Here’s your chance to be a postgraduate scholar in Japan

During my free time, I sometimes binge-watch vlogs of people I don’t know, and subconsciously live vicariously through them—especially if they happen to be students pursuing their dream course in another country. If you just softly uttered “same,” with Japan quickly popping up in your mind, here’s some good news.

This year’s Ajinomoto Postgraduate Scholarship Grant, which “aims to help deserving Filipino students who require financial assistance to pursue higher education in the field of sciences,” is open for applications. Among the benefits include a monthly allowance of ¥150,000 (or P62,000+, maximum of one year as a research student at a graduate school) or ¥180,000 (or P74,000, maximum of two years as a master’s course student at a graduate school), plus a Philippines-to-Japan airfare. Aside from tuition fees, examination and admission fees will be covered. They’ll also take care of your medical exam, psychological exam, and Japanese language training prior to the trip.

But wait, who qualifies? According to its official website, here’s a list you need to tick off to be eligible:

Must be a Filipino citizen
Must have graduated or be expected to graduate with an excellent academic record (with over 15 years of education completed or expected to be completed) and must receive the recommendation of their university president or academic advisor, or be otherwise qualified to enroll in the university
Must be under the age of 35 on Apr. 1, 2023
Must file an application and attend selection procedures in the Philippines
Must be in good physical and mental health
Must have excellence in personality, academics (within the top 5 percent of the class or with a GPA of 3.7 or higher), and have a strong motivation for learning
Must not be receiving other scholarships
Must show financial need to pursue higher education
Must have a strong sense of nationalism, leadership, and motivation

One applicant will be picked from the Philippines. Other participants will come from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam, and Russia.

If chosen for the grant, the student must be able to pass the medical and psychological exam, obtain a passport and student’s visa to Japan, and acquire adequate Japanese language proficiency (which is required to research and study in a master’s course, when enrolling as a master’s course student).

Moreover, they must “obtain approval of acceptance as either a Postgraduate International Research Student (hereinafter ‘Research Student’) or a Graduate School Student (Master’s course) (hereinafter ‘Master’s Course Student’) from the university and be registered as a Research Student or a Master’s Course Student for Apr. 2024 or Oct. 2024.”

The full scholarship for the master’s degree can be utilized at the program’s participating universities such as University of Tokyo, Kyoto University, Nagoya University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Ochanomizu University, Waseda University, and Kagawa Nutrition University.

Now, that’s the dream. Other details, including the duration of the grant and application timeline, can be found here. Shoot your shot now, though—you can only submit until March 1, 2023.

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