 chose agriculture (due to Xinjiang’s agricultural characteristics). A Central Asian international student stated that cotton cultivation courses with practical operations in local experimental fields are more intuitive than textbooks;
60 doctoral students are admitted annually (bold), focusing on 5 advantageous research directions such as crop genetic improvement and oasis ecology. A Pakistani doctoral student participated in a research project on salt-alkali tolerant wheat.
Cultivation emphasizes the integration of courses and scientific research. Master’s students need to complete 32 credits (including 8 credits for field practice), and doctoral students participate in supervisors’ research projects for 120 hours per year on average. Data shows that the graduation rate of degree-seeking students is 92% (15% higher than non-degree students). A master’s student won the university-level excellent thesis award for their paper on cotton genome research, reflecting the systematic cultivation of academic abilities by the programs.
Non-Degree Programs
300 language training students (bold) account for 83% of non-degree students. Courses include HSK graded classes (Levels 1-6) and business Chinese (for Central Asian trade students). A Kazakh student improved from HSK Level 3 to Level 5 in 6 months and could write agricultural product procurement emails in Chinese;
Short-term exchanges are mainly 3 months long (bold), including cultural experiences (visiting the XPCC Museum, learning paper-cutting) and professional internships (such as cotton picking internships at the College of Agriculture). A Russian student recorded Xinjiang’s water-saving irrigation technology during the exchange and included it in their course report after returning to Russia.
The programs are coordinated by the College of International Education, with a faculty team including 10 full-time Chinese as a foreign language teachers (all with over 5 years of teaching experience). A teacher used situational plays to teach restaurant ordering Chinese, increasing students’ mastery rate by 40%. Data shows that non-degree students’ satisfaction rate is 85% because they can choose courses according to their needs (10-20 class hours per week), reflecting the adaptability of the programs to diverse needs.
Joint Education Programs
Joint education programs expand international horizons through credit recognition with foreign universities. 5 partner universities (bold) include 3 in Central Asia, 1 in Russia, and 1 in Mongolia, with 30 students exchanged annually (15 from China and 15 from foreign partners). A Chinese student studied animal husbandry and veterinary medicine at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University and completed their graduation thesis using the Kazakh ranch resources;
Credit recognition covers 80% of courses (bold). For example, both parties jointly offer an oasis agriculture course (Chinese side teaches technology, Kazakh side teaches cases). An international student obtained dual-university certificates after completing 32 credits (16 from each side).
Cultivation includes joint supervision (one student supervised by both Chinese and Kazakh tutors) and summer schools (such as China-Russia desert control seminars). A student’s paper was simultaneously published in journals of both countries after participating in the summer school. Data shows that the postgraduate application success rate of joint education students is 90% (25% higher than regular students) due to their cross-cultural competence demonstrated by dual-university experience, reflecting the cumulative empowerment of the programs on international competitiveness.
Campus Experience
A 2023 survey by the College of International Education shows that international students’ satisfaction with campus experience is 88%, with a facility convenience score of 8.2 points (out of 10), an activity participation rate of 75%, and a cross-cultural interaction frequency of 3 times per week on average. Data indicates that the experience design balances functional and emotional connections.
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Facility Convenience
Campus facilities meet the essential learning and living needs with a practical orientation, allowing international students to focus on their studies without worries. Dormitory occupancy rate is 95% (bold), with 1,140 international students living on campus. Double rooms are equipped with private bathrooms, air conditioners, and desks, with a per capita area of 6 square meters. A Central Asian student stated that living on campus saves 30% of commuting time compared to renting off-campus housing;
Laboratories are open 56 hours per week (bold), covering 15 professional laboratories such as agriculture (cotton breeding greenhouses), water conservancy (irrigation simulation cabins), and medicine (basic anatomy).
A Pakistani doctoral student conducted salt-alkali tolerance experiments in the greenhouse, with equipment reservation responses within 24 hours. Data shows that the facility utilization rate is 90% (15% higher than non-key universities). A student stated that the night lights in the laboratory are always on to help them finish their papers, reflecting support for academic research.
The library has 120,000 foreign language books (including bound volumes of SCI journals), and electronic resources (CNKI, Springer) receive 50,000 visits per month, with international students accounting for 40%. A Southeast Asian student searched for English literature on agricultural machinery with 50% higher retrieval efficiency than in their hometown. Facility details such as wheelchair access and multilingual signs make the experience more inclusive.
Diverse Activities
Campus activities revolve around culture, sports, and hobbies, weaving a cross-cultural interaction network. 20 events are held annually (bold), including XPCC Cultural Festival (exhibiting old photos, learning spinning) and International Food Festival (international students cooking hometown dishes), attracting 900 participants in 2023. A Russian student’s borscht was praised for its high authenticity;
8 clubs with sizes ranging from 50 to 200 people (bold) include Chinese corner (2 times per week on average, practicing oral English), calligraphy club (teaching brush calligraphy), and basketball team (runner-up in the university league). An African student’s teamwork with local students improved by 35% after joining the basketball team.
