BAFTA launches international scholarships for Chinese and British students

Applications open to study film, television or games in the UK or China as an overseas student

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts has today opened applications for the BAFTA Scholarship Programme in China, a new initiative that supports UK-China cross-cultural exchange by enabling talented Chinese and British nationals to study film, television, or games as an international student in the UK or China respectively.

Chinese nationals can apply for up to £20,000 towards course fees at an industry-recognised UK institution, plus up to £10,000 for living expenses. British citizens can apply for up to £10,000 for a course in mainland China or Hong Kong, and up to £10,000 for living expenses. The scholarship recipients will also be mentored by industry professionals, and have free access to BAFTA events.

The Scholarship Programme in China is the latest expansion of BAFTA’s global scholarship activity, which saw scholarships awarded in Hong Kong in 2014. The new programme expands the offer across mainland China for the first time. The plans were revealed during BAFTA’s first ever visit to mainland China in March 2015. HRH The Duke of Cambridge, who is President of BAFTA, said at the time: “The film, television and games industries in the United Kingdom and China have much to learn from one another, and there is no-one better placed to help facilitate that than BAFTA.”

HRH The Duke of Cambridge, President of BAFTA, with Anne Morrison, Chair of BAFTA (left), Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA (right), and Tian Macleod Ji, British BAFTA Scholarship recipient studying at City University of Hong Kong.

Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said of the call for applications: “We are incredibly excited to be offering talented Chinese and British individuals the opportunity to apply for the BAFTA Scholarship Programme. Our scholarships support those who couldn’t otherwise afford to continue their studies, and also offer them the chance to learn from industry experts and collaborate with other BAFTA scholars. Our pilot scheme in Hong Kong proved a great success, adding to the ranks of high achieving recent BAFTA Scholars, who include a BAFTA winner and Oscar nominee. We encourage applicants from across China and the UK to apply for this unique opportunity.”

In 2014 Hong Kong resident Wan Pin Chu received a scholarship towards the Master of Composition (MComp) in Composition for Screen at the Royal College of Music in London, and British student Tian Macleod Ji was awarded a scholarship to study a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) in Creative Media at City University of Hong Kong. Both scholarships were supported by the Yip Foundation. Since receiving their scholarships, Wan has co-scored a BBC documentary and worked on music for commercials, Tian has won several international awards for his short films, and the two have worked together on a number of projects.

Candidates for the BAFTA Scholarship programme in China can apply here. The deadline for applications is Friday 1 April for British students wishing to study in Hong Kong, and Friday 3 June for all other applicants.

Scholarship applications for British citizens to study in the UK or the US will open in the coming weeks. For more information about BAFTA’s global scholarship activity, click here.