Application Guide for MEXT* Scholarship Students
Research Students Program commencing in October 2024
*MEXT: Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology(Monbukagakusho), Japanese government

Program Type: Research Students (non-degree seeking students) Program
Number of Students to be admitted: A few
Admission Date: October 1, 2024
The qualifications stated below are based on the guidelines provided by MEXT for the previous
round of recruitment.

Qualifications and Conditions
I. Eligibility
International students with outstanding academic achievements of graduate school level whoenter Japan as new students.
* “International students with outstanding academic achievements” must have earned a Grade
Point Average (GPA) of 2.30 or above in their degreed (for those who are employed) or currently
enrolled courses, and be able to maintain that GPA while receiving the scholarship. Furthermore,
applicants must meet any one of the language requirements stated in V. Language Proficiency.
II. Nationality
Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan.
Applicants who have Japanese nationality at the time of application are not eligible. However,persons with dual nationality who hold Japanese nationality and whose place of residence at thetime of application is outside of Japan are eligible to apply as long as they choose the nationalityof the other country and renounce their Japanese nationality by the date of their arrival in Japan(the acquisition of student status).
III. Age
Applicants, in principle, must be born on or after April 2, 1989.
Exceptions are limited to cases in which MEXT deems that the applicant could not apply within
the eligible age limit due to the situation or circumstances of the applicant’s country (military
service obligation, loss of educational opportunities due to disturbances of war, etc.). Personal
circumstances (financial situation, family circumstances, state of health, circumstances related toapplicant’s university or place of employment, etc.) will not be considered for exceptions.
However, for the Young Leaders' Program graduates who do not meet the above age
requirements and wish to enroll in a doctoral course, they can apply only within five years after
they have completed the program.

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IV. Academic Background
Applicants must satisfy the conditions for admission to either a master’s or doctoral course at aJapanese graduate school. (Applicants who will certainly satisfy them at the time of enrollment
are eligible.)V. Language Proficiency
Applicants must satisfy any one of the following conditions to prove that they have sufficientJapanese or English language ability.
○Japanese① Applicants must pass with N2 or higher in the Japanese-Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)at the time of application.
② Applicants must complete curriculums that meet the conditions for admission to master’sor doctoral courses at Japanese graduate schools using Japanese as the main language.
③ Applicants are regarded by the accepting universities as having Japanese language ability
equivalent to or better than ①.
○English① Applicants must pass or achieve scores in 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.
② Applicants must complete school curriculums that meet the conditions for admission inmasters’ or doctoral courses at a Japanese graduate school by using English as the main
language.
③ Applicants are regarded by the accepting universities as having English language ability
equivalent to or better than ①.
VI. Non-eligibility
Those who meet any one of the following conditions are ineligible. If identified ineligible after
being selected as a scholarship student, he/she must withdraw from the scholarship.
1. Those who are military personnel or military civilian employees
2. Those who cannot arrive in Japan by the date specified by MEXT or the accepting university
3. Those who are previous grantees of Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship programs(including those who withdraw from the scholarship program after acquisition of student status).
However, this does not apply to those who wish to apply for Research Students program andmeet any one of the following conditions. In addition, since the Monbukagakusho Honors
Scholarship for Privately-Financed International Students does not apply to the Japanese
Government (MEXT) Scholarship programs, the previous grantees can apply.
・those who have at least three years of educational or work experience following the end of
the payment of the previous scholarship and the start of this scholarship.
・the past grantees of Japanese Studies Students program who have graduated or are goingto graduate from universities in their home countries, Japan-Korea Joint Government2

Scholarship Program for the Students in Science and Engineering Departments and Young
Leaders’ Program.
・those who have obtained or are expected to obtain a degree as undergraduate students of
the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship programs. (university recommendation/special
selection)
4. Those who are currently also applying to another program under the Japanese Government(MEXT) Scholarship system. This includes the programs for which scholarship payments will
begin in FY2024.
5. Those who are living in Japan when apply.
6. 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 scholarshipmoney provided by MEXT after the start of the scholarship payment (the acquisition of student
status).
7. Those who are expected to graduate at the time of application and cannot satisfy the conditionof academic background by the deadline given.
8. 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 (the acquisition of student status).
9. Those who plan to, from the time of application for the MEXT scholarship program, engage inlong-term research (such as fieldwork or internship) outside Japan or plan to take a long-term
leave of absence from the university.
10. Those who have no intention to enroll in Master/Doctoral program.
11. Those who have no intention to obtain a degree.

