NIFS 2025
Application Guideline[Last updated: September 3, 2024]
Please pay attention to future updates. We uploaded the first version of this guideline earlier than MEXT publishes theapplication guideline of the scholarship, on which our admission procedure depends. Hence, we possibly revise thisguideline as we obtain new information from MEXT.

Introduction
We have conducted an international graduate program “Development of Human Resource of Data Scienceand AI Promoting Digital Transformation (AIQDS)” in the period between 2021 and 2023 in order to achieve
accelerations of digital transformation involving those changes in rapid improvement of AI technology and its
commoditization. From this year, we proceed next international graduate program “Fostering Human
Resources in New Interdisciplinary Fields in the Society 5.0 Era (NIFS)”. The NIFS program utilizes
knowledge from information science, which combines knowledge from different specialized fields, to focus
especially on the five key axes: materials science, aging society, artificial intelligence, innovation andentrepreneurship, and sustainability. The purpose of this program is to develop international human resources
with comprehensive problem-solving skills for the Society 5.0 era, who provides solutions for sustainableeconomic development has the ability to collaboratively solve real-world challenges through practical projects
and industry-academia collaboration to shape the future by combining knowledge from different disciplines.
NIFS fosters interdisciplinary human resources with comprehensive problem-solving and innovation skills
across different academic disciplines. It offers attractive programs that provide a foundation for research ineconomics, psychology, philosophy, and other fields in order to use innovation and entrepreneurship to solve
problems - materials science, aging society, artificial intelligence (AI), medical sciences, and more.
Graduate School of Information Sciences (GSIS) plays a managing role of NIFS at Tohoku University. The
students take their expertise course in GSIS, and learn most of the subjects/trainings related to data science,social sciences and PBL in GSIS. The courses related to the program are mostly taught in English. In addition
to learning of the expertise and data science as well as comprehensive problem-solving skills, NIFS expects
the students to get familiar with Japanese language and culture, and to build various human networks.

Program
The NIFS is a graduate program that combines a two-year master's course with a three-year doctoral course.
A student in NIFS must enrolled in the Graduate School of Information Sciences (GSIS). The student’s learning1and research are supervised by a primary mentor in the student’s graduate school.

Master’s course(1) Course work
I.

Expertise course offered by our graduate school

II. Existing fundamental data science course
III. Innovation & Entrepreneurship course: innovation, entrepreneurship, materials science, ageing, AI,
sustainability, economics, psychology, philosophy, etc.
(2) Practical training and internship
I.

Entrepreneurship training camps

II. Internship in private companies (elective subject)(3) Research work for the master degree in the student’s graduate school

Doctor’s course(1) Innovation & Entrepreneurship project-based learning of real-world problem solving(2) Advanced Entrepreneurship seminars: The program assigns international conference,
symposium, and/or workshop as advanced entrepreneurship seminar(3) Research work for the PhD in the student’s graduate school

Financial Support

Japanese government (Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology;
MEXT) scholarship will be available for excellent students who intend to be actively engaged
in the NIFS program and contribute to its objectives. A monthly stipend is available; thedetail and other information are listed below. Awardees of the scholarship will be selectedfrom the candidates who are successful in the NIFS screening. The MEXT scholarship
scheme applies only to those who live outside of Japan at the time of application and wereborn on or after April 2, 1990.

(a) Exemption from Application, Admission and Tuition fees(b) Monthly stipend: 146,000 JPY for 2 years in Master’s course.
(c) Flight tickets between the applicant's country of nationality and Japan* Self-financed students are also encouraged to participate in NIFS.

2For Master and Doctor: 5 years course
Number of recipient as the candidate of
MEXT scholarship: 4 students
Term of the scholarship: 2-years in Master’scourse.
Please contact NIFS Admissions Office to
see what kind of support can be consideredwhen you go onto your Doctor's course.

For Doctor: 3 years course
Please contact NIFS Admissions Office to see
what kind of support can be considered.

