Application Procedures for MEXT Scholarship Research Students

Application Procedures for Tokyo Tech-recommended Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Students
Research Student Program commencing September 2018

Admission Date: September 26, 2018

Number of Admitted Students: Several

Program Type(s): Research Student Program, (Master’s Program, Doctoral Program)

Application Period: September 5, 2017– November 20, 2017

Tokyo Tech-recommended recipients of the Japanese Government (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology - MEXT) Scholarship will enroll in Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech) as Research Students in the Research Student Program starting from September 2018.

Scholarship recipients who have demonstrated excellent academic achievement and who have passed the entrance examination for April 2020 or earlier may be eligible to enroll in Tokyo Tech’s Master’s or Doctoral Programs and to extend the duration of the MEXT Scholarship under certain conditions.

Please note that applicants for the International Graduate Program (A) starting from September 2018 are not eligible to apply for this program.

The Research Student Program is a non-degree program, while the International Graduate Program (A) is a degree program for master’s and doctoral students.

1. Eligibility

Eligibility is limited to applicants who are not residing in Japan and who will be able to arrive in Japan prior to the enrollment period as a graduate-level student.

In addition, applicants must have demonstrated excellent academic achievement with a grade point average of 2.30 (out of 3.00) or above in the last two academic years and meet certain criteria.

Finally, each applicant must have obtained either

• An official recommendation from a university with which Tokyo Tech has a formal agreement
• An official recommendation from the president or representative(e.g. director or dean) of a university with which Tokyo Tech has established bilateral activities.

2. Nationality

Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. Applicants with Japanese nationality are not eligible unless they are dual nationals of Japan and another country and reside outside of Japan at the time of application. Dual national applicants selected for the scholarship will be required renounce their Japanese nationality by the date of their arrival in Japan.

3. Age

In principle, applicants must have been born on or after April 2, 1983.

4. Academic Background

Applicants must have graduated from a Japanese university or have academic ability equal or superior to that of a Japanese university graduate. The applicant will be deemed to have academic ability equal or superior to that of a Japanese university graduate, if he/she:

1. (1) has completed or will complete a 16-year school curriculum in a foreign country; or
2. (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 Japanese 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

Each applicant should apply for the field of study he/she studied at the previous university or a related field. Each applicant must identify a field in which he/she can receive education and perform research at Tokyo Tech.

6. Japanese Proficiency

For research in fields which require Japanese language (e.g. Japanese history, linguistics), applicants must have the ability to conduct research in Japanese.

7. Health

Applicants must be physically and mentally able to pursue studies at Tokyo Tech.

8. Arrival in Japan

Applicants must be able to leave for and arrive in Japan within two weeks of the date set by Tokyo Institute of Technology for the beginning of the third quarter in September 2018.

9. Visa Requirement

Applicants must acquire College Student (ryugaku) visas before entering Japan. They then enter Japan with the College Student (ryugaku) residence status. Please also note that those who change their visa status to one other than College Student after arrival in Japan will lose their qualification to be Japanese Government Scholarship recipients from the date their visa status changes.

10. Community engagement

Applicants should be willing to participate in community events held in Japan to promote mutual understanding.

After returning to their home country, scholarship recipients shall maintain close contact with Tokyo Tech, cooperate with the conducting of post-return survey questionnaires, participate in events conducted by local Japanese diplomatic missions, and endeavor to improve relations between their home country and Japan.

11. Other

Applicants who meet any or all of the following conditions are not eligible, and if identified after the start of the scholarship period, they will be required to withdraw from the scholarship