Scholarship Benefits
I. Monthly Stipend
143,000 JPY
This stipend is subject to change as specified by the regulations of the MEXT Scholarshipprogram and will not be paid to those who take a leave of absence from JAIST.
II. Term of Scholarship
Up to 18 months from October 2024 to March 2026 as a Research Student.
Scholarship recipients may apply for proceeding to a master's or doctoral program at JAIST during
the term of scholarship. The recipients who passed the entrance examination are eligible to enroll
in JAIST master’s or doctoral program and to extend the duration of the scholarship under certain
conditions.
III. Travel Expenses
Transportation to JapanMEXT will stipulate the travel schedule and route, and provide an airline ticket. The airline ticket
will be an economy-class ticket for the flight from the international airport closest to the grantee’s
residence (in principle, the country of nationality) to an international airport in Japan used on thenormal route to the accepting university. The grantee shall bear at his/her own expense all costs
related to domestic travel from the grantee’s residence to the nearest international airport, airport3

taxes, airport usage fees, special taxes necessary for travel, travel expenses within Japan(including airline transit costs), travel insurance expenses, carry-on luggage or unaccompanied
baggage expenses, etc. The grantee shall also bear at his/her own expense travel and lodging
costs incurred in a third country if the grantee must travel to a third country before coming toJapan for visa purposes because there are no Japanese diplomatic missions in his/her country,
and the Japanese diplomatic mission is closed in his/her country, or if there are no direct flightsfrom the grantee’s country of residence to Japan. MEXT will provide an economy-class airline
ticket from the grantee’s country of residence to the said third country, and from the third country
to an international airport in Japan used on the normal route to the accepting university. In
principle, the address given in the space for “Your address before departure for Japan” on theapplication form shall be recognized as the “residence,” and the airline ticket will be arranged fora flight from the international airport nearest to that address. Except for cases when the grantee
must travel to a third country to obtain a visa, MEXT will not provide an airline ticket for cases oftravel to Japan from a country other than the grantee’s country of residence due to the grantee’s
personal circumstances.
Transportation from Japan
Based on the application by the grantee, MEXT will provide an airline ticket to grantees who shallgraduate or complete the accepting university and return to the home country by the end of the
final month of the period of scholarship designated by MEXT. MEXT shall provide an economyclass airline ticket from the international airport in Japan used for the normal route to and fromthe accepting university to the international airport (in principle, in the country of nationality)
nearest to the returning grantee’s residence. The grantee shall bear at his/her own expense allcosts related to travel from the grantee’s residence in Japan to the nearest international airport,
airport taxes, airport usage fees, special taxes necessary for travel, travel expenses within the
country of nationality (including airline transit costs), travel insurance expenses, carry-on luggage
or unaccompanied baggage expenses, etc. If a grantee returns to the home country before theend of period of scholarship due to personal circumstances, or reasons stated in “Scholarship
Conditions,” MEXT will not pay for the returning travel expenses.
If a grantee continues to stay in Japan after the scholarship period has ended (ex. proceeding tofurther education or being employed in Japan), travel expenses for a temporary return will also
not be paid.
IV. Education Fees
Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation, and tuition at universities must be paid by theaccepting university.