Eligibility
The eligibility criteria for NIFS are those of MEXT scholarship together with some additional
ones. Applicants who hope to attend only the NIFS program as self-financed students without
the MEXT scholarship should contact the NIFS admission office. The application guideline of
MEXT scholarship is, however, expected to be published late, to make things complicated asfollows.
Applucants should keep on checking this webpage:https://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/ryugaku/boshu/1415351_00006.htm
If applicants find the item probably entitled “2025 年度大学推薦による国費外国人留学生（研究留学生・学部留学生〔特別枠〕）の募集について”, then check the linked webpage. The
application guideline in English is expected to appear there as “Japanese Government(MEXT) Scholarship for 2025 (Research Students / Undergraduate Students (University
Recommendation)) [Special Selection]” in the case of “Research Students”. If you can readJapanese, “2025 年度大学推薦（研究留学生・学部留学生）募集要項【特別枠】” will also appear,
perhaps earlier.



Until finding the guideline for 2025, applicants should refer to that for 2024:
https://www.mext.go.jp/content/20231108-mxt_kotokoku02-000032633-02.pdf
to check the previous eligibility criteria.



We have no choice but to proceed first on the assumption that the previous eligibility
criteria will be followed. Please note that we possibly require applicants to submit some
additional documents during or after the selection process.
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The eligibility criteria for NIFS are those of MEXT scholarship together with the following.


Most of the applicants should have been an excellent student newly coming from abroad
to study as a graduate-level foreign student. From the viewpoint of attracting the bestinternational students, it is possible to nominate international students presently residing
in Japan for priority placement.

Applicants must have earned over 2.3 evaluation point average of their latest or current
degree program based on the specialized calculation (see note [1]).

Language proficiency: Applicants must satisfy any one of the following conditions to provethat they have sufficient English language ability. Applicants must pass or achieve scoresin English language proficiency tests that correspond to B2 or higher level in the Common
European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) at the time of application.



NIFS admission office strongly recommends that applicants should leave for and arrive inJapan by the beginning of October, 2025.



Applicants for NIFS need to satisfy one of the following conditions:

For 5 years Master’s and Doctor’s Course Applicanti) Those who have graduated, or will graduate, from a university, that is, completion of a
total of 16 years of school education by September 30, 2025 (see note [2]).
ii) Those who have reached 22 years of age by September 30, 2025 and can be recognized tohave an academic ability equivalent or superior to those who have graduated from a
university based on individual qualification examinations.
For 3 years Doctor’s Course Applicanti) Those who have earned, or will earn, Master’s degree by September 30, 2025.
ii) Those who have engaged in research activities for at least 2 years at an educational or
research institution after graduation from a university and can be recognized to have an
academic ability equivalent or superior to those who have earned Master’s degree on thebasis of their research performance.
iii) Those who have reached 24 years of age by September 30, 2025 and can be recognized
to have scholastic ability equivalent or superior to those who have earned Master’s
degree based on individual qualification examinations.
Notes[1] The calculation procedure of the evaluate point averageScale
4-scale evaluation

Grade
A

B

C

F

100-80

79-70

69-60

59-

4

S

A

B

C

D

A

B

C

D

F

100-90

89-80

79-70

69-60

59-

Evaluation Point

3

3

2

1

0

Number of your total credit

N4

N3

N2

N1

N0

5-scale evaluation

Evaluation Point =(𝑁𝑁4 + 𝑁𝑁3) × 3 + 𝑁𝑁2 × 2 + 𝑁𝑁1 × 1
𝑁𝑁4 + 𝑁𝑁3 + 𝑁𝑁2 + 𝑁𝑁1 + 𝑁𝑁0[2] The term “graduated from a university” means a total of 16 years of educational programs,
which consists of 12 years of school education and a 4 years undergraduate (bachelor)
program.

e.g. Educational programs in Japan:
Elementary (primary) school...................

6 years

Junior high (secondary) school................

3 years

Senior high (higher secondary) school....

3 years

University (undergraduate) ....................

4 years ­­­­­­­­­­­­­­

12 years
total 16 years

Schedule-Application period: November 25, 2024 - December 6, 2024
- The NIFS selection consists of the documents screening and the Zoom interview.
Applicants will be informed the detail from the examining committee via e-mail after
the application deadline. Interview will be organized in the middle of December, 2024.
-Notification of acceptance for the NIFS program as self-financed students and the MEXT
scholarship candidates who are selected by the NIFS admission office will be informed in
the second half of December, 2024 or the beginning of January, 2025.
-The final decision of the MEXT scholarship will be decided by the MEXT and will beannounced around July, 2025.
-Program begins on October 1, 2025 (Fall semester, 2025)

Application
How to Apply
Step 1: Find the candidate of your prospective supervisor among the faculty member in thefield of your interest.
5

Application will not be accepted without the consent of acceptance by your prospective
supervisor. Note that the supervisor in the NIFS program must be a professor or an
associate professor in Appendix of this application guideline.