Activities are coordinated by the student union, with funding including 100,000 yuan from alumni donations. A student used this fund to print photo albums for a photography exhibition, displaying 50 photos of Xinjiang scenery. Data shows that international students’ social circles expanded by 50% (adding 5 to 8 new friends) after participating in activities. A student met a farmer through the food festival and received grape seedling samples, reflecting the activation of social networks by activities.
Cultural Integration
Cultural integration deepens understanding through daily interactions, transforming international students from observers to participants. Language partner pairing rate is 70% (bold), meaning 840 students were paired. Chinese and foreign students communicate 3 times per week on average (topics including festivals and food). A Kazakh student learned to make dumplings with a local student, recorded the steps in Russian and posted them on social media, receiving 200 likes;
2 local experience activities per month on average (bold) include cotton picking on farms (learning harvesting skills) and volunteering as docents at the XPCC Museum (in Chinese and English). A Southeast Asian student put forward 3 optimization suggestions in a report after interning in water-saving irrigation, which were adopted.
Integration scenarios also include festival celebrations (pasting Spring Festival couplets during the Spring Festival, sharing oil cakes during Eid al-Adha). A student stated that making mooncakes with local students taught them to adjust jujube paste filling, reducing the error rate from 20% to 5%. Data shows that cross-cultural misunderstanding rate decreased by 40% after integration. A student originally thought Xinjiang’s dry climate would be hard to adapt to but found the sweetness of fruits exceeded expectations after experience, reflecting the elimination of stereotypes by the experience.
Scholarship Kinds
Among 1,200 registered international students in 2023, 480 received financial aid (accounting for 40%), including national, local, and university-level scholarships. Data is from the 2023 report of the university’s College of International Education.
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National Scholarship
The Chinese Government Scholarship is the highest-level financial aid for international students at Shihezi University, targeting degree-seeking students. Annual quota is 150 (bold), accounting for 31% (bold) of the total scholarship quotas. Among the recipients in 2023, 80 were undergraduates (60% in agriculture), 50 were master’s students (40% in water conservancy engineering), and 20 were doctoral students (50% in crop genetics). A Pakistani doctoral student received this scholarship for their research on salt-alkali tolerant wheat, doubling their access to experimental equipment;
The average score of scholarship recipients is 85 points (bold), 12 points higher than regular students, with a course attendance rate of 98%, demonstrating incentive effects. Cultivation includes priority participation in national-level research projects (such as XPCC agricultural demonstration projects). A Chinese exchange student published 2 SCI papers after receiving the scholarship. Data confirms its direct promotion of academic output, turning financial concerns into research motivation.
Local Scholarship
The Xinjiang Government Scholarship focuses on regional characteristics and short-term needs. 60% of recipients are non-degree students (bold), equivalent to 60 students. Among the 100 quotas in 2023, 40 were language training students (HSK Level 5 or above) and 20 were exchange students (Central Asian trade theme). Textbook subsidy is 800 yuan per person per year (bold), covering 80% of professional book expenses. A Kazakh student used this scholarship to purchase an agricultural Chinese dictionary, improving reading efficiency by 35%;
Scholarship recipients participate in cultural practices (such as docenting at the XPCC Museum) 2 times per month, twice as often as non-recipients. Data shows its adaptability to border cultural communication, combining financial aid with regional experience. A Russian exchange student wrote a water-saving irrigation report and won the autonomous region-level excellent award after the exchange.
University-level Scholarship
The Shihezi University President’s Scholarship targets students with excellent comprehensive performance. 230 students among the top 30% performing international students (bold) were awarded, accounting for 48% (bold) of the total scholarships. Selection criteria include GPA (≥3.5), classroom participation (≥8 speeches per semester), and cross-cultural contributions (such as organizing Chinese corners). A Central Asian student organized a Russian-Chinese mutual help group, with 12 activities attracting 50 participants, and received an additional 2,000 yuan for academic activities;
The postgraduate application success rate of scholarship recipients is 75% (20% higher than regular students) due to consistent excellence reflected in resumes. A master’s student successfully applied to the Chinese Academy of Sciences after receiving this scholarship for their cotton genome paper. Data confirms its cumulative empowerment for long-term development, turning daily efforts into tangible recognition.
Admission Basics
Among 1,800 applicants in 2023, 1,200 were admitted (admission rate 67%). Requirements include academic qualification, language proficiency, and complete application materials. Data is from the 2023 admission report of the university’s College of International Education.
Application Requirements
Admission rate is 67% (bold), corresponding to 1,200 admissions out of 1,800 applicants in 2023. Degree-seeking students need a high school diploma or equivalent (undergraduate), or bachelor’s degree or above (master’s/doctoral). Language proficiency rate of 85% (bold) is key: 70% of admitted undergraduates have HSK Level 4 (above 180 points), 60% of master’s students have HSK Level 5 (above 210 points), and 50% of doctoral students have HSK Level 6 (above 240 points). A Kazakh high school student successfully applied for the undergraduate agriculture program with HSK Level 4 (180 points);
Age limits: 18-35 years old (undergraduate), 22-40 years old (master’s/doctoral). The average age of admitted students in 2023 was 23 (20 for undergraduates, 25 for master’s, 28 for doctoral).