1. 1. Those who are military personnel or military civilian employees at the time of their arrival in Japan;
2. 2. Those who cannot arrive in Japan during the period designated by MEXT or Tokyo Tech;
3. 3. Those who previously received a Japanese government scholarship and who, for more than three years between the conclusion of the previous scholarship period and the selection for this scholarship, have not conducted education or research. This condition does not apply to the past recipients of Japanese studies scholarships, Japan-Korea Joint Government Scholarship Program For The Students In Science And Engineering Departments and the Young Leaders Program;
4. 4. Those who concurrently apply for a MEXT Scholarship through a different program, such as the MEXT Scholarship through Embassy Recommendation, etc.;
5. 5. Those who are currently enrolled at a Japanese university with College Student (ryugaku) residence　status; those enrolled, or scheduled to be enrolled, at a Japanese university as a privately-financed　international student during the period between the filing of the the scholarship application in the home country and the start of the provision of the scholarship. This condition does not apply to current self-financed　international students at Japanese universities who will complete their courses of study and return to their　countries before the start of the scholarship period;
6. 6. Those who are currently receiving or plan to receive Japanese or other government-funded or private scholarships;
7. 7. Those who are expected to graduate at the time of application and cannot satisfy the qualifications　and the conditions related to academic background by the deadline given;
8. 8. Those who are holders of dual nationality at the time of application and cannot verify that they will renounce Japanese　nationality by the time of their arrival in Japan;
9. 9. Those who wish, from the time of application, to conduct fieldwork or participate in an internship outside of Japan, since this scholarship program is intended for overseas students who wish to enroll in a　Japanese university and do graduate research in Japan; and
10. 10. Those who have already obtained a doctoral degree and do not plan to enter a degree program after participating in the Research Student Program.

From October 2018 to March 2020 (18 months) as a Research Student

The monthly stipend will not be provided for September 2018.

[Information for MEXT Scholarship Research Students who will proceed to degree programs at Tokyo Tech]

If the recipient desires to proceed from the Research Student Program to a regular graduate degree program at Tokyo Tech and has made outstanding academic achievements that meet certain criteria, it may be possible, contingent upon passing a screening by MEXT, to have the term of the MEXT scholarship extended.

An extension of the term of the scholarship will not be approved if the recipient fails to advance to a regular graduate degree program.

The scholarship will be cancelled if the recipient proceeds to a more advanced level of education without receiving approval for the extension of the term of the scholarship.

As the number of MEXT scholarship awards for students advancing from master’s to doctoral programs is quite limited, some recipients, despite meeting the eligibility criteria, will not receive an extension of their scholarship.

Tokyo Tech-recommended MEXT Scholarship students cannot enter a graduate school of a university other than Tokyo Tech.

1. Stipend

Scholarship recipients will be provided a monthly stipend of 146,000 JPY (Research Student). This stipend is subject to change as specified by the regulations of the MEXT Scholarship program. The monthly stipend will not be paid to those who take a leave of absence or is long absent from Tokyo Tech.

Please note that the scholarship will be cancelled in the following cases, and the recipient may be ordered to return stipend payments already received:

1. 1. The recipient is determined to have made a false statement on his/her application;
2. 2. The recipient violates any article of his/her pledge to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology;
3. 3. The recipient violates Japan’s laws and regulations and is sentenced to imprisonment of more than one year;
4. 4. The recipient is subjected to disciplinary action taken by Tokyo Tech, such as expulsion or removal from register;
5. 5. It has been determined that it will be impossible for the recipient to complete the training course within the standard time period because of poor academic grades or suspension from Tokyo Tech;
6. 6. The recipient’s status of residence in Japan has changed to one other than College Student as defined in the Appended Table I-4 of the Immigration Act;
7. 7. The recipient has received a scholarship from another institution (excluding those specified for research expenditures);
8. 8. The recipient proceeds to a more advanced level of education without receiving approval for an extension of the period of the scholarship; or
9. 9. The recipient withdraws from Tokyo Tech or transfers to another university.

2. Travel Costs

(1) Transportation to Japan

According to his/her itinerary and route as designated by MEXT, recipients will be provided with an economy class air ticket from the international airport closest to their place of residence to Narita or Haneda International Airport. The ticket will be issued only for a route departing from the airport indicated in the application.

Expenses such as inland transportation from the recipient’s place of residence to the nearest international airport, airport tax, airport usage charges, special taxes on overseas travel and travel expenses within Japan will NOT be covered. (In principle, the place of residence of the recipient shall be the address stated in the application form.) Air travel from a country other than that of the recipient’s country of citizenship will not be covered by the scholarship.

Air tickets will not be covered if the recipient chooses to travel to Japan before or after the period designated by MEXT.

(2) Transportation from Japan

An economy class air ticket for a flight from Narita or Haneda International Airport to the international airport closest to the recipient’s place of residence in his/her country of citizenship will be provided upon separate application as long as the recipient returns to his/her country during the final month in which he/she receives the scholarship.