Step 2: Contact directly to the candidate of your prospective supervisor via e-mail andrequest the consent of acceptance. Note that the supervisor in the NIFS program must be aprofessor or an associate professor in Appendix of this application guideline. First you haveto request and get the letter of acceptance that the professor or the associate professor isagree to be your supervisor in the Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku
University, Japan, on the condition that you pass the examination by the selection
committee of the international graduate program NIFS. The letter of acceptance should
include the signature and the date by the prospective supervisor. The letter of acceptanceshould be used the Form A.
To contact the faculty member, it is strongly advisable to:- Gather information about the faculty member and their field of research by looking attheir publications, research papers, and personal website.
- Provide your academic background and application information.
- Inform the name of your current or the latest supervisor as a reference.
Step 3: Fill out the online application form and upload all of the following required documents via
online system “Application” in NIFS Admissions Office by December 6, 2024.

*The online system “Application” will be open on November 25, 2024.
Please check the NIFS website when the period starts.
<Required documents>

1) Letter of acceptance as a supervisor from one of professors and associate professors in
the Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University, Japan: Form A
2) Official recommendation letter from the dean or higher position of your last institute:
Form B
3) Application for Japanese government (MEXT) scholarship: Form C* Paste the ID photo of the applicant in the designated place in the Form C. Thisapplication should include the ID photo data of the applicant with clear image quality and5MB or less for the data size in either jpg, png or gif format.
* The applicant should submit the Form C in an editable state.

64) Field of Study and Research Plan: Form D6) Official academic transcript(s)Doctor’s course applicant: official academic transcripts of undergraduate and master’scourseMaster’s + Doctor’s course applicant: official academic transcript of undergraduate
7) Certificate(s) of graduation
Doctor’s course applicant: one of the followings is necessary to submit.
・Photocopy of master’s diploma
・Certificate of graduation of master’s course
・Certificate of enrollment of master’s course with expecting date of graduation
Master’s + Doctor’s course applicant: one of the followings is necessary to submit.
・Photocopy of bachelor’s diploma
・Certificate of graduation of undergraduate
・Certificate of enrollment of undergraduate course with expecting date of graduation
8) Photocopy of a valid score report of designated English test as below
・TOEFL (iBT or PBT)・IELTS・TOEIC (both L&R and S&W)

*We do not accept TOEFL-ITP*Unnecessary for native English speakers and those who have completed theireducation with English as the primary language* The TOEFL iBT Home Edition score report must be accompanied by ascreenshot/PDF of the official ETS website for your country, stating that it can betreated as equivalent to a regular score.
9) Photocopy of your passport or other identification documents
10) Abstracts of thesis of undergraduate and master’s course (if applicable)
11) Other supporting materials12) Extra ID photo data of the applicant with clear image quality and 5MB or less of thedata size in either jpg, png or gif format* The file name should include your name, for example [First Name]_[Famaliy Name].jpg.
13) Memorandum of understanding by application for approval by the applicant to allow Tohoku
University to confirm enrollment and inquire about the authenticity of the reference institution
for the purpose of confirming the authenticity of “all the documents submitted by the applicant.”
The memorandum should include the signature of applicant and its exact signature date byoneself: Form E
7

* The forms can be found on the website.
[Attention]— Do not alter the prescribed format of the download files. Attach an additional sheet if
necessary.
— Forms should be typed in English. Attach an English translation of the documents
written in a language other than English.
— Any of the application documents will not be returned to the applicant.
— All the applicants who are accepted in the present NIFS selection will be requested tosubmit the original transcript and English score sheet submitted during the online
application, after the notification of acceptance will be received. If there is a discrepancy
between the documents uploaded to the web application system and the originals submitted
during the admission procedure, or if the originals of various certificates cannot be
submitted, the acceptance notification may be canceled and the admission may not be
granted due to the insufficient documentation.

