JAPANESE GOVERNMENT
(MONBUKAGAKUSHO:MEXT) SCHOLARSHIP FOR 2003
(UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT)

MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Government of Japan) offers scholarships to foreign students who wish to study at Japanese universities as undergraduate students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for 2003 as follows:

Contents
1. FIELDS OF STUDY 2. QUALIFICATIONS
3. TERM OF SCHOLARSHIP 4. SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS
5. SELECTION 6. UNIVERSITY EDUCATION
7. APPLICATION PROCEDURE 8. NOTES


1. FIELDS OF STUDY

  1. Social Sciences and Humanities Laws, Politics, Economics, Business Administration, Pedagogy Sociology, Literature, History, Japanese Language and others.
    *It is difficult for applicants who wish to major in the fields categorized as "others" 


  2. Natural Sciences

    Natural Sciences-A:
    Science (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry), Electric and Electronic Studies (Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Information Engineering), Mechanical Studies (Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture, Agricultural Engineering), Civil Engineering and Architecture (Civil Engineering, Architecture, Environmental Engineering), Chemical Studies (Applied Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry, Textile Engineering), and other fields (Metallurgical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Mercantile Marine, Biotechnology).

    Natural Sciences-B:
    Agricultural studies (Agriculture, Agricultural Chemistry, Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine, Forestry, Food Science, Fisheries), Hygienic studies (Pharmacy, Hygienic, Nursing), Science (Biology).

    Natural Sciences-C: Medicine, Dentistry.

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2. QUALIFICATIONS

  1. Nationality: Applicants must have nationality to which the scholarships are offered.

  2. Age: Applicants must be from seventeen to twenty-one years old as of April 1, 2003 (i.e. born on between April 2, 1981 and April 1, 1986).

  3. Academic Background: Applicants must either have completed a twelve year regular course of school education or have graduated from a school equivalent to the senior high school in Japan. (Those who will satisfy the above qualifications by March, 2003 may apply).
    * Including the qualified for Japanese universities entrance other than stated above.

  4. Japanese Language: Applicants must (be willing to) learn the Japanese language and (to) receive university education in the Japanese language.

  5. Health: Applicants must have no infectious diseases. In view of expected psychological burden due to cultural and environmental changes, mental as well as physical health is an essential prerequisite.

  6. Arrival in Japan: Applicants must be able to leave for and arrive in Japan between the 1st and the 7th of April, 2003.

*

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

**

The grants may be cancelled if grantees fail to arrive in Japan by the appointed date.

***

An applicant who has been awarded a Japanese Government Scholarship in the past will not be selected as a grantee.

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3. TERM OF SCHOLARSHlP

The awards are tenable for five years from April, 2003 to March, 2008 including the preliminary instruction in the Japanese language and other subjects (one-year course) given immediately after the arrival in Japan, except for those majoring in Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Medicine, whose term of scholarship is seven years until March, 2010.

*

The preliminary education can be omitted for those whose knowledge of the Japanese language is sufficient to pursue their studies or who wish to enter a university which demands no Japanese language ability (direct placement). In this case, the awards are tenable for four years (six years for those majoring in Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Medicine).
**

The grantee who has graduated and been admitted into the master's course of a graduate school during the term of scholarship can have his/her term of scholarship extended as a result of selection. Scholarship term will be extended for two years at the maximum, and no extension shall be made beyond this period.

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4. SCHOLARSHlP BENEFITS

  1. Allowance: 142,000 yen (will be changed in 2003. It might also be a case of rearrangement) per month will be given to each grantee, with the understanding that the scholarship will be suspended in the case in which a grantee is long absent from the university.



  2. Transportation:

    1. Transportation to Japan: The grantee will be supplied, according to his/her itinerary as designated by MEXT, with a tourist class air ticket from the international airport nearest to his/her home address to the New Tokyo International Airport or an international airport designated by MEXT.

    2. Transportation from Japan: The grantee who returns to his/her home country within the fixed period after the expiration of the scholarship will be supplied, upon application, with a tourist class air ticket from the New Tokyo International Airport (or the international airport nearest to the university at which he/she studied, on condition that it is less expensive to leave from that airport) to the international airport nearest to his/her home address.

      * Any aviation and accident insurance to and from Japan shall be borne by the applicant.

  3. Arrival Allowance: The sum of 25,000 yen will be given to the grantee on arrival.

  4. School Fees: Fees for the entrance examination. matriculation and tuition at universities will be compensated by Japanese Government.

  5. Accommodations:

    1. During the first year after arrival in Japan, the grantees will be offered housing at the residence hall of the preparatory institution or in other accommodations provided by the program authorities (except those who have been directly placed in universities)

    2. Accommodation for the grantees who have completed the preliminary course will be as follows:

    (a) The Foreign Student Houses, operated by the Association of International Education, Japan.
    The grantees enrolled at universities in Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe district may reside, if they so desire, at one of the Foreign Student Houses operated by the Association of International Education, Japan.
    However, these dormitories may not be able to accommodate all the students who have applied for housing.

    (b) Residence halls for foreign students established by national universities.
    At present about 90 national universities have residence halls for foreign students. The grantees enrolled at universities where such facilities are available may reside, if they so desire, at these residence halls according to certain conditions. However, some of these facilities may not be able to accommodate all the students who have applied for housing.

    (c) Private boarding houses or apartments.
    Those who are not able to find accommodations in the above facilities will have to live in a dormitory of the university or in private boarding houses or apartments introduced by the university.