Note: (1) Insurance premiums for travel to/from Japan shall be borne by the recipient. The airport the recipient departs from or returns to must be an airport of the country of his/her citizenship.
　　　　 (2) In some cases, the return air ticket may be provided by Tokyo Tech.

3. School Fees

Fees for matriculation, tuition and entrance examinations will be waived by Tokyo Tech.

Application Form Download (Zip file)

Application Deadline: November 20, 2017

1. Finding an Academic Supervisor

Prior to submitting application materials to the International Student Exchange Division, applicants must arrange for a Tokyo Tech faculty member to serve as an academic supervisor and undergo an initial interview before the stated application deadline. In order to be considered for admission, the applicant must first find an academic supervisor. The applicant is required to communicate directly with his/her intended academic supervisor at Tokyo Tech and obtain the consent of the desired faculty member to serve in this capacity. Applicants must directly contact the intended academic supervisor via email and provide a self-introductory statement and a letter of intent for his/her period of study at Tokyo Tech.

Applicants must request that his/her academic supervisor write a “Letter of Acceptance”(Form 5). The academic supervisor must 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, please refer to the “STAR Search” (Researchers’ Database) on Tokyo Tech’s homepage.

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

2. Documents to be Submitted

(1) Checksheet and Questionnaire (Form 1) (double-sided printing)

(2) Application Form (Form 2) (double-sided printing, original, no photocopies)
Photograph (4.5 cm ×3.5 cm, taken within the past six months, upper body, full-faced) Write your name and nationality on the reverse side. The photograph must be pasted on the application form. A digital photograph inserted in the form is also acceptable.

(3) Field of Study and Study Program [Research Proposal] (Form 3) (double-sided printing）

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

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

(6) Summary of Thesis (free format)
Applicants who have not written a formal thesis are requested to submit the details of their research at the last university attended.

(7) English Proficiency Test Score Report (original, no photocopies)
Applicants are required to submit English proficiency test score reports from TOEFL-iBT, TOEFL-PBT, TOEIC, or the IELTS Academic Module taken on or after November 21, 2015. Score reports from the Institutional Testing Program of TOEFL or TOEIC (TOEFL-ITP, TOEIC-IP), TOEIC S&W, and other proficiency tests not specifically listed above will not be accepted.

Applicants can request that ETS or the British Council send an official score report directly to Tokyo Tech, ensuring that it reaches the International Student Exchange Division by the designated deadline. Tokyo Tech’s institutional code number for TOEFL is “0215”.

Native English speakers and students who have been awarded an undergraduate and/or graduate degree* from an institution where all instruction was in English may not be required to submit English proficiency test scores. Such applicants should consult their intended academic supervisor prior to submission of the application form to verify that they are exempt from this requirement. Whether or not an applicant needs to provide an English proficiency test score report will be determined by the academic supervisor’s department, and the requirement is not automatically waived.

*Undergraduate and graduate degrees should be equivalent to the Japanese educational definitions of undergraduate, master’s or doctoral degrees.

(8) Recommendation Letter

Applicants must be recommended by either a university with which Tokyo Tech has a formal agreement or a university with which Tokyo Tech has established bilateral activities. Applicants must obtain an official letter of recommendation from the university’s president or representative (director or dean) addressed to the President of Tokyo Institute of Technology (free format) (original, no photocopies). The letter must be submitted from the university from which the applicant graduated or from which the applicant will graduate.

(9) 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 4) (original, no photocopies)

(10) Copy of Applicant’s Passport (the page(s) with applicant’s name, nationality, date of birth and photo),

3. Submission of Application Documents

The completed application documents must reach the International Student Exchange Division no later than November 20, 2017 by registered mail, courier service or a similar service.

Note:

1. (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. (2) Tokyo Tech will not accept any documents received after the stated deadline or any incomplete applications.
3. (3) Tokyo Tech cannot respond to any inquiries regarding receipt of individual application documents. Each applicant is responsible for the tracking and receipt of 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. (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 the event that a document cannot be re-issued, please submit a certified copy instead.
5. (5) Admission may be withdrawn at any time, even after enrollment, if the application documents are found to be invalid or containing any false information.

4. Notification of the Application Results

In February 2018, Tokyo Tech will announce its selection of candidates to be recommended for the MEXT scholarship. The official announcement of MEXT Scholarship recipients will be made in May 2018.