Contact Information
NIFS Admissions Office

Graduate School of Information Sciences, Tohoku University
Aramaki-aza-Aoba 6-3-09, Aoba-ku, Sendai, 980-8579 JAPANE-mail: ilo@is.tohoku.ac.jp

Tel: +81-22-795-4691*Those who are inquiring by e-mail, please: Include “NIFS” in the subject line.
Related Websites
Tohoku University- Website of graduate schools participating in NIFS
Graduate School of Information Sciences <http://www.is.tohoku.ac.jp/index-e.html>- Fee Waivers and Deferment of Payments <http://www2.he.tohoku.ac.jp/menjo/>
Supports for international students- Tohoku University International Support Office (TU Support)<http://sup.bureau.tohoku.ac.jp/index_en.html>- Global Learning Center, Tohoku University<https://www.insc.tohoku.ac.jp/english/>- Tohoku University Guide for Prospective International Students<https://www.tohoku.ac.jp/en/admissions/admission_undergraduate.html>- Pocket guide for Procedures International Students<http://sup.bureau.tohoku.ac.jp/images/PocketGuide.pdf>
Other Related Website
8

- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT)<http://www.mext.go.jp/english/>Appendix
List of professors and associate professors who are candidates for supervisors in NIFS.
* For details about their research, please see the GSIS’s website at:

http://www.is.tohoku.ac.jp/en/laboratory/list_dept/
We remark that acceptance letters for the laboratories of Information and Biosystems Group(Group Code 2) should be limited to only ones by full professors. Acceptance Letters by associate
professors for the laboratories of Information and Biosystems Group (Group Code 2) cannot be
accepted as the NIFS application document.

Colaborative Laboratories and Promotion Office in the above website should not be
included as your prospective laboratory.

Grou
p

Group

DivisionLaboratory (Area)

