The University of Tokyo Recommended Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship 2020

1. Qualifications

(1) Eligibility

International students with outstanding academic records (*1) who wish to enter Japan in September, 2020 as a new student (*2) to study in the Master’s or Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Science.

• (*1) An applicant must have university grade points* of 2.30 (out of 3.00) or above in their two most recent years of study and be expected to maintain the same academic standards during the course of the scholarship program.
  * Grade points will be calculated according to a formula specified by MEXT (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology).
• (*2) Please refer to (10) Non-eligibility 5. to confirm your eligibility.

(2) Nationality

Applicants must have the nationality of a country with diplomatic relations with the Japanese government. Applicants who have Japanese nationality at the time of application are ineligible. However, Japanese nationals that reside outside of Japan at the time of application, having dual citizenship with another country, and plan on relinquishing their Japanese nationality before arrival, may apply.

(3) Age

Applicants must be born on or after April 2, 1985.

(4) Academic background

Applicants must have the necessary qualifications to be admitted to the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo as a Master’s or a Doctoral Program student.

(5) Field of Study

Applicants must apply for the field of study that they studied at their previous university or a related field.

(6) Language Proficiency

Applicants must meet one of the language requirements in either English or in Japanese as described below:

• English
  1. Holds an English proficiency test score equivalent to B2 or above on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale (e.g. TOEFL iBT 72 or above, IELTS 5.5 or above).
     * To see what counts as “B2 or above on the CEFR scale”, please refer to the CEFR Equivalency Chart.:
     To see the CEFR Equivalency Chart, please click here.
  2. Has completed an educational program whose primary language of instruction is English that satisfies the entrance requirements to the Master’s Program or Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo.
• Japanese
  1. Has passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) with a score of N2 or higher.
  2. Has completed an educational program whose primary language of instruction is Japanese that satisfies the entrance requirements to the Master’s Program or Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Science, the University of Tokyo.

(7) Health

Applicants must be physically and mentally healthy enough to pursue their studies.

(8) Arrival in Japan

Applicants must be able to leave their country and arrive in Japan by the date specified by the University of Tokyo. If an applicant is unable to travel to Japan within the designated period, he or she must decline the scholarship offer. If, for personal reasons, an applicant arrives in Japan prior to the designated period, travel expenses for coming to Japan will not be paid to the applicant.

(9) Visa Requirements

Applicants must enter the country with the resident status of “Student”, having obtained the visa anew prior to traveling to Japan. The visa is to be issued by the Japanese embassy or consulate in the applicant’s country of nationality. Those who already have another residency status (permanent resident, long-term resident, etc.) will be required to return to their country of nationality, change their status to that of “Student” and then travel to Japan. Note that there is no guarantee that an application to change your resident status back to that of “permanent resident” or “long-term resident” etc. will be approved once you have completed your time as a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship recipient.

Applicants should be aware that the scholarship will be cancelled if he/she arrives in Japan without a newly obtained “student” visa.

(10) Non-eligibility

Applicants in the following categories are ineligible for the Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship. They must decline the scholarship offer if they are found to fall under any one of the following criteria upon their selection.

