Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program

The MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology) offers scholarships to foreign students who wish to conduct research on school education at Japanese universities under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for 2009 as follows:

1. QUALIFICATIONS


( 1 ) Nationality ： Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. An applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application is not eligible. Selection is conducted at facilities such as the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General (hereinafter “legation”) located in the country of the applicant's nationality. (This shall not necessarily be applied in cases where one embassy covers multiple nations.)
( 2 ) Age ： Applicants must be born on or after April 2, 1974.
( 3 ) Academic Background ： Applicants must be a graduate of a university or a teacher-training school and have worked as a teacher of an elementary or secondary educational institution or a teacher-training school in his/her home country for at least five years in total, as of April 1, 2009. (In-service university faculty members are not eligible.)
( 4 ) Japanese Language Ability ： Applicants must be willing to learn Japanese and receive research guidance in Japanese. Applicants must also have the ability to do research in Japanese and adapt to living in Japan .
( 5 ) Health ： Applicants must be free from any mental or physical disability that would be an impediment to the pursuit of study.
( 6 ) Arrival in Japan ： Applicants must definitely be able to arrive in Japan within two weeks counted from the starting day of the study course set by the university in Japan ( It is October as a general rule) and the period set by the accepting university . (If the applicant cannot arrive in Japan during the designated period, travel expenses to Japan will not be paid.)
( 7 ) Visa acquisition ： Applicants are required to acquire a “College Student, (ryuugaku( 留学 ))” visa when they come to Japan. Moreover, in exceptional cases when successful applicants have been residing in Japan before their acceptance under a status other than “College Student” and are to change their visa status within Japan , they must acquire a “College Student” visa by the end of the month prior to the month in which they are scheduled to start receiving the scholarship. Furthermore, note that those who change their visa status to something other than “College Student” after arriving in Japan will also lose their qualifications to be a Japanese Government Scholarship student at the point when they change their visa status.
( 8 ) Miscellaneous: Scholarship recipients must apply the results of their research on school education in Japan to their teaching after they return to their home country as well.
( 9 ) The following are not eligible. a. Those who currently qualify as military personnel or military civilian employees. b. Those who can not arrive in Japan during the period designated by the university. c. Applicants who have been awarded a Japanese Government Scholarship in the past will not be selected as a grantee unless at least three years have passed since the first of the month following the final receipt of the previous scholarship, as of October 1, 2009. d. Recipients of scholarships from other institutions (including from his/her own government) will not be selected as grantees of Japanese Government Scholarships. ( 10 ) Study courses implemented Study/training is implemented only for university/training courses indicated in the pamphlet “Course Guidebook for Japanese Studies Students,” distributed at Japanese legations overseas. (The Course Guidebook will also be available on the MEXT website: http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/ryugaku/boshu/08121006.htm )

2. TERM OF SCHOLARSHIP

The term is the period necessary to complete each university's training course and should be between October, 2009 and March, 2011. (Extension of the term is not allowed.)

3. SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS

( 1 ) Allowance ： The amount of the scholarship disbursement per month has yet to be determined. However, the figures for the 2008 academic year have been included here for reference. (The monetary amount each year may be subject to change because of budgetary reasons.) Actual amount of scholarship benefits in 2008: 170,000 yen per month, and 160,000 yen from the 13 th month after arrival in Japan given to each grantee. However, the scholarship is cancelled in principle if the grantee is absent from the university for an extended period.
The scholarship will be cancelled in principle in the following cases.
1. A false statement is judged to have been made on the application
2. The grantee has violated any article of his/her pledge to the Monbukagaku-daijin (the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology).
3. The grantee has been subjected to disciplinary action like expulsion or removed from registration by the university or institution where preparatory Japanese-language lessons are undertaken.
4. It has been determined that it will be impossible for the grantee to complete the study course within the standard time period because of poor academic grades or suspension from the university.
5. The grantee's status, as defined in the Appended Table I-4 of the Immigration Act, has been changed into one other than “College Student.”
6. The grantee has received a scholarship from another institution (excluding those specified as being for research expenditures).

