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  Embassy of Japan in Ireland

     在アイルランド日本国大使館

Culture & Education 

■MEXT Scholarship

MONBUKAGAKUSHO POSTGRADUATE RESEARCH SCHOLARSHIP

Application Dead Line

Friday 22 May 2009 to International Section, Department of Education & Science, Marlborough Street, Dublin 1

See Guidelines for Applicants for detailed information. 

1.　FIELDS OF STUDY

Social Sciences and Humanities: Literature, History, Aesthetics, Laws, Politics, Economics, Commerce, Pedagogy, Psychology, Sociology, Music, Fine Arts, etc.

Natural Sciences: Pure Science, Engineering, Agriculture, Fisheries, Pharmacology, Medicine, Dentistry, Home Economics, etc.

^* Students majoring in medicine or dentistry must not carry out their clinical studies such as conducting medical examinations or performing operations until they are permitted by the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare under the provisions of the Japanese laws concerned.

^**Fields of study must be one of those available at Japanese universities. Traditional entertainment such as Kabuki, Japanese dancing and so on, and practical training conducted by factories or companies are excluded.

2.　QUALIFICATIONS

(1)　Nationality: Applicants must have nationality to which the scholarships are offered. (An applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application is not eligible.)

(2)　Age: Applicants must be under 35 years of age as of the 1st of April 2010 (i.e. born on and after the 2nd of April 1975).

(3) Academic Background: Each applicant must have an undergraduate degree of a Japanese university or have the same or a higher level of academic ability than a university or college graduate. Any person who falls under either of the following may be considered to have the same or a higher level of academic ability than a university or college graduate:

a. Any person who has completed 16 years of school education in a foreign country (or 18 years of school education in the case of a person who desires to enroll in a doctoral course in the field of medicine, dentistry, or veterinary science); or

b. Any person aged 22 or older who has taken a separate entrance qualification examination and has been judged by a graduate school as having the same or a higher level of academic ability than a university or college graduate (or 24 or older in the case of a person who desires to enroll in a doctoral course in the field of medicine, dentistry, or veterinary science).
In principle, any person who has completed a doctoral course may not apply unless he/she aims to obtain a degree.

(4)　Major Field of Study: The field of study must be the field that the applicant studied at the previous university or any related field. Each applicant must choose a university where he or she can study and research the study field of his/her choice.

(5)　Japanese Language: Applicants must be eager to learn the Japanese language. In addition, they must be interested in Japan and enthusiastic about deepening their understanding of Japan after arriving in Japan . Moreover, they must have the capability to study and research in Japan , while adapting to the Japanese lifestyle.  

(6)　Health: Applicants must not be mentally or physically challenged in such a way that this would pose a serious obstacle to their ability to study.

(7)　Arrival in Japan: Applicants must be able to leave for and arrive in Japan between the 1st and 7th of April 2010 or between the 1st and 7th of October 2010. An applicant who desires to come to Japan in either of the two periods may have to switch to the other arrival period if requested by the accepting university.

(8)　Visa: Applicants are required to acquire a “College Student” visa when they come to Japan.

^* If the applicant cannot arrive in Japan in set period, travel expenses to Japan (including the arrival allowance) will not be paid. Furthermore, if the arrival of the grantee is delayed for a considerable period of time, he/she may lose the right to receive this scholarship.

^** Military personnel and military civilian employees registered on the active list are excluded.

^*** An applicant who has been awarded a Japanese Government Scholarship in the past will not be selected unless he/she has had at least three years of research and teaching experience after returning to his/her home country.However, former “Japanese Studies” scholarship students who complete the undergraduate courses of their enrolled universities after returning home and returned “Japan-Korea Joint Exchange Program For The Students In Science and Engineering Departments” students may apply for admission to the Research Student Program.

^**** A scholarship will not be granted to an applicant who is already enrolled in a Japanese university with a resident status of “College Student” or who is already or will be enrolled in a Japanese university as a privately financed foreign student between the time of the scholarship application in his/her country and the time the scholarship period is due to begin.

^***** Recipients of scholarship from other institutions (including their own government) will not be selected as grantees of Japanese Government Scholarships.

^****** Any applicant who fails to graduate by the appointed date will lose the right to receive this scholarship.

