学生研学旅行基金 | Student travel fund
In 2022 Dr Lee Kai Hung donated £100,000 to match other charitable gifts, and support student travel to China. This was later broadened to include staff research travel.
Dr Lee Kai Hung generously created a fund to support students from The University of Manchester who wish to fly to the Chinese-speaking world to study languages spoken in China, or conduct research about Greater China. Preference is given to the former.
The travel fund also supports students and early career researchers from the Chinese-speaking world to come to The University of Manchester to study or conduct research.
Lee Scholarships typically range from £500 to £1500, and are used to cover student travel expenses.
How to apply
Applications are now closed. The application was open on 1 February 2026 and closed at 5pm on 27 February 2026.
2026/27 awardees
My name is Alys and I will be attending Nanjing University in the next academic year. Aside from studying, my plans for my year abroad in China also includes travelling around different regions of China with friends and getting the most out of this incredible opportunity to study abroad. The main areas I am looking forward to exploring are Chongqing, Chengdu, and Wangxian Vally, as well as experiencing the other cities friends off my course will be spending most of their years abroad in.
Receiving the MCI Student Travel Fund means that not only will I be able to afford these incredible experiences, but it also relieves some of the stress that goes into planning a year abroad. Now I will be in a much better position financially when I leave for China, and I will be able to devote myself more fully to my studies before my departure, which will be me in an even better position when I begin classes in September!
My name is Angus, and I study Chinese and Linguistics at The University of Manchester. Next year, I’ll be at Beijing Normal University, where I hope to rapidly improve my spoken Mandarin. Beyond language, I aim to immerse myself in China’s culture by visiting historic sites like the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, and the Summer Palace - places that will provide context of what I’ve studied.
Beyond Beijing, I also hope to explore other northern cities like Qingdao, Dalian, Xi’an’, and even cities further afield like Shanghai and Nanjing to experience regional contrasts. This funding would ease financial pressure, allowing me to travel more widely and make the most of my time. By the year’s end, I will be confident in my Mandarin and have a genuine feel for Chinese daily life.
My name is Bela, 20, from Berkshire. I am currently studying BA Chinese and Linguistics and will be going to Beijing Normal University for my year abroad. As a linguistics student, I understand the importance of immersion and exposure to a language and its culture when acquiring it. This opportunity of going abroad will undoubtedly provide that, so I will be able to grow my Chinese exponentially, potentially taking the HSK 5 exam at the end. I also look forward to take advantage of the travel opportunities offered by being in the nation’s capital, bringing to life my knowledge of culture and sights from textbooks.
I also hope to travel around China to places such as Nanjing, Chongqing and Xi’An to better learn about their individual cultural richness, as well as the gastronomical differences between the north and south. It would also be a privilege to visit neighbouring countries within East Asia to closely see how China’s history and language has impacted others.
The amazing support offered by this grant will greatly ease the financial burden of going abroad, allowing me to focus on my studies and seize the chance of getting to know China via my own lived experiences.
My name is Bexley Ashcroft, and I am from a town near Liverpool. I study Chinese Studies at Manchester, having returned to education after leaving a previous course in mathematics. Next year I will be studying at Tsinghua University in Beijing. I hope to greatly improve my spoken Chinese while continuing to improve my knowledge and understanding of Chinese literature, both modern and classical.
This grant will allow me to go beyond typical destinations like Chongqing and the Jiangnan area and explore a region of great personal interest to me: the Northwest and Central Plains area of China around Shaanxi and Henan. I am interested in this region both as the “Cradle of Chinese Civilisation”, the revolutionary “Holy Land” of the New China and in the present day a marginalised region—though one that has contributed greatly to modern Chinese literary culture through authors such as Lu Yao, Jia Pingwa and Liu Zhenyun.
I also read Japanese and Sino-Japanese cultural links were a significant part of my original motivation to study Chinese, so I hope to have the chance to visit there too (especially to explore some of the Sinological bookshops in Tokyo).
My name is Caterina and I am a second-year international student of Business Management and Chinese from Italy. My passion for China has driven me to move abroad to pursue this Joint Degree and I will now spend my year abroad studying at Fudan University in Shanghai.
Learning Chinese in China is the most significant step I have taken to improve my spoken language. It will enable me to foster connections, build friendships, and deepen my cultural knowledge, which will eventually allow me to build the bridge between Europe and Asia that I have always aspired to be part of.
