THE 2015 JAPANESE GOVERNMENT SCHOLARSHIP FOR POSTGRADUATE STUDIES IN JAPAN

 
TYPE OF CONTEST: Scholarship
 
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) offers scholarships to international students who wish to study in graduate courses at Japanese universities either as (non-degree) student or regular student for a degree under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for 2015 as follows. Applicants should apply for the field of study they majored in at university or its related field. And fields of study must be subjects which applicants will be able to study and research in graduate courses at Japanese universities.
The fields of study may be restricted to particular fields by the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General(hereinafter referred to as the “Japanese diplomatic mission”).
A student who majors in medicine, dentistry or welfare science will not be allowed to engage in clinical training such as medical care and operative surgery until he/she obtains a permit from the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare under applicable Japanese laws. Majors in traditional entertainment such as Kabuki and classical Japanese dances, or in subjects that seek practical training in specific technologies or techniques at factories or companies are excluded.

ELIGIBILITY:

(1) Nationality:

Applicants must have the nationality of a country which has diplomatic relations with the Japanese government. Stateless persons can be applicants, too. Applicants who have Japanese nationality at the time of application are not eligible. However, applicants of dual nationality who reside outside of Japan is eligible only if they will expatriate from Japan by the time of arrival in Japan. Screening of applicants will be made at the Japanese diplomatic mission in the country of applicants’ nationality.

(2) Age:

Applicants must have been born on or after April 2,1980.

(3) Academic Background:

Applicants must be a graduate from a Japanese university or have academic ability equal or superior to that of a Japanese university graduate. A person will be deemed to have academic ability equal or superior to that of a university graduate, if he/she
［1］has completed or will complete a 16-year school curriculum in a foreign country (or an 18-year school curriculum if he/she desires to enroll in a doctoral course in the field of medicine, dentistry or veterinary science, or pharmacy which is founded on a 6-year department or faculty); or
［2］is or will be aged 22 or older and has taken an individual entrance qualification examination and has been judged by a Japanese graduate school as being equal or superior in academic ability to a university graduate (or 24 or older if he/she desires to enroll in a doctoral course in the field of medicine, dentistry or veterinary science, or pharmacy which is founded on a 6-year department or faculty).

Note:  Eligible applicants include those who otherwise satisfy or will satisfy qualification requirements for admission to a Japanese graduate school. As a general rule, a person who has completed a doctoral course may not apply unless he/she seeks to obtain a degree.

(4) Japanese Language:

Applicants must be willing to learn the Japanese language, interested in Japan and enthusiastic about deepening their understanding of Japan after arriving, and capable of engaging in study and research while adapting   themselves to life in Japan.

(5)　Health:

Applicants must be physically and mentally healthy enough to take graduate studies at universities in Japan.

(6) Arrival in Japan:

In principle, applicants must be able to arrive in Japan between the 1st and 7th of April 2015, or within two weeks of the date set by the receiving university for the beginning of the semester (in principle, in September or October).

(7) Visa Requirement:

In principle, selected applicants must acquire “College Student” （ryugaku,留学） visas before entering Japan. The visas should be issued at the Japanese legation, located in the country of applicants’ nationality.
Applicants who change their resident status to any status other than “College Student” after their arrival in Japan will immediately lose their status as Japanese government scholarship student.

(8) Applicants who meet any or all of the following conditions are not eligible. If identified after acceptance of the scholarship grantees, the applicants will be required to withdraw from the scholarship:

