The Louis Cha Scholarship
The Scholarship
St John's College, Cambridge is delighted to announce that the late noted writer, press editor, and philanthropist Dr Louis Cha made a very generous donation to support postgraduate research on dynastic China at St John's. Dr Cha, internationally renowned for his novels on the Chinese past, provided considerable support for cultural and academic activities inside and outside Chinese communities. His choice of St John's, where he studied, for this gift stemmed from his appreciation of the College's longstanding commitment to scholarship on China and his confidence in its future ability to maintain traditions of excellence in a field of study dear to his heart.
Eligibility
St John’s College therefore proposes to award a Louis Cha Scholarship to enable a student to undertake research in the University of Cambridge in the literature, history, and culture of early and dynastic China (pre-1912). The successful applicant will be selected from those who have obtained a place at St John’s College Cambridge to read for the MPhil or PhD degree in a relevant subject. The next Competition is likely to be for those intending to commence their course at St John's in October 2024.
The Scholarship will be tenable for the duration of the student’s course up to a maximum of three years and will comprise (a) a maintenance grant (currently at the rate of £18,600 per annum) and (b) the approved University Composition fee. The value of any Scholarship will be reduced appropriately to take account of any payment from other sources.
Applying
Candidates should apply to the University of Cambridge through the University’s Postgraduate Admissions Office for admission as a postgraduate student, specifying St John’s as their first choice of College. Information on how to apply can instead be viewed on the University's Postgraduate Admissions Office website at www.graduate.study.cam.ac.uk
The papers of those who are accepted by the relevant University department will be passed on to St John’s who will then consider the candidate for a place in the College. All eligible candidates who by March 1st 2024 have been made a conditional offer by St John’s to read for the MPhil or PhD degree in the relevant subjects starting in October 2024 will be considered for the Louis Cha Scholarship. Those considered for the Louis Cha Scholarship may also be considered in other St John’s funding competitions.
The successful candidate will be notified by the end of April 2024.
In view of the delays that can occur as a result of sometimes lengthy selection processes in the University departments, applicants are advised to apply to the University's Postgraduate Admissions Office no later than 30 November 2023. Please note, however, that many University funding opportunities and some courses specify an earlier deadline.
N.B. No separate application form is necessary for this Scholarship Competition, except in the case of current PhD students of St John's (who should contact the College's Postgraduate Office, graduate-office@joh.cam.ac.uk, for further information). Completed forms should be sent electronically to the Postgraduate Administrator by 1 March.