This award is a great honour not only for its value but also as a reward for the effort I have invested in studying Mandarin over the past years. It will alleviate the initial financial burden of moving abroad and allow me to travel around China and explore its magnificent culture, history and sceneries.
My name is Charlie, and I am a second-year Politics student from London currently studying at the University of Manchester. I will be undertaking an exchange year at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) this September. I am looking forward to immersing myself in the various languages Hong Kong has to offer, learning skills that will prepare me for my future, whilst exploring the city’s unique culture.
This opportunity represents a significant step in my academic engagement with Chinese and Hong Kong politics, which is an area I have developed a strong interest in throughout my degree. Having not previously travelled to East Asia, studying in Hong Kong will allow me to experience firsthand the political, cultural, and social dynamics of a region that is central to contemporary global affairs. At HKU, I intend to take China-focused modules to deepen my understanding of Chinese governance, regional geopolitics, and Hong Kong’s unique political position. I am also keen to begin developing my language skills, particularly in Cantonese and Mandarin, to enhance both my academic and cultural engagement.
This travel grant would significantly enhance my ability to fully benefit from this experience. By reducing financial pressure, it would allow me to focus on my studies and engage more deeply with the academic opportunities available. I will also be more able to travel to nearby cities, such as Guangzhou, Tokyo, or Bangkok, three cities I have always wanted to visit, but have not had the opportunity. Ultimately this experience will not only enable me to greatly enrich my personal and academic self, but grow self-confidence, and enable me to understand politics from a global perspective, essential for a future career in international relations.
My name is Giulia Cappelletti. I am currently studying International Disaster Management and Humanitarian Response and Chinese. Next academic year, I will study Mandarin at Fudan University in Shanghai.
My interest in China stems from its rapid economic development and its leadership in the green energy transition. I am looking forward to applying the Mandarin skills I have developed over the past two years to everyday interactions. I hope to visit landmarks I have learned about in class, such as the Great Wall, Shennü Peak, the Terracotta Army, and Mount Tai.
In addition to achieving proficiency in Mandarin, I will gain greater cultural awareness, which will improve my cross-cultural communication skills. Living in Shanghai will allow me to develop these key skills further and better prepare me for work in international contexts.
I am a first-year PhD student in Visual Anthropology. My project, (Re)Visualising Minzu Zhi: Ethnographic Filmmaking as a Negotiated Aesthetic Practice in China, explores how Chinese ethnographic filmmakers work within changing policy environments while also responding to transnational academic influences. Through participant observation, archival research, and engagement with visual anthropology institutions in China, I examine how aesthetic decisions are shaped through filmmaking practices.
From summer 2026, I plan to conduct fieldwork across several sites in China, including universities, research centres, and filming locations. This travel will allow me to follow film production, post-production, and dissemination processes in person, and to access archival materials. The MCI travel award would provide essential support for this fieldwork.
I am incredible grateful to the Manchester China Institute for their generous support. Using the fund, I will travel across China to see how different communities are managing the dramatic technological changes that the world now faces. All cultures are dynamic, they allow us to interpret new challenges according to the spirit of those who came before us. I look forward to discovering how our responses to this historic moment overlap and diverge in the East and West, what we can learn from one another and how we can work together to move forwards through uncertain times.
My name is Katherine, and I am a second year student studying Chinese and Linguistics. I will be attending Nanjing University this September for my residence abroad and am greatly looking forwards to this incredible opportunity to further improve my language skills and explore the country.
Growing up, I have always been interested by the Chinese culture and its written language. Paired with my strong interest for history and ancient languages and civilisations, studying modern as well as Classical Chinese has deepened my understanding of China as a whole, and I am eager to be able to explore more of the country during my year abroad. To be able to be fully immersed in the language and culture as well as gain real world experiences is a truly singular experience. While I am there, I intend to make the most of my year abroad to see and experience as many things as I can, and this travel grant has truly helped me in achieving this goal.
My name is Natalie Munday, and I am from Kingston Upon Hull in the North of England. I am currently a second-year student at the University of Manchester studying BA Chinese Studies. This year, I will be starting my residence abroad at Fudan University in Shanghai.
Whilst abroad, I hope to expand my Mandarin efficiency and become well-acquainted with China’s cities, visiting places such as Chengdu, Guilin, Chongqing and more. The MCI travel fund will greatly help me when it comes to being able to experience these cities and support me as I plan my travels to such culturally vast cities within China.
My name is Noah Hart, and I am currently studying BA Politics and Chinese at The University of Manchester. This September, I will begin my Residence Abroad at National Taiwan University in Taipei, where I will be studying Chinese and continuing to develop my understanding of Chinese society and culture.