Application Procedure
Prior to submitting application materials to the International Student Section, applicants must
directly contact the intended academic supervisor via email and provide a self-introductory
statement.
Applicants must request that their intended academic supervisor write a "Letter of Acceptance"(Free format). The intended academic supervisor must conduct an interview with the applicant,prepare the letter and fill out other forms, and submit them to the International Student Section by4

January 10, 2024. If the intended academic supervisor is not sure about the application
procedures, let them contact the International Student Section (ryugaku@ml.jaist.ac.jp).
For further information on our faculty members, please refer to the following website:
https://www.jaist.ac.jp/english/areas/
Submission of Application Documents
Submission of application documents is a two-step process.
1. Submission of PDF copies of the application documents via email
Deadline: January 10, 2024 (JST : Japan Standard Time)First, please send PDF copies of all the application documents via email. We will check yourdocuments whether there are any mistakes.
To: International Student Section
Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST)
Email: ryugaku@ml.jaist.ac.jp
2. Submission of hard copies of the application documents via courier delivery
Deadline: February 8, 2024 (JST : Japan Standard Time)
If the documents have no problem, we will ask you to send the hard copies to us. Please place
all the application documents in an envelope and send it via courier delivery (such as DHL,
FedEx, or EMS) to the International Student Section. Please keep the tracking number for yourconfirmation purpose. Applicants are responsible for the timely delivery of all the required
documents to the International Student Section. The parcel must reach the International
Student Section by the deadline.
Mailing Address: International Student Section
Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST)
1-1 Asahidai Nomi Ishikawa 923-1292 JAPANDocuments to be submitted

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Application Form [Form 1]
Email will be the main medium of communication; therefore, make sure to provide us with an email
address that you frequently use. Please check your email regularly.
Regarding the photograph, please use a photograph of 4.5 cm in length by 3.5 cm in width, upper
half of body, facing camera, without a hat or any material covering your head and face, taken in thepast 6 months. If it is a photographic paper, please write your name and nationality on the back of
the photograph and attach it to the specified space. A digital photograph is acceptable.
Please print this form double-sided on A4-sized paper.

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Field of Study and Research Plan [Form 2]
Please print this form double-sided on A4-sized paper.

53Letter of Recommendation [Form 3]
Applicant must obtain an official letter of recommendation from the person of equivalent (or higher)
status to a dean of your faculty addressed to the president of Japan Advanced Institute of Science andTechnology.
Copies are not acceptable.
Any format is acceptable, provided that the following contents shown in the box are included.
Please show the following instructions and inform the deadline to your recommenders.

➢Please give your personal impressions of the applicant’s motivation and aptitude
to study, and character. Also, please describe a quality and details of research orwork that the applicant has conducted, and reasons for recommending him/her
as a suitable candidate for MEXT scholarship student at JAIST.
➢Please provide your name, title/position, organization, signature (in handwriting)and date on an official letter headed paper, and pass the letter to the applicant.

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Official Academic Transcript
Applicants should submit originals or certified copies.
Master’s program applicants must submit a transcript of both undergraduate and graduate school.
Doctoral program applicants must submit a transcript of graduate school.
A transcript must indicate the semester, credits and grading system, e.g. A :100-90 B : 89-80 C :7970 D : 69-60 F : 59-. Attach reference materials about the grading system if it not shown on thetranscript.

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Proof of Graduation or Expected Graduation
Applicants should submit originals or certified copies.
This must specify the date of graduation or expected graduation.
This must be issued by the president or a dean of the university from which the applicant graduate(or will graduate) and bear the school’s stamp or embossed seal and the signature or the authorizing
official.

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Official document indicating applicant’s high achievement in the most recent university
This official document should indicate applicant’s high achievement. For example, GPA, classdivision, your rank in the class.

7

Abstract of Thesis (or papers)
Please summarize your thesis (or papers) clearly and concisely. Copies are acceptable.
If you have not written a thesis, please submit a document summarizing your research activities for the
past few years in free format.

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Proof of Language Proficiency (Photocopies are acceptable)
Applicants must have the language proficiency of either English or Japanese, and must satisfy oneof the qualifications below.
ENGLISH
Eligible applicants are those who have:
1. a certificate of Common European Framework of Reference for Language (CEFR) Level B2 orhigher. If you do not have a CEFR score, certificates such as IELTS, TOEFL, TOEIC* are also
acceptable. Scores within 2 years on and after January 11, 2022 are valid.
*For TOEIC certificate, applicants should submit both L&R and S&W scores. Submitting only

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either one is not acceptable. Certification from Institutional Testing