MEXT Scholarship for Teachers at Japanese Universities, 2018

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) offers scholarships to international teachers. The scholarship is available to conduct research on school education at designated Japanese universities.

Course Level: The scholarship is available for teachers

Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must meet following criteria:

• Age: Applicants must be born on or after April 2, 1983. Exceptions are limited to only those applicants deemed by MEXT to have been unable to apply within the period of age eligibility due to the system or circumstances (loss of educational opportunities due to military service obligation, war, etc.) in the country of nationality. Under no circumstances will exceptions be made for personal reasons (financial, family, health, university, employment situation, etc.)
• Academic and Career Background: Applicants must be graduates of universities or teacher training schools and have worked as teachers at primary/secondary educational institutions or teacher training school (excluding universities) in their home countries for five years in total as of April 1, 2018. In-service university faculty members are not eligible.
• Japanese Language Ability: Applicants must be keen to learn Japanese. Applicants must be interested in Japan and be keen to deepen their understanding of Japan after arriving in Japan. Applicants must also have the ability to do research and adapt to living in Japan.
• Health: Applicants must submit a health certificate in the prescribed format signed by a physician that the applicant has no physical or mental conditions hindering the applicant’s study in Japan.
• Arrival in Japan: Applicants must be able to arrive in Japan by the designated period (usually September of October) between the day two weeks before the course starts and the first day of the course. If the applicant arrives in Japan before this period for personal reasons, travel expenses to Japan will not be paid. Excluding cases of unavoidable circumstances, if the applicant cannot arrive in Japan by the end of the designated period the applicant must withdraw the offer.
• Visa Requirement: Applicants should, in principle, acquire “Student” visas at the Japanese diplomatic missions located in the country of applicants’ nationality before entering Japan and enter Japan with “Student” residence status. To satisfy this requirement, even if an applicant already has another status of residence in Japan (“Permanent Resident,” “Long-Term Resident,” etc.), the applicant must change the visa status to “Student” and then re-enter Japan. Please be aware that even if the applicant applies for the permanent-resident or long-term resident status of residence after the expiration of the status as a Japanese Government Scholarship student, the possibility exists that the application may not be approved.
• Applicants must return to their home country and resume their work immediately after the end of the scholarship period. Applicants shall utilize in their teaching careers the results of their research on school education in Japan. Should the applicant not return to the home country and resume work after the end of the scholarship period, the applicant must return the entire amount of the scholarship starting from the first payment.
• In addition, while the applicant is studying in Japan, he/she shall contribute to mutual understanding between Japan and the home country by participating in activities at schools and communities with the aim of contributing to the internationalization of Japan. The applicant shall make efforts to promote relations between the home country and Japan by maintaining close relations with the university attended after graduation, cooperating with the conducting of surveys and questionnaires after the return home, and cooperating with all relevant projects and events conducted by Japanese diplomatic missions in the applicant’s country.
• Any applicant who meets any or all of the following conditions is ineligible. If identified   after the start of the scholarship period, the applicant will be required to withdraw from the scholarship:

1. Those who are military personnel or military civilian employees at the time of their arrival in Japan and during the scholarship period?
2. Those who have received a Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship in the past?
3. Those who have also applied for another program for which scholarship payments will begin in fiscal 2018 through a Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarship scheme or for a fiscal 2019 Embassy Recommendation program (for Research Students)?
4. Those who are already enrolled in a Japanese university with a residence status of “Student,” or who are enrolled, or plan to enroll, in a Japanese university as a privately-financed international student from the time of application to the MEXT scholarship program in the applicant’s country until the commencement of the period for payment of the MEXT scholarship?
5. Those who are planning to receive scholarship money from an organization other than MEXT (including a government organization of the applicant’s country) on top of the scholarship money provided by MEXT after the arrival in Japan?
6. Holders of dual nationality at the time of application who cannot verify that they will give up Japanese nationality by the time of the arrival in Japan?
7. Those who change their residence status to that of other than “Student” after their arrival in Japan.

Method of Application: Applicants can apply by post.

Application Form

Scholarship Link

Scholarship Application Deadline: January 26, 2018