^******* Until FY2005, each applicant was requested to contact a professor of the university of his/her choice to obtain a letter of acceptance in advance. Please note that this procedure has been changed. From FY2006, only the applicants who have been selected as the preliminary candidates by the Japanese Embassies/Consulates General are required to obtain a letter of acceptance and an admission to the university of their choice (see 5-(5)).

3.　TERM OF SCHOLARSHIP

The term of scholarship may differ as follows depending on what course a grantee takes in Japan :

(1)     In the case of a grantee who takes a course as a research student, non-degree student, or auditor, etc. (hereinafter referred to as “Research Student, etc.”) after coming to Japan

a. If the grantee comes to Japan in April 2010, 24 months from April 2010 through March 2012;
b. If the grantee comes to Japan in October 2010, 18 months from October 2010 through March 2012.
(In either case, the above-mentioned term of scholarship includes a 6-month Japanese language training period. Such training will be given to any grantee whose Japanese language ability is insufficient.)

(2)  In the case of a grantee who enrolls in a master's course, doctoral course, or professional graduate course after coming to Japan, the term of scholarship will be, regardless of when the grantee comes to Japan, a period necessary to the complete the relevant course (term of study) plus a 6-month Japanese language training period if such training is given. In the case where a grantee desires to enroll in a regular graduate course after studying as a Research Student or to move on from a master’s course or a professional graduate course to a doctoral course, or where the initial term of scholarship ends during the course, the grantee can have his/her term of scholarship extended if his/her academic achievement is outstanding. Please note that a grantee who desires to move on to a regular graduate course after studying as a Research Student may not apply for an extension of scholarship term in either of the following cases:
a. In the case of a grantee who desires to move on to a doctoral course in a Natural Science field after studying as a non-regular student for a period longer than one year starting from the arrival date, including a Japanese language training period; or
b. In the case of a grantee who desires to move on to a doctoral course in a Social Science and Humanities field after studying as a non-regular student for a period longer than two years starting from the arrival date, including a Japanese language training period. 

c. In the case of a grantee who desires to move on to a master’s course in a Natural Science field after studying as a non-regular student for a period longer than two years starting from the arrival date, including a Japanese language training period.

4.　SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS

(1)　 Allowance: Each grantee will be provided monthly with 152,000 yen for Research Students, 154,000 yen for Master Students, and 155,000 for Doctoral Students (subject to change). The scholarship will be cancelled in the case where a grantee is long absent from the university. Moreover, no scholarship may be given to any grantee who violates his/her pledge to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

(2)　Transportation:

a. Transportation to Japan: The grantee will be supplied, according to his/her itinerary and route as designated by MEXT, with an economy class air ticket from the international airport nearest to his/her home address to the New Tokyo International Airport (or any other international airport designated by MEXT; hereinafter the same). Such expenses as inland transportation from his/her home address to the international airport, airport tax and special taxes on the travel will NOT be supplied (The address in the country of the grantee’s nationality stated in the application is in principle considered as the “home address”). Tickets from any country other than the country of the grantee’s nationality will not be supplied. The expenses incurred by a grantee who comes to Japan before April 2010 (or October 2010 in the case of a grantee who is scheduled to come to Japan in October) in order to obtain admission or for any other purpose will not be paid.

b. 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, upon application, with an economy class air ticket from the New Tokyo International Airport to the international airport nearest to his/her home address.

 (Note) The cost of any aviation and accident insurance for travel to and from Japan shall be borne by the applicant. The airport from and to must be one in the country of the grantee’s nationality.

(3)　School Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation and tuition at universities will be paid by the Japanese Government. However, in the case where a grantee does not enroll as a regular student, fees for the entrance examination shall be borne by the applicant.

5．SELECTION AND RESULT NOTIFICATION

(1) The Japanese Embassy will, in cooperation with the Irish government, select preliminary candidates from among applicants by means of an interview, a written examination, and a review of the submitted documents.

(2) A written examination will be given in Japanese and English. Every applicant must take an examination in Japanese, while an examination in English is optional.

