Scholarship Research Student in Japan

In principle, an applicant who has obtained either an official recommendation from a university with which Tokyo Tech has a formal agreement or an official recommendation from the president or equivalent official (e.g. director or dean) of a university with which Tokyo Tech has established bilateral activities is eligible to apply for this program.

Please note that an applicant for the International Graduate Program (A) starting from October 2015 cannot apply for this program.

The main difference between the International Graduate Program (A) and the Research Student Program is outlined below:

-Students in the Research Student Program are enrolled in Tokyo Tech as Research Students from October 2015.
-Students in the International Graduate Program (A) are enrolled in Tokyo Tech as Graduate School Students from October 2015.

Qualifications:

1. Eligibility
Applicant, not residing in Japan, who will be able to arrive in Japan prior to the enrollment period as a graduate-level student, is eligible.

2. Nationality
Applicant must have the nationality of a country which has diplomatic relations with the Japanese government. Applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application will not be eligible.

3. Age
Applicant must have been born on or after April 2, 1980.

4. Academic Background
Applicant 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
(2) is or will be aged 22 or older and has taken an individual entrance qualification examination and has been judged by Tokyo Tech as being equal or superior in academic ability to a university graduate.
Note: Eligible applicants include those who otherwise satisfy or will satisfy qualification requirements for admission to a Japanese graduate school.

5. Major Field of Study
Applicant should apply for the field of study he/she studied at the previous university or any related field. Applicant must choose a field on which he/she can receive education and perform research at Tokyo Tech.

6. Japanese Proficiency
Applicant who is not proficient in Japanese will not be selected if his/her field of study requires a certain level of proficiency, unless the circumstances are considered to be exceptional. Fields which require Japanese proficiency include Japanese language, Japanese literature, Japanese history and the Japanese legal structure.

7. Health
Applicant must be physically and mentally healthy enough to pursue study at Tokyo Tech.

8. Arrival in Japan
Applicant must be able to leave for and arrive in Japan within the stated period set by Tokyo Tech.
The period for October 2014 will be the last week of September and the first week of October 2015.

Note: If the applicant cannnot arrive in Japan by this set period, his/her enrollment status may be cancelled. Travel expenses will not be provided if the applicant chooses to travel to Japan before the set period.

9. Visa Requirement
The selected applicant must obtain a "Student" （ryuugaku 留学） visa prior to his/her arrival in Japan. An applicant who is already in Japan under a visa other than "Student" is required to change it to "Student" by the end of the month preceding the start of the scholarship. (An applicant who arrives in Japan with a visa or resident status other than that of "Student" will not qualify for a MEXT Scholarship. An applicant who changes his/her resident status to any status other than "Student" after his/her arrival in Japan will immediately lose his/her status as a MEXT Scholarship student.)

10. Others

An applicant who meets any or all of the following conditions is not eligible. If identified after the start of the scholarship period, the applicant will be required to withdraw from the scholarship:

(1) Applicant is an active member of the military or a civilian employed by the military.
(2) Applicant is unable to travel to Japan within the dates set by Tokyo Tech.
(3) Applicant was a grantee of a MEXT Scholarship in the past unless he/she has had at least three years of research or teaching experience between the completion of the first scholarship and the start of the second scholarship periods. This exclusion will not apply to a graduate-level applicant, who (i) was an international student in Japan and received training in Japanese studies at a university but graduated from his/her home university, or who (ii) was an international student in Japan under the Japan-Korea Joint Government Scholarship Program for the Students in Science and Engineering Departments.
(4) Applicant is already the recipient of a scholarship from an organization (including a governmental organization in his/her country of origin) other than MEXT.
(5) Applicant is applying to more than one program which will be supported by a MEXT scholarship or he/she is applying to a program which will be supported by a Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) scholarship. (Including those who are already financially supported by MEXT or JASSO and will continue to be supported after the semester start from or after October 2015.)
(6) Applicant is or will be a resident of Japan before October 2015. (Including those who are planning to study at a university in Japan as self-financed international students and will continue to do so after the semester start from or after October 2015.)

Term of Scholarship: From October 2015 to March 2017 (18 months)

Note: If Grantee desires to proceed to a regular graduate program from the Research Student Program, he/she may have the term of his/her scholarship extended upon successful examination by MEXT provided that he/she has outstanding academic achievement that meets certain criteria. An extension of the term of the scholarship will not be approved if he/she fails to advance to a regular graduate program.
Tokyo Tech Recommended MEXT Scholarship students cannot advance to a graduate school of a university other than Tokyo Tech.

Scholarship Benefits:

1. Allowance

Under the fiscal 2014 budget, each grantee will be provided monthly with 146,000 JPY. However, this amount is subject to change depending on the annual budget of each year. The scholarship will not be paid to a grantee who takes a leave of absence or is long absent from Tokyo Tech.

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 Monbukagakusho (MEXT);
(3) If he/she is subjected to disciplinary action, such as expulsion or removal from register, taken by Tokyo Tech;
(4) If it becomes definitive that the grantee will not be able to complete his/her course within the standard course term because of his/her poor academic achievement or suspension;
(5) If he/she withdraws from Tokyo Tech or is transferred to other university;
(6) If his/her resident status of "Student" as provided for in Paragraph 1-4 of Appendix to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act changes to any other status;
(7) If he/she is provided with another scholarship (except for a scholarship designated for research expenses); or
(8) If he/she proceeds to a regular graduate program without receiving approval for an extension of the term of the scholarship.