I am incredibly excited to live and study in Taiwan, as it offers a unique environment to immerse myself fully in the language. I am particularly looking forward to improving my spoken Chinese and becoming more confident using it in everyday situations, as well as gaining a deeper insight into Taiwanese culture and perspectives.
The Manchester China Institute Travel Fund will be a huge support in making this experience possible. It will help ease the financial pressure of living abroad and allow me to make the most of my time in the region. I hope to travel within Taiwan to explore its diverse cities and landscapes, as well as visit nearby countries to broaden my cultural understanding further.
By the end of my year abroad, I aim to have significantly strengthened my language skills and developed a more global outlook that will benefit both my academic studies and future career.
I’m Patrick, I’m from Chester and I’m currently studying Politics and Chinese at undergraduate level. This year I will be starting my residence abroad at Fudan University in Shanghai.
I'm really looking forward to getting to experience studying in China, and receiving this award will be helpful for me by relieving a large financial burden, allowing me to explore China and fully immerse myself in Chinese culture.
I also look forward to exploring China's neighbouring countries, and I plan to visit Japan, South Korea, and Vietnam while I am studying there.
I am very grateful for this grant which will support me in reaching my cultural and linguistic goals.
My name is Phoebe and I am currently a second-year student, studying Chinese and Business & Management. This coming September, I will be doing my study abroad at Tsinghua University, Beijing, one of China’s most prestigious University.
With the opportunity and immense gratitude from MCI’s travel grant, this fund will give me the opportunity to not only experience and challenge myself to the highest level of the Chinese language at Tsinghua University but also immerse myself in China’s beautiful culture and history when travelling to China’s many rich and distinct cultural provinces, such as Harbin, Chongqing, and Zhejiang, interacting with the locals and being a part of the community.
I am immensely excited to explore China and deepen my cultural understanding of the nation-state which I would never be able to learn outside of the country. Most importantly, I hope to continuously improve my Chinese language and learn some colloquial expressions, understanding China as a culturally diverse country. By the end of my study abroad year in China, I hope to have grown not only academically, but also personally as I engage with the communities in China and seeing their different perspectives.
My name is Rosa Moradmand and I am currently studying BSc Pharmacology with Mandarin at The University of Manchester. This year, I will be starting my lab placement at Tsinghua University in Beijing.
I am grateful to have this opportunity to not only deepen my scientific knowledge for the pathology of bipolar disorder, learning new practical techniques along the way, but also to spend time gaining sensitivity for the rich and diverse culture of China. I hope to make professional and personal connections within the community which will last beyond the trip. I am also excited to endeavour and make the most out of this journey, travelling to different cities like Chengdu, Harbing, Shanghai.
It will be an honour to learn about the history and arts through exploring different heritage sites and sampling cuisines.
I am Yi Zhou, a PhD researcher at the Global Development Institute (GDI), University of Manchester. My research focuses on digital ageing, especially how different stakeholders contribute to older adults’ well-being and participation in a digital society. I am particularly interested in the roles of older adults themselves, and in how interactions across a wider ecosystem can support more inclusive and active ageing.
This travel award from MCI will support my research trip to China, where I will carry out observations and participations on older adults’ digital social engagement and connect with scholars working in related fields. The trip will deepen my understanding of ageing in the Chinese context, and build valuable academic networks. It will also support my longer-term research development and contribute to wider conversations on ageing, digital transformation, and China-focused research within the MCI community.
Zhuo Wang is a PhD candidate in Politics at the University of Manchester. Her research explores the emotional and digital practices of Chinese female international students on social media platforms such as Xiaohongshu. She argues that their everyday acts of sharing, storytelling, and mutual support constitute a critical site for understanding transnational migration, gender identity, and digital politics in contemporary China.
Her study adopts an innovative, participant-centred approach. In addition to in-depth interviews, she uses creative methods, such as emotional mapping and social media trajectory drawing to capture the spatial and affective dimensions of students' experiences across the UK and China.
With the support of the MCI Travel Award, Zhuo will conduct fieldwork in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hangzhou, and potentially Chengdu. These cities are key destinations for returning Chinese graduates and offer rich sites for exploring how overseas experiences continue to shape identity, belonging, and digital life after return.
This research contributes to broader conversations around international student wellbeing and the future of transnational education. By centring the voices and lived experiences of Chinese female students, Zhuo's work aims to inform more inclusive and emotionally supportive educational practices in an increasingly digital world.