  6. Students may receive subvention for part of the medical expenses in Japan.

*

The allowance, special housing service and subventions mentioned in the above items (3), (5)-b-(a), and (6) are carried out by the Association of International Education, Japan (AIEJ). AIEJ, founded in 1957, runs foreign student houses in Tokyo, Osaka and Kobe and performs various activities for foreign students in cooperation with MEXT and universities in Japan.

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5. SELECTION

  1. The Japanese Embassy will, in cooperation with the foreign governments concerned, select preliminary candidates from among applicants by means of an interview and academic examination (see below) and a review of the submitted documents. [Subjects for Examination]

    1. Social Sciences and Humanities Majors: Mathematics, English, World History and the Japanese Language. All the applicants must sit for the examinations in these four subjects./p>

    2. Natural Sciences Majors: Mathematics, English, two subjects selected from among Physics, Chemistry and Biology, and the Japanese Language. All the applicants must sit for the examinations in these five subjects. In the case of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, applicants must take the examination in the following two subjects according to their fields of study at universities.

    Natural Sciences-A: Physics, Chemistry
    Natural Sciences-B: Chemistry, Biology
    Natural Sciences-C: Chemistry, Biology
    The examination in the Japanese Language is given for reference.

  2. Results of preliminary screening will be announced on the date designated by Japanese Embassy / Consulate General.

  3. Those who have been selected as the preliminary candidates will be recommended to MEXT .

  4. MEXT will select the grantees from among those recommended.

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6. UNIVERSITY EDUCATION

  1. Preliminary Education prior to University Placement: The grantees will be enrolled at the preparatory school designated by MEXT and will there be given a one-year intensive course in the Japanese language and such other subjects as are necessary to prepare them for receiving university education. The curriculum of this school will mainly consist of training in the Japanese language, but will include instruction in other subjects such as Japanese affairs, mathematics, English, and social studies for social science and humanities majors. physics, chemistry and biology for natural sciences majors. This preliminary education can be omitted for those whose knowledge of Japanese language is sufficient to pursue their studies at universities or who wish to enter a university which demands no Japanese language ability (direct placement).



  2. University Placement: A grantee who has completed the prescribed course will go on to a university if they pass the entrance examination conducted by the university. MEXT, in consultation with the university concerned and the preparatory school, will decide on the university to which a grantee should apply for admission. In this decision, the following will be taken into consideration: results of the academic examination at the preliminary selection held in his home country, academic attainments at the preparatory school, proposed major subject, capacity of the university, etc. No objection shall be made regarding the university placement.

  3. Change of Major field of Study: During preliminary education and at the time of entrance to the university a grantee will not be permitted to change his/her major field of study between Social Science and Humanities and Natural Sciences, nor will he/she be permitted to change it among Natural Sciences A, B and C.

  4. Academic Year: The academic year begins on April every year and ends on March 31 of the following year.

  5. Instruction Medium: All the instructions are given in the Japanese language (except the case of direct placement).

  6. Degree of "Gakushi"( Bachelor's Degree ): The degree of "Gakushi" will be conferred upon a student according to his/her major, who has attended a university for the prescribed period and obtained the required credits as provided by the university. (e.g. Gakushi of Economics, Gakushi of Engineering, etc.)

  7. Required Subjects: A grantee must take the required subjects decided by the preparatory school and by the university to be enrolled in, even if he/she has already studied them at a university attended in other countries than Japan.

*

The university to be enrolled in will be determined by the discussion between MEXT and that university , in case of direct placement. lf he/she wishes direct placement. he/she will enter a university without preliminary education. Therefore, when the university is undecided finally incase of direct placement, he/she ought to give up study in Japan. Thus on application, take into consideration of faculties schools and acceptance limits of universities which are possible of direct placement.

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7. APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Applicants must submit the following documents to the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General by the appointed date. The documents submitted will not be returned.

@ @ (Original)  (Copy)
(1)

Application for Admission (prescribed forms)

 2
(2)

Application (Annex) for Admission (prescribed form)

 1
(3)

Photographs of passport size (6 x 4 cm) taken within the past 6 months (should be pasted on the application forms and Annex)

 3 @
(4)

Certified school records of the last 3 years

 1 1
(5)

Recommendation from the principal or the advisor of the last school attended

 1 1
(6)

Attested copy of graduation certificate of the last school attended (An attested document certifying that the applicant should graduate the school by March of the following year, if applicable)

 1 1
(7)

Certified copy of qualification for admission to university (if applicable)

 1 1
(8)

The certificate of enrollment (in case that the applicant is enrolled in a university)

 1 1
(9)

Medical certificate on the prescribed form (to be issued by the medical institution designated by the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General)

 1 1
*

These documents must be written in either Japanese or English, or accompanied by a translation in either of these languages.
**

For the item (6), (7) above, a photocopy of the graduation certificate and/or the qualification may substitute. However, it should be attested by the authorities concerned.
***

No application will be accepted unless all the documents mentioned above are fully and correctly completed.

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8. NOTES

  1. More detailed information on this scholarship program is available at the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General.

  2. A grantee will be deprived of his/her scholarship in any of the following cases:

    1. A false statement has been made on his/her application dossiers.

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

    3. He/she has been subjected to disciplinary action by the university or has no prospect for academic achievement (e.g. failure to achieve a satisfactory level in the Japanese language or in his/her major subjects).

    4. His / Her status has been changed into another one than "College Student."

  3. A grantee is advised to learn the Japanese language and to have some information on Japanese climate, customs, manners, and university and conditions in general before coming to Japan.

  4. It is highly recommended that a grantee should bring approximately US $1,000 or the equivalent to cover immediate needs after arrival in Japan.

  5. The amounts of the allowance and the arrival allowance described in Section 4 are subject to budgetary variation.

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