2. Traveling Costs

(1) Transportation to Japan
Each 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 closest to his/her place of residence to Narita or Haneda International Airport. Expenses such as inland transportation from his/her place of residence to the nearest international airport, airport tax, airport usage charges, special taxes on overseas travel and travel expenses within Japan will be borne by the grantee (the place of residence of the grantee shall in principle be the address stated in the application form). Air travel from a country other than the grantee's nationality will not be covered.

(2) Transportation from Japan
The grantee who returns to his/her home country within the last-payment month of his/her scholarship will be provided, upon application, with an economy class air ticket for a flight from Narita or Haneda International Airport to the international airport closest to his/her place of return.

Note: (1)Insurance premiums for travel to/from Japan shall be borne by the grantee. The airport the grantee departs from or returns to must be an airport of the country of his/her nationality.
　　　　 (2)Since 2014, there is a case that Tokyo Tech provides airfare or each grantee pays it by him/herself.

(3) School Fees
Fees for matriculation, tuition and entrance examinations at a university will be paid by Tokyo Tech.

Application Procedures:

1. Finding an Academic Advisor

Prior to submitting application materials to the International Student Exchange Division, applicant must arrange for a Tokyo Tech faculty member to serve as an academic advisor and undergo an initial interview before the stated application deadline. In order to be considered for admission, applicant must first find an academic advisor. Applicant is required to communicate directly with his/her intended academic advisor at Tokyo Tech and obtain the consent of the desired faculty member to serve in this capacity. Applicant needs to directly contact the intended academic advisor via email and provide a self-introductory statement and a letter of intent for his/her period of study at Tokyo Tech. Applications will not be considered without the consent of a Tokyo Tech faculty member who will act as his/her academic advisor.

Applicant must request that his/her academic advisor write a "Letter of Acceptance"(Form: Word fileword). The academic advisor needs to fill out the form and submit it to the International Student Exchange Division by the stated deadline. The "Letter of Acceptance" will serve as one of the applicant's documents to be considered during the application screening process.

For further information on our faculty members, such as email addresses and contact information, please refer to the "STAR Search" (Researchers' Database)outer on Tokyo Tech's homepage.

Some academic advisors may require the submission of additional documents before the stated deadline.

2. Documents to Be Submitted

(1) Application Form (Form: Word fileword PDFPDF) (double-side printing, original, no photocopies)
Photograph (4.5×3.5 cm, taken within the past six months, upper body, full-faced, no caps or hats. Write your name and nationality on the reverse side. Digital photograph is also acceptable.) must be pasted onto the application form.

(2) Field of Study and Study Program [Research Proposal] (Form: Word fileword PDF filePDF) (double-side printing）

(3) Official Academic Transcripts from both undergraduate and graduate schools (originals or certified copies)

(4) Certificate of Graduation or Expected Graduation from both undergraduate and graduate schools (originals or certified copies)

(5) Summary of Thesis (free format)
Applicant who has not written a formal thesis is requested to submit the details of his/her research conducted at his/her home university.

(6) English Proficiency Test Score Report (original, no photocopies)
Applicant is required to submit an English proficiency test score report from TOEFL-iBT, TOEFL-PBT, TOEIC or the IELTS Academic Module taken on or after November 22, 2012. Score reports from TOEFL-ITP, TOEIC-IP or other proficiency tests not specifically listed above will not be accepted.
Applicant can request ETS or the British Council to send an official score report directly to Tokyo Institute of Technology. Tokyo Tokyo Institute of Technology's institutional code number for TOEFL is "0215".
A native English speaker is not required to submit an English proficiency test score.

(7) Recommendation Letter from the Dean or equivalent official of applicant's home university from both undergraduate and graduate schools addressed to the President of Tokyo Institute of Technology (free format) (original, no photocopies) This form must be submitted from the university applicant attended for full time study.

(8) Evaluation Sheet with a Recommendation Letter from a Supervisor, Head of Department, etc. of the last university attended to verify the potential of applicant (Form: Word fileword PDF filePDF) (original, no photocopies)

(9) Copy of Applicant's Passport (the page(s) with applicant's name, nationality, date of birth and photo), Family Register or Certificate of Citizenship

(10) Score Report of Japanese Language Aptitude Test (if applicable)

3. Submission of Application Documents

The completed application documents must reach the International Student Exchange Division no later than November 21, 2014 by registered mail, courier service or a similar service.

Note:
(1) These documents must be written in either Japanese or English. A document written in any other language must be attached with a Japanese or English translation.
(2) Tokyo Tech will not accept any documents received after the stated deadline or any incomplete applications.
(3) Tokyo Tech cannot respond to any inquiries regarding receipt of individual application documents. Applicant is responsible for the tracking and receipt of all materials. Tokyo Tech strongly encourages sending the documents by registered mail, courier service or a similar service that provides tracking numbers and receipt verification services.
(4) Submitted documents will not be returned under any circumstances. Tokyo Tech will not provide photocopies of the submitted documents. Please keep a copy of all documents for personal reference. In cases when that a document cannot be re-issued, please submit a certified copy instead.
(5) Offer of admission may be withdrawn at any time, even after enrollment, if the application documents are found to be invalid or containing any false information.

INQUIRIES:
International Student Exchange Division
Tokyo Institute of Technology
2-12-1-S6-7, Ookayama, Meguro-ku,
Tokyo 152-8550, Japan
TEL: +81-3-5734-3027
FAX: +81-3-5734-3667
tokyotech.mext@jim.titech.ac.jp