1. An active member of the military or a civilian employed by the military at the time of arrival or at any point during the period of the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship;
2. An applicant who is unable to travel to Japan within the period designated by MEXT or the University of Tokyo;
3. A former recipient of a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship (including those who withdrew from the scholarship after coming to Japan) is ineligible unless he or she has had at least three years of educational or working experience since the month after completing the former scholarship period as of the beginning of the new scholarship period. This ineligibility criterion also does not apply if the formerly received scholarship is of one of the following types: (i) Japanese Studies Student (as long as the applicant has since returned to and graduated from or is expected to graduate from his or her home university), (ii) Japan-Korea Joint Government Scholarship Program for the Students in Science and Engineering, (iii) Young Leaders Program. Also, for the purpose of this clause, the MEXT Honors Scholarship does not count as a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship.
4. An applicant who is also applying for a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship for another AY2020 program.
5. An applicant who (i) is already enrolled in a Japanese university, institution, etc. under the “College Student” visa as of the time of application, or (ii) is or plans to be enrolled in a Japanese university, institution, etc. as a self-supported international student between the time of application and the start of the scholarship period. This clause does not apply to self-supported international students who are currently enrolled or are expected to enroll at a Japanese university but can confirm at the time of application that they will return to their country of nationality, newly obtain a “student” visa before the start of the scholarship period, and travel to Japan on the new visa.
6. An applicant who expects to receive a scholarship from any source other than the Japanese Government (MEXT), including those from their own country’s government body, at or after the beginning of the scholarship period.
7. An applicant who is “expected to graduate by the entrance date” at the time of application but then cannot provide proof of completing a degree by the designated deadline.
8. A Japanese national who has dual nationality with another country, and is not able to provide proof of relinquishing Japanese nationality by the day of arrival.
9. An applicant who is, as of the time of application, planning a long period of fieldwork or internship in a country other than Japan or a long-term leave of absence, etc.
10. One who has completed a Doctoral program and does not plan on obtaining another degree.

(11) Scholarship Types

Type of Scholarship	Number of Recipients	Eligibility: Possible Departments of Enrollment
1) International Priority Graduate Program (PGP)	4 Master’s Program students (*3)	Physics, Astronomy, Earth & Planetary Science, Chemistry, Biological Sciences
2)General	Master’s or Doctoral Program 0-1 student (tentative)	Physics, Astronomy, Earth & Planetary Science, Chemistry, Biological Sciences

(*3) In the PGP nominee selection, applicants of nationalities specified by MEXT below are given priority, as MEXT requires that 75% or more of all nominees be of these nationalities.

To see the list of priority nationalities, please click here.Important Notes:

1. Please carefully read “2. Period of Scholarships – (2)” before selecting which program(s) to apply to, 1) International Priority Graduate Programs (PGP), 2) General, or 3) Both. Then fill in Application Document 5) “Application Form for Your Choice of Program(s).”
2. Note that you can only be selected for one of the two types of program, even if you select “3) Both”. The decision is to be made by the Graduate School of Science.

2. Period of Scholarships

(1)For a recipient who will enroll in a Master’s Program or Doctoral Program, the scholarship will be payable for the standard period of time necessary for the recipient to complete his or her program (standard course term), starting from October 2020.

• Master’s Program = October, 2020 – September, 2022 (2years)
• Doctoral Program = October, 2020 – September, 2023 (3years)

(2)Extension of the Scholarship Period

Type of Scholarship	Possibility of Extension of the Scholarship Period (Master’s Program → Doctoral Program)	Condition
1) International Priority Graduate Program (PGP)	No Extension	—
2) General	Application for Extension is possible (*4)	Applicants must meet certain criteria set by MEXT with outstanding academic achievement. (*4)

(*4) The extension of scholarship period: If a grantee desires to proceed to the Doctoral Program from the Master’s Program, he/she may have the term of his/her scholarship extended upon a successful examination by MEXT and provided that he/she has made outstanding academic achievement that meets certain criteria. Note that extension will not be granted to all those who apply for an extension. Please also note that if he/she is to qualify for an extension of the MEXT scholarship but enters a graduate school of another university when transitioning from the Master’s Program to the Doctoral Program, the approval of an extension of the scholarship is cancelled and the term of the scholarship is not extended.

3. Scholarship Benefits

(1) Allowance

The amounts of monthly stipend for AY2020 have yet to be determined. As an example, the monthly amounts for AY2019 will be presented below. (These amounts are subject to change depending on the size of the annual fiscal budget each year, commodity prices, etc.)AY2019 actual amounts144,000 yen/month (for a student of a Master’s Program), or 145,000 yen/month (for a student of a Doctoral Program)(an additional monthly stipend of 2,000 or 3,000 yen may be added to those students undertaking study or research in some designated regions of the country).

