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China's Tsinghua University launches scholarship for Arab students
With an aim to strengthen Sino-Arab relations, Tsinghua University has launched its first ever scholarship programme specifically for students from Arab nations.
Supplied image (L-R): Deputy Secretary-General Ren Yilin, Mr. Hazem Ben-Gacem, H.E. Ahmed Mustafa Fahmy Hafez, Vice Chancellor Yang Bin, and H.E. Dr. Mohamed G. Shaikho
The Hazem Ben-Gacem Arab Scholars Program was officially launched at the at Tsinghua University in China on 26 June 2025. It is named after Hazem Ben-Gacem, founder and chief executive of BlueFive Capital, who is funding the scholarship.
Th new scholarship programme will support up to 15 students every year for five years through Undergraduate and Postgraduate Programmes at Tsinghua University in China, and is available to students from Arab League countries.
This year, the programme will support six students from Arab League nations who are pursuing postgraduate courses at the historic university. This programme is understood to be the first scholarship established at Tsinghua University specifically for students from Arab nations.
One of the top-ranked Chinese universities with a strong reputation in technology and engineering, Tsinghua University says it is often compared with MIT. Established in 1911, Tsinghua University has 20 colleges and 90 undergraduate programmes, enabling it to offer a wide array of academic disciplines.
Said Ben-Gacem: “For more than a thousand years, the Arab region and China have been bound by a vibrant exchange of goods, knowledge, and cultural dialogue. By enabling exceptional Arab students to study at Tsinghua, China’s pinnacle of academic excellence, we aim to develop leaders who will carry forward this agelong spirit of curiosity and collaboration, ensuring that the Arab-China relationship evolves as a beacon of cooperation in an increasingly fragmented world.”
Professor Yang Bin, Vice Chancellor of Tsinghua University Council, expressed the university's sincere gratitude for Ben-Gacem's generous donation.
He noted that in recent years, Tsinghua has implemented a series of strategic initiatives to enhance its global impact, with particular emphasis on deepening engagement and cooperation with Arab League member states, which has significantly advanced cultural exchanges between both sides.
Professor Yang emphasised that this initiative will not only motivate recipients to pursue academic excellence but also serve as an important milestone in strengthening the friendship between Tsinghua and the Arab world.