( 2 ) Transportation
a. Transportation to Japan ： The grantee will be provided, 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 that the appointed university uses as a normal route).Expenses such as inland transportation from his/her home address to the international airport, and expenses within Japan such as the airport tax, the airport usage and special taxes on travel will NOT be provided and should be borne by the student. (*The address in the country of the grantee's nationality stated on the application form is in principle considered as the grantee's “home address”). Moreover, an air ticket will not be provided from a country other than that of the grantee's nationality.
b. Transportation from Japan ： A 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 for the travel from the New Tokyo International Airport (or any other international airport that the appointed university uses as a normal route) to the international airport nearest to his/her home address*.
(Note) Any aviation and accident insurance to and from Japan shall be borne by the grantee. * In addition, the airport must be one in the country of the grantee's nationality. ( 3 ) Tuition and Other Fees ： Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation and tuition at universities will be paid by the Japanese Government.


5. SELECTION

(1) 　The Japanese Embassy/Consulate General will carry out the preliminary screening from among applicants by means of an interview, a written examination, and a review of the submitted documents.

(2)　 Results of the preliminary screening examination will be notified on the date separately designated by the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General.


(3)　Candidates who pass the preliminary screening examination will be recommended by the Embassy/Consulate General to MEXT.


(4) 　MEXT will conduct a final screening examination for the candidates recommended by the Embassy/Consulate General and select the national scholarship recipients.

(Note) In order to judge the level of language education needed for successful candidates after their arrival in Japan, written examinations in Japanese and English will be given for reference purposes at the time of the preliminary screening examination.



6. PLACEMENT TO AND SPECIALIZED TRAINING AT UNIVERSITIES




( 1 ) MEXT, in consultation with the university concerned, will decide on the university in which each grantee shall be enrolled, taking into consideration the study courses he/she wishes to be enrolled in. Objections regarding the university placement will not be allowed.


( 2 ) The training at universities will be conducted in Japanese, in principle.

( 3 ) Foreign students whose Japanese language ability is insufficient will undergo Japanese-language education in a Japanese language study course at the appointed university or at a university designated by MEXT. Japanese -language education is generally provided for six months at the beginning of the program, but some of the accepting universities may conduct Japanese language education parallel to the training.

( 4 ) The training is formed of general courses and an advanced program in special fields indicated in advance that take advantage of each university's distinct features. It mainly consists of educational administration (such as educational administration and finance, school management), educational methods (ex. classroom teaching, learning system theory, curriculum, educational assessment), specialized subject research (ex. mathematics, physics, chemistry, gymnastics), and observational tours and practice (ex. class observation, participation in special educational activities, tours of educational research facilities). Guidance plans will be organized flexibly according to the research themes the foreign students wish to study.

( 5 ) A grantee who has completed a specified course at the university concerned will be given a certificate. However, the purpose of this scholarship program is not to obtain a diploma. Therefore, a grantee cannot be enrolled in an undergraduate course at a university or a Master's or doctorate course at a graduate school as a Japanese-government-sponsored (MEXT) foreign student during the term of or right after the completion of this program.



7. NOTES



( 1 ) Each grantee is advised to learn the Japanese language and to acquire some information on Japanese weather, climate, customs, university education and conditions sufficiently in advance before coming to Japan.


( 2 ) The grantee should b ring approximately US $1,500 or the equivalent to cover immediate needs after arrival in Japan

( 3 ) Accommodations:

1. The foreign Student Houses, operated by JASSO Grantees enrolled at universities in Tokyo ， Osaka and Kobe may reside at one of the Foreign Student Houses operated by JASSO if they so desire and also meet the set conditions for residence. However, because of the limited number of rooms, these dormitories may not be able to accommodate all the students who wish to live in them.

2. Residence halls for foreign students established by national university corporations. National university corporations have residence halls for foreign students. The grantees enrolled at national universities where such facilities are available may reside, if they so desire, at these residence halls under certain conditions. However, because of the limited number of rooms, some of these facilities may not be able to accommodate all the students who wish to live in them.

3. Private boarding houses or apartments. Those who are not able to find accommodation in the aforementioned facilities may live in a regular dormitory of the university or in a private boarding house/apartment introduced by the university. It is very difficult for grantees with dependents to find appropriate housing in Japan . The grantee is requested to arrive in Japan alone first to secure housing before having his/her spouse and/or family come over to Japan .

( 4 ) More detailed information on this scholarship program is available and queries about it and points that are unclear may be asked at the Japanese legation.

FORMS HERE: http://www.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/culture/scholarship/teacher.htm