The scholarship will not be paid to a recipient who is on a leave of absence or who has long been absent from his or her university.

The scholarship will be cancelled in the following cases. If a recipient receives the scholarship even though he or she is ineligible due to one of the following reasons, the recipient may be ordered to return the amount of scholarship money received for the period concerned.

1. If any portion of the recipient’s application documents is found to be falsely stated;
2. If the recipient is in breach of his or her pledge made to the Minister of MEXT (Monbukagakusho);
3. If the recipient is subjected to a disciplinary action taken by his or her university, such as expulsion or removal from the register;
4. If the recipient breaks the Japanese law and is sentenced to more than one year of imprisonment with or without hard labor;
5. If it is determined that the recipient will not be able to complete his or her course within the standard course term, for example because of his or her poor academic achievement or suspension;
6. If the recipient leaves the University of Tokyo or is transferred to another graduate school;
7. If the recipient does not obtain a new “College student” visa status before entering Japan or if the recipient’s resident status changes to anything other than that of “College Student” at any point;
8. If the recipient receives another scholarship (except for a scholarship designated for research expenses);
9. If the recipient proceeds to a higher academic program without obtaining permission to extend the scholarship period from MEXT;
10. If the recipient’s grade points calculated according to a formula specified by MEXT is found to be lower than 2.30 out of 3.00 at an annual point of calculation to be announced by MEXT.

(2) Traveling Costs

1. Transportation to Japan: Recipients will be provided, according to the itinerary and route designated for them by MEXT, with an economy class air ticket from the international airport closest to their place of residence (within their country of nationality) to Narita/Tokyo(Haneda) International Airport. Recipients will have to shoulder expenses such as domestic transportation from their place of residence to the nearest international airport, passenger service facilities charge (PSFC), airport taxes, special taxes on overseas travel and domestic travel expenses in Japan. As a rule, the recipient’s place of residence is taken to be the address stated in the application form. However, if a change of address is known beforehand (limited to within their country of nationality), the new address will be used. An air ticket will not be provided if the recipient travels to Japan from a country other than that of his or her nationality.
2. Transportation from Japan: Upon application, recipients who return to their home country within the last-payment month of the scholarship will be provided with an economy class air ticket for a flight from Narita/Tokyo(Haneda) International Airport to the international airport closest to their place of return (within their country of nationality).

Note:The recipient has to pay for his or her insurance premiums for travel to/from Japan. Recipients must depart from or return to an airport located in their country of nationality.

(3) School Fees

Enrollment and Tuition fees will be exempted.

4. Application & Screening

(1) Application Documents

		(Original)	(Copy)
1)	Application form (must be in double-sided print) Please click here for download * Note that applicants may be required to resubmit the application form in January 2020.	1
2)	Field of Study and Research Plan Please click here for download	1
3)	Letter of recommendation from “dean or above”* This letter must fulfill all of the following conditions:The name of the addressee stated in the letter must be “the President of the University of Tokyo”The letter must be printed on your university’s letterhead.The letter must be written by and signed by a dean or above. Digital signature is not acceptable.	1
4)	Passport-type photo taken within the last 6 months (4.5 x 3.5 cm, upper-body, full-faced, without a cap)Write name and nationality on the back and glue it to the application form. A photo in electronic data format is acceptable.	1
5)	Application Form for Your Choice of Program(s) Please click here for download	1
6)	Official transcript(s) issued by the last university(ies) attended (undergraduate and/or graduate) covering at least two full years of your most recent grades[Example] If you have just started your second year of Master’s course at the time of application (in October 2019) and your most recent transcript at this time shows your grades for September 2018 to August 2019, then you need to submit a transcript for your undergraduate course (or the most recent degree course attended before entering the Master’s Program in addition to your most recent Master’s Program transcript.)You must also submit (an) official document(s) that specifies and explains the grading system(s) if it is not indicated in your transcript(s).	1
7)	Proof of language ability certifying that one of the Language Proficiency conditions apply(for example, a TOEFL, IELTS or JLPT score report or a language of education certificate from your previous university)* See 1. Qualifications (6) Language Proficiency	1
8)	Abstract of graduation thesis* If you are currently working on your thesis and cannot submit an abstract, you can instead submit the (tentative) title of your thesis.	1
9)	Official statement of (expected) graduation* If you will graduate from your current program after submitting your MEXT application, you must submit an official statement provided by your university that indicates the date of your expected graduation.	1
10)	A copy of the student’s passport (The page with photo)		1