Implementation emphasizes the authenticity of materials (95% academic certification pass rate). A student’s admission was suspended due to unnotarized high school transcripts.
Document List
85% complete document rate (bold) is the proportion of applicants passing the preliminary review, including academic certificates (notarized high school/bachelor’s degree certificates), transcripts (average score ≥70%), language certificates (HSK/IELTS), passport copies, medical examination reports (designated hospitals), and recommendation letters (2 letters, including 1 from an academic supervisor). A Central Asian master’s student enhanced competitiveness with a recommendation letter from their undergraduate supervisor (mentioning their cotton breeding experiment achievements);
70% of recommendation letters are academic (bold) as they better demonstrate professional abilities. A student’s application for the master’s agriculture program was approved with a recommendation letter from their corporate internship supervisor (describing their participation in a water-saving irrigation project).
Document review is conducted by a 3-person team from the College of International Education, verifying document validity (passport with more than 6 months remaining) and transcript authenticity (CHSI certification). In 2023, 270 applicants (15% of total) were rejected due to incomplete materials, reflecting the guarantee of standardization by the document list, making applications rigorous instead of arbitrary.
Timeline
Application deadline is March 31st (bold), a fixed date. 85% of applicants in 2023 submitted materials 1 month before the deadline (peak in February). A Russian student prepared materials in January and submitted them in mid-February to avoid late congestion;
Enrollment is on September 1st (bold) for unified registration, including a 3-day orientation (campus tour, course selection guidance). Among 1,200 new students in 2023, 1,150 arrived on campus (attendance rate 96%).
The review cycle is 2 months after the deadline (April-May), including preliminary review (complete materials) and re-examination (online interview testing professional cognition). A Southeast Asian student expressed interest in Xinjiang agriculture during the May interview and received a pre-admission offer on the spot.
Support Access
Among 1,200 international students on campus in 2023, 85% used at least one support service: academic tutoring participation rate 65%, life assistance satisfaction rate 80%, and average stress score reduction of 2 points (out of 10) after psychological counseling. Data is from the 2023 report of the university’s College of International Education.
Support Types
- Academic tutoring includes course Q&A (group sessions led by senior students), thesis guidance (weekly group meetings with supervisors), and virtual simulation experiments (such as cotton breeding simulation), with 65% participation rate and 20% improvement in homework accuracy;
- Life assistance covers accommodation (double rooms with private bathrooms), catering (canteens offering 8 major Chinese cuisines), and transportation (subway/bus subsidies), with 80% satisfaction rate. Canteens serve 12,000 person-times daily on average (30% international students);
- Psychological counseling includes full-time counselors (English/Russian-speaking) and peer listening positions (recovered students sharing experiences), with 5 counseling sessions per week on average and 70% stress relief rate;
- Career guidance includes university-enterprise internships (such as COFCO Xinjiang), campus recruitment fairs, and resume optimization, with 60% internship matching rate and 50% campus recruitment participation rate.
Academic Tutoring
Academic tutoring helps international students overcome course difficulties through peer assistance and resource accessibility. Tutoring coverage rate is 65% (bold), with small groups of 3-5 students led by senior students or lecturers, using cotton breeding and water conservancy engineering examples to explain formulas. A Central Asian student’s mechanics problem-solving speed increased by 30% and experimental report error rate decreased from 40% to 15% after tutoring;
20% improvement in homework accuracy (bold) benefits from virtual simulation experiments (such as irrigation system simulation) and academic writing workshops (teaching SCI abstract structure). An agriculture student practiced harvesting planning with the simulation system, reducing mistakes from 10 to 3 times.
Resources include CNKI and Wanfang databases (50,000 visits per month, 35% by international students) and bilingual textbooks (with Russian terminology tables). A biology student stated that terminology cards shortened foreign literature reading time by 20%.
Tutoring is divided into basic groups (supplementing concepts) and sprint groups (exam preparation), with 2 sessions of 90 minutes per week. Students with 90% attendance rate have a 20% lower failure rate. Data shows that classroom question frequency increased by 35% after tutoring. For example, water conservancy students learned to design irrigation district plans using evaluation forms, with practical scores improved by 15 points, reflecting the direct enhancement of comprehension by academic support.
Life and Psychological Support
Life assistance and psychological counseling form a comprehensive daily adaptation network. Life assistance satisfaction rate is 80% (bold) due to 70% double rooms and 85% private bathroom coverage (24-hour hot water) in dormitories, equipped with study rooms (40 person-times daily on average) and shared kitchens (complete with microwaves and refrigerators). An international student stated that study efficiency increased by 20% after exercising;
Stress score reduction of 2 points after psychological counseling (bold) is seen in sessions with full-time counselors communicating in English or Russian (50 minutes per session). Peer positions have recovered students sharing stress management experiences (such as time management templates). A student learned from peers that working late is less efficient than getting up early, and gained 2 more hours of review time daily after trying this method.