［1］ If an applicant is a service member or a civilian employee registered on the active military list at the time of his/her arrival in Japan;
［2］ Those who cannot arrive in Japan during the period designated by MEXT　or the accepting university;
［3］ If an applicant is a previous recipient of a Japanese government scholarship, and, does not have educational research experience more than three years from the first day of the month following the final payment of the previous scholarship to the beginning of the payment of this scholarship, as of April 1, 2015 . This does not apply to the past recipient of 日研&日韓共同理工scholarships who have graduated or are to graduate their universities in their countries and the past students under the Yang Leaders Program;
［4］ If an applicant is, in principle, currently enrolled in a Japanese university or other type of school with the resident status of “College Student,” or will be enrolled in a Japanese university, etc. as another source or self-financed international student between the time of application for this scholarship in his/her country and the time the scholarship period is due to begin. This does not apply to current self-financed international students at Japanese universities who will complete their courses of study and return to their countries before the end of the current fiscal year;
［5］ If an applicant is a grantee of a scholarship from other organization(including any governmental organization of his/her own country) than the Japanese government (MEXT) (Prospective beneficiaries are included);
［6］ Applicants who are expected to graduate at the time of application and, cannot satisfy the qualifications and the conditions of academic background by the deadline given;
［7］ Applicants of dual nationality who cannot prove their expatriation of the Japanese nationality by the time of arrival; or
［8］ Applicants who wish, from the time of application, to conduct fieldwork or internship outside of Japan, since this scholarship program is intended for overseas students who wish to enroll in a Japanese university and do graduate research in Japan.


RULES AND REGULATIONS: Full rules and regulations can be found here
  
PRIZE:

(1)　Allowance:

Each grantee will be provided monthly with 143,000 yen(Research Students(non-regular students),144,000yen (regular students in Master’s courses or professional graduate courses), or 145,000yen(regular students in doctoral courses). An additional monthly stipend of 2,000 or 3,000 yen may be provided to those undertaking study or research in specially designated regions. However, the amount of allowance will be subject to change depending upon the annual budget of the Japanese government for each fiscal year. The scholarship will not be paid to a grantee who takes a leave of absence or is long absent from the assigned university or the preparatory Japanese-teaching institution.
The scholarship will be cancelled for a grantee in the following cases. Furthermore, if scholarship payments were made during the period the following cases applied, the grantee may be ordered to return scholarship payments received during that period:
［1］ If any of his/her application documents is found to be falsely stated;
［2］ If he/she is in breach of his/her pledge made to the Minister of MEXT;
［3］ If he/she is subjected to disciplinary action such as expulsion or removal from register by his/her university or the preparatory Japanese-teaching institution;
［4］ If it becomes definitive that the grantee will not be able to graduate(or complete his/her course) within the standard course term because of his/her poor academic achievement or suspension;
［5］ If his/her resident status of “College Student” as provided for in Paragraph 1-4 of Appendix to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act changes to any other status;
［6］ If he/she is provided with another scholarship(except for a scholarship designated for research expenses); or
［7］ If he/she proceeds to a higher level of education without receiving approval for an extension of the term of the scholarship.

(2)　Traveling Costs

［1］ Transportation to Japan:

Each grantee will be supplied in general, according to his/her itinerary and route as designated by MEXT,  with an economy-class airplane ticket from the international airport nearest to his/her home address* to the New Tokyo International Airport or any other international airport that the assigned university usually uses. Expenses such as domestic transportation from his/her home address to the international airport, airport tax, airport usage fees, special taxes on travel, or inland transportation within Japan will NOT be supplied.
 *The address in the country of the grantee’s nationality stated in the application form is in principle regarded as the recipient’s “home address.”.
Note: Those who cannot arrive on the day that is described in "2. QUALIFICATIONS (6) Arrival in Japan" shall not be paid the travel expenses coming to Japan.

［2］ Transportation from Japan:

The grantee who returns to his/her home country within the fixed period after the expiration of his/her scholarship will be supplied, in general, upon application, with an economy-class airplane ticket for the travel from the New Tokyo International Airport (or any other international airport that the assigned university uses as a normal route) to the international airport nearest to his/her home address.

Note 1: If a grantee returns home without an extension though having applied for extension of scholarship period, he/she will not be paid travel expenses to return home in general.
Note 2: Insurance premiums for travel to/from Japan shall be borne by the grantee.
Note 3: If a grantee continues to stay in Japan after the scholarship period has ended, he/she will not be paid travel expenses to return home as the temporary return.

(3) School Fees:

Fees for matriculation, tuition and entrance examinations at a university will be paid by the Japanese government. If the grantee moves on to higher education as a non-degree student or fails the entrance examinations, he/she will pay for entrance examinations.


HOW TO APPLY: Start your application here

MORE INFORMATION: For more information click here