Note:

Application Instructions

• Applicants must send in the required documents for MEXT Scholarship as well as complete their admission application for entering the Master’s/Doctoral Program, following the “Instruction for Graduate School Application for International Students”.
• These documents must be written in either Japanese or English. They must be created in A4 format using software such as MS Word and must be printed double-sided (duplex printing). A document written in any other language must be accompanied with a Japanese translation.
• Submitted documents will not be returned.
• The thesis abstract should be concise and to the point.
• An application will not be considered unless all application forms and necessary documents are completed correctly and all accompanying documents are complete.
• In some countries, a graduation certificate and other documents are issued by a government administrative office. In this case, the University of Tokyo may need to confirm with a student’s previous university that the certificate issued contains no erroneous information.
• The applicants should be in good enough health to pursue their studies.

(2) Nomination Process

<For International Priority Graduate Program (PGP) nominees>

Applicants to be nominated to MEXT will be selected by the Graduate School of Science. The grantees will be decided upon screening at MEXT.

<For general nominees>

After nomination by the Graduate School of Science, nominees for the MEXT selection will be decided in a selection process for the entire University of Tokyo. After the University of Tokyo nominates its candidates, the grantees will be decided upon screening at MEXT.

5. Application Period

From October 1 to October 31, 2019

The application must arrive no later than October 31, 2019 without fail.

6. Application Mailing & Contact Address

Submit the required documents to apply for MEXT Scholarship to International Liaison Office by post in addition to applying for admission into the Graduate School of Science (Master’s/Doctoral Program).

【Mailing address & Contact information】

• International Liaison Office (ILO), Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo

ADDRESS	Room 278, 2nd floor, School of Science Building 1, Hongo Campus 7-3-1, Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 JAPAN
TEL	+81-3-5841-7630
FAX	+81-3-5841-8775
MAIL

7. Notification

The result will be notified to applicants according to the following schedule.

< For International Priority Graduate Program (PGP) applicants >

*Notification of Nominees

The nominees selected by the Graduate School of Science will be notified by e-mail inJanuary, 2020. The unsuccessful candidates are also notified by e-mail.

*Official Notification of Grantees

On receipt of the official announcement of the decision by MEXT, the grantees will be notified by postal mail in June, 2020 (tentative). The unsuccessful candidates are also notified by postal mail.

< For General applicants >

*Notification of Nominees

The nominees selected by the Graduate School of Science will be notified by e-mail in January, 2020. The unsuccessful candidates are also notified by e-mail.

The nominees selected at the University of Tokyo selection stage will be further notified by e-mail in April 2020. The candidates found unsuccessful at this stage are also notified by e-mail.

*Official Notification of Grantees

On receipt of the official announcement of the decision by MEXT, the grantees will be notified by postal mail in June, 2020(tentative). The unsuccessful nominees are also notified by postal mail.

[ Inquiry about the result ]

International Liaison Office (ILO), Graduate School of Science, The University of Tokyo

8. Other

The recipient of this scholarship is guaranteed a room in the University of Tokyo International Lodge (furnished room with a rent of approximately 50,000 yen/month (Kashiwa), 60,000 yen/month (Komaba)) for the first one year (a student whose laboratory is located in Hongo Campus=Komaba Lodge, a student whose laboratory is located in Kashiwa Campus=Kashiwa Lodge).