(3) The principles of examination are as follows:

a. Application documents: Each applicant is required to have received from the university from which he/she graduated most recently grades higher than a certain level and to describe a detailed and concrete research plan in an application.

b. Written examination: Each applicant is required to receive a grade higher than a certain level on a written examination either in Japanese or English.

c. Interview: Each applicant is required to have a strong sense of purpose for studying in Japan and to have collected information on Japanese universities. In addition, each applicant is required to have a sufficient Japanese or English language ability to communicate with the professor in charge of his or her education in Japan. However, any applicant who desires to study a subject that requires a higher Japanese language skill must have sufficient Japanese language ability. 

(4) Results of a preliminary selection examination will be notified on the date separately designated by the Japanese Embassy.

(5) Each candidate who has passed the preliminary selection examination is required to contact the Japanese university of his/her choice and make the utmost effort to obtain admission as a graduate student or research student or a letter of acceptance as a research student (hereinafter referred to as “Admission”) by the end of August. (Universities do not accept any request for a letter of acceptance or admission after the end of August.)

(6) Each candidate must submit to the university of his/her choice a set of the same documents as those submitted to the Japanese Embassy (Application, certified academic records of the university attended, study program to which a confirmation seal of the Japanese Embassy is affixed, and a certificate of the preliminary selection issued by the Japanese Embassy). Additional documents may have to be submitted upon request of the university.

(7) MEXT will conduct a final selection examination based on the results of the preliminary selection and select national scholarship recipients after deciding in which universities they should be placed. Please note that not every applicant who has passed the preliminary selection examination conducted at a Japanese Embassy will pass the final selection examination.

^* Each applicant is given an optional written examination in English in addition to a mandatory written examination in Japanese. The result of the examination will provide a basis for measuring his/her language ability and will also directly affect the outcome of the selection.The result of a written examination in Japanese will continue to be used as reference data to decide how much Japanese language training needs to be given to the grantee after his/her arrival in Japan .

^** In principle, any applicant who desires to pursue such a field of study as Japanese linguistics, Japanese literature, Japanese history, or Japanese laws, etc., will not be selected as a grantee unless he/she has an enough Japanese language ability to follow these courses. In addition, any applicant who desires to conduct fieldwork abroad at the time of the application will not be selected.

^*** Even if an applicant is selected as a candidate through the preliminary selection and given by MEXT a temporary notice of appointment as a grantee (with it undecided in which university he/she is placed), if he or he does not receive a final notice of acceptance by the end of July 2009, the appointment as a grantee will automatically be cancelled. If any grantee declines the appointment as a grantee, a candidate who has received a notice of appointment as a substitute grantee may be accepted as a grantee to fill the vacancy. 
 

6.　PLACEMENT TO AND EDUCATION AT UNIVERSITY

(1)  Each grantee will be placed in the university from which he/she obtained admission as a regular student or a Research Student of the graduate school after he/she passed the preliminary selection examination and became a candidate (Any candidate who has received admission to a regular graduate course will be placed directly in the regular course without requiring him/her to study as a Research Student first.).In the case of a candidate who has obtained from a university a letter of acceptance as a Research Student, MEXT will preferentially contact the relevant university and obtain its consent before placing him/her at the university.
However, if the desired university is a public or private one, the grantee’s preference may not be met due to budgetary reasons concerning school fees, etc. For any candidate who has obtained neither admission nor a letter of acceptance, MEXT will contact related universities and decide which university the candidate should be placed in consideration of his/her preference. In this case, the candidate is not allowed to oppose MEXT’s decision.In the case where MEXT discusses with related universities the possibility of the admission of a candidate who has not received admission, the candidate might not be appointed as a grantee because Japanese universities will have great difficulties in educating him/her in the academic field of his/her choice.

(2)　All lectures, experiments and practical training at universities are principally conducted in Japanese.

(3)  Any grantee whose Japanese language ability is insufficient will be placed in a language training course designated by MEXT for the first six-month period after his/her arrival in Japan . Those who have completed the language course will be transferred to the universities officially chosen in advance. However, any grantee whose achievement in the Japanese language training course is unsatisfactory may be considered unfit for advanced education at the university and may, as a result, lose his/her right to receive this scholarship. (cf. 4. (1))

(4) Any grantee whose Japanese language ability is considered by the accepting university as high enough to conduct his/her study in Japan may be placed in the university as a Research Student or graduate student without Japanese language training.

