Fairbank Center’s Visiting Scholars program

Through our Visiting Scholars Program, the Fairbank Center hosts Visiting Scholars from universities throughout the world and Visiting Fellows of Practice with significant professional expertise to offer to our Chinese studies community. Visiting scholars and fellows come to the Center for one year to develop their research in various disciplines of Chinese studies. Visiting scholars and fellows engage with Harvard faculty, utilize the Harvard library collections and participate actively in Fairbank Center academic and community events.

We are currently accepting applications for the 2026-27 academic year. The online application is open and linked below. The application deadline is January 8, 2026.

Specific Expectations

• Academic Visiting Scholar applicants must have a doctoral degree and be in a ladder faculty position at their home institution. The visiting period shall correspond with Harvard’s academic calendar, either for autumn semester, spring semester, or for one year from August – July. An administrative fee of $1,000 will be charged to visiting scholars.
• Visiting Fellow of Practice applicants must be professionals with specialized and extensive knowledge to contribute to Chinese studies. The visiting period shall correspond with Harvard’s academic calendar, either for autumn semester, spring semester, or for one year from August -July. The administrative fee for Visiting Fellows of Practice is $10,000 per semester.

Visiting scholar/fellow appointments are unpaid. Invited visiting scholars/fellows will need to demonstrate adequate self-funding for U.S. visa purposes, and provide a signed statement of interest in the unpaid appointment with no expectation of funding from Harvard.

The United States government requires that visiting scholars have sufficient English proficiency to be able to function effectively in the U.S. The Fairbank Center is required to certify that a scholar has adequate command of English before their visa documents can be processed. English proficiency will be determined via a Zoom interview or a brief self-introduction video submitted by the applicant. Note that English proficiency is a U.S. government requirement over which neither the Fairbank Center nor Harvard University has any control.

The intellectual life of the Center is greatly enriched by the active participation of its affiliates. Visiting scholars and fellows are expected to undertake a clearly defined research project that draws upon Fairbank Center and Harvard University resources such as faculty expertise and library collections. They are also expected to be in residence in the greater Boston area during the period of affiliation and to engage actively with Fairbank Center faculty and to participate in Fairbank Center events and activities.

How to Apply

Apply by January 8, 2026, to visit during the 2026-27 academic year.

Applicants to the Visiting Scholars & Fellows program are required to submit the following materials:

• Online Application Form (see directions and link below)
• Research Proposal (in English) for the period of your affiliation. Indicate if there are specific Fairbank Center faculty members or Harvard resources you intend to work with.
• Curriculum Vitae (in English) listing your academic degrees (with dates), disciplines, and any publications.
• Work Sample (an article or paper) written in either English or Chinese.
• Name and email address of two or three references willing to provide a letter of recommendation.

Proposal, CV, and work sample must be separate pdf files uploaded to your online application.

2 to 3 letters of recommendation must be submitted directly by your references. When you submit the application your references will automatically receive an email inviting them to upload their letter of recommendation to the portal.

One of the recommendation letters should be from a Harvard faculty member willing to endorse your proposed research and reason to visit. You include one Harvard faculty as one of your references. If applicable, you may also indicate in your application the name/s of other Harvard faculty who are familiar with your work or with whom you wish to engage. 

After submitting the online application, candidates will be asked to provide a short (2-3 minutes) video self-introduction in English. Directions will be sent via email.

Direct link to the Visiting Scholar Program application: https://academicpositions.harvard.edu/postings/15558

Application deadline: January 8, 2026

Early submission is recommended to give your references time to submit their letter of recommendation. They will receive an invitation email with a link to upload their letter to the application portal.

A faculty committee will review all applications in the pool and select the strongest applications for a visiting position at the Fairbank Center. Unfortunately, we do not have the capacity to accept all qualified applicants to this program.

Questions? Please email harrietwong@fas.harvard.edu