Staff

Department

code
Prof. Akihiro

1

Mathematical

MUNEMASA*

Structures I

Assoc. Prof.
Yuanyuan BAO

Computer

Mathematical

Mathematical

Prof. Toshiyuki

andStructures

Structures II

SUGAWA

Mathematic

Mathematical

Prof. Hajime

al Sciences

Structures III

TANAKA

Mathematical

Prof. Hiromi

Structures IV

SENO*

MathematicsProf. Masaaki
Mathematical

HARADA

System Analysis I

Assoc. Prof. Kei

Mathematical
SystemAnalysis

Mathematical
System Analysis II
Statistical
Mathematics

9

FUNANO

SystemProf. Kanta NAITO

Information

Assoc. Prof. Takako

Sciences

NEMOTO
Prof. Yuko ARAKIApplied

Mathematical

Prof. Masayuki

Informatics

OHZEKI

ComputerProf. Takafumi

Computation

Structures

AOKI

Science andIntelligent

Systems

Integrated

Mathematical
Science

Systems
Software
Science andSystems

Information
2

andBiosystems

Foundations ofSoftware Science

Prof. Masanori
HARIYAMA

Prof. Eijiro SUMII

andLogic for

Logic forInformation

Information

Science

ScienceCommunicatio

Communication

Prof. Gon Theory

Theory

HASEGAWA

Information

Information

Prof. Minoru

Security

Security

KURIBAYASHI

Fundamental

Prof. Yoshinori

Data Informatics

HAYAKAWA*Intelligent

Algorithm Theory

Prof. Xiao. ZHOU

Information

Intelligent

Prof. Ayumi

Science

Systems Science

SHINOHARA

Information

Prof. Takeshi

Biology

OBAYASHI

Fundamental
Data
Informatics

Biosystem
Information
Sciences

ComputerProf. Keisuke
NAKANO

Mathematical Sciences

Design andAnalysis ofInformation

Prof. Takehiro ITO

Systems
Acoustic

Acoustic

Prof. Shuichi

Information

Information

SAKAMOTO

Information

Information

Prof. Yoshifumi

Contents

Contents

KITAMURA

Software

SoftwareProf. Hiroshi

Construction

Construction

UNNO

10

SystemInformation
SciencesFundamental

Fundamental

Artificial

Artificial

IntelligenceIntelligence

Information

Information

PhysicalProf. Kazuyuki

and

and

Fluctuaomatics

TANAKA**

Biosystems

AppliedInformation

Technology

Technology

Prof. Jun SUZUKI

Prof. Nei KATO

AppliedInformatics
for Humanand Life

Systems

Prof. Kengo

Bioinformatics

KINOSHITA

Sciences
AppliedAppliedIntelligenceIntelligence

Software

SoftwareInformation
Network
Systems3

andIntelligence

Network Systems

SUGANUMA

Informatics

Informatics
Advanced Applied

Cryptographic

Cryptographic

Prof. Takaaki

Protocols

Protocols

MIZUKI

AppliedMathematical

Mathematical

Modeling andScience

Computation

Science andSystemsHigh
Performance
ComputingIntelligent
Robotics

Prof. Satoru
YAMAMOTO*
Assoc. Prof. Takashi
FURUSAWA

Computer

KOBAYASHI*

Architecture

Assoc. Prof.
Masayuki SATOHigh Performance

Prof. Hiroyuki

Computing

TAKIZAWA

11

Sciences

YAMADA

Prof. Hiroaki

Image Analysis

Information

Prof. Motoki SHIGA
Prof. Kazunori

SoftwareAppliedProf. Chihiro ITO

Data Science

Science

MachineProf. Takuo

HealthApplied Data

NAKAMURA

Information

HealthAdvanced

Prof. TakakiProf. Takayuki
OKATANI

ComputerandMathematical Sciences

Integrated
Fluid
Informatics
Information
and Applied
Technology

Intelligent Control

Prof. Koichi

Systems

HASHIMOTO

Integrated Fluid

Prof. Jun

Informatics

ISHIMOTO

Human-Robot

Assoc. Prof.

Informatics

Masashi KONYO
Prof. Yuji

Flow System

Flow System

HATTORI

Informatics

Informatics

Assoc. Prof. Makoto
HIROTA

Tough
CyberphysicalAI

4

Information
Sciences

AppliedInformation
Sciences

Prof. Kazunori Ono

Tough
Cyberphysical AI

Assoc. Prof. Yoshito
OKADATransportation

Prof. Takamasa

and Geographic

IRYO

Information

Assoc. Prof. Ryo

Science

INOUE
Prof. Tatsuhito

Human-

Civil

Infrastructure

Regional and

KONO

SocialEngineering

Planning

Urban Planning

Assoc. Prof. Junya

Information

FUKUMOTO

Sciences

Prof. Takashi

Road
Transportation
and Traffic
Language and5

System

AKAMATSU
Assoc. Prof. Yusuke
HARA
Assoc. Prof.Itsumi

Human

Information

Information

Science

Science

Verbal Text

Prof. Yoshiki

Analysis

OGAWA

Human-

Assoc. Prof. Naoko

SocialMORITA

Information

Assis. Prof. Kuniko

Sciences

Languages
and Media
Media andMedia and Culture

SAKATA

Information
Science

SAITO

Media andInformation
Literacy

12

Assoc. Prof. Toru
NAGAHAMA

Human Learning

Assoc. Prof. Chihiro

and Memory

HOSODA
Prof. Kazumichi

Human

Cognitive

MATSUMIYA

Psychology

Assoc. Prof. Yuichi
WADA

Information
Science

Philosophy of
Human
Information

Psychology
6

andPhilosophy

Prof. Ichiro MORI

Cognitive
Psychology ofCommunicationPhilosophy of

Assoc. Prof. Hitoshi

Logical Analysis

OMORI

Cognitive
Psychology ofCommunication

HumanSocial
Information
Sciences

Prof. Toshiaki
MURAMOTO**

AppliedInformatics
for Humanand Life

Cognitive

Prof. Kazumichi

Psychology

MATSUMIYA

Theory of Social

Prof. Naohito

Structure and

TOKUGAWA**

ChangeProf. Aya OKADA

AppliedInformation
Sciences

Sciences

Socio-Politico

Assoc. Prof.

Information
Science7

Kazunori

Political

KAWAMURA

Informatics

SocialAssoc. Prof.

Sciences

Masataka HARADA
SocioEconomic
Information
Science

Socio-Economic

Prof. Dao-Zhi ZENG

Analysis of Urban

Assoc. Prof. Ryo

SystemITOH

Econometric

Assoc. Prof. Naoya

System Analysis

FUJIWARA

HumanSocial
Information
Sciences* Teaching staff due to retire in March, 2026.
** Teaching staff due to retire in March, 2027.

13