(5) Any grantee who desires to move on to a regular graduate course after studying as a Research student or to move on from a master’s course or a professional graduate course to a doctoral course can move on to a higher education through passing an entrance examination given by the university concerned.
Any grantee who desires to continue receiving a national scholarship after moving on to a higher education must undergo a separate examination to obtain approval on an extension of scholarship term. (Please refer to the description about an extension of scholarship term specified in item 3. Even if such an extension is refused, the student may continue his/her higher education in Japan at his/her own cost.)
Any grantee may not apply for an extension of scholarship term while retaining the status of Research Student.

(6) In principle, any grantee who desires to be enrolled in a regular graduate course after studying as a Research Student must move on to the graduate school of the university at which the grantee is studying as a Research Student. Any grantee whose specialized field or capability makes the entrance into the graduate school of the same university undesirable may transfer to another graduate school on the condition that he/she obtains admission.

^* According to the educational system of Japan, a typical master's course lasts for two years after graduation from a university (i.e. after 16 years of school education), whereas a typical doctoral course lasts for three years after the completion of a master's course. Any student who has completed such a two-year or three-year course, obtained necessary credits, and passed the final examination after submitting his/her graduation thesis will be given the degree concerned.

^** In the fields of medicine, dentistry and veterinary science, most of the universities offer only doctoral courses which require four years of study after completion of 18 years of school education. If an applicant is from a country where the completion of 16 years of school education qualifies one to apply for admission to a doctoral program in these fields, he/she must have research experience of two years or longer at a university, a research institute, or any other institution, and must be considered by the Japanese graduate school as having the same academic ability as that of a graduate who has received 18 years of school education.

^*** Professional graduate schools are a new type of graduate school that trains professionals possessing advanced specialized skills by building a wide bridge between theory and practice, based on the basic skills, etc. gained at the undergraduate level. The standard required duration of study is two years; or less than two years but more than one year, as determined by each university, and the degree is described as Professional degree .(This is a newly established degree system so the degree is described as e.g. “Master of Public Policy (specialized occupation)”. For “graduate law schools”, one kind of professional graduate school, the standard required duration of study is three years, and the degree is described as “Doctor of Law (specialized occupation).”

^**** An entrance examination given by a graduate school varies from one university to another. In general, applicants have to take examinations in two foreign languages, his/her major subject and an essay test.

7.　APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Each applicant must submit three sets of the following documents to Ms. Marie Mooney, International Section, Department of Education and Science Marlborough Street, Dublin 1, tel. 01 889 2426 by Friday 22 May 2009.

^* These documents must be written in either Japanese or English, or translations in either of these languages should be attached.

^** Photographs must be pasted on the original application and on each of the copied applications. Copied photographs are not   acceptable.

^***Regarding certified academic records of each academic year of the last university attended, each applicant must submit all the academic records of each academic year of the undergraduate school and graduate school of the university that he/she attended. The certified records should be prepared in such a way that explain on what scale the grades were given, such as on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the highest grade, etc. (Neither a degree certificate nor a university diploma simply showing the ranking of the applicant will substitute for certified academic records.)

^****Regarding a diploma and degree certificate obtained from the last university attended, a photocopy thereof may be acceptable substitutes. However, they should be attested by the authorities concerned.

^*****Regarding abstracts of the theses, abstracts of the graduation thesis and presented papers will suffice. These abstracts will be used as basic data for evaluation of the candidate’s academic ability.

8.　NOTES

(1)　A grantee will be deprived of his/her scholarship in any of the following cases:

a.　A false statement has been made in the application

b.　He/she violates any article of his/her pledge to the Monbukagaku-daijin (the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology)

c.　He/she has been subjected to disciplinary action by the university or has no prospects for academic improvement (e.g. failure to achieve a satisfactory level in the Japanese language course or in his/her major subject)

d.　His/her status has been changed into the one other than “College Student”

e.　He/she has received scholarships from other institutions including his/her own government (excluding those specified as being for research expenditure)

(2)　A grantee is advised to learn the Japanese language and be sufficiently informed about Japanese weather, climate, customs, university education and conditions in general before coming to Japan.

(3)　It is highly recommended that a grantee should bring approximately US $1,500 or the equivalent to cover immediate needs after arrival in Japan.

(4)　The amounts of the allowance and the arrival allowance described in Section 4 are subject to change.

(5)　Further detailed information on this scholarship program is available at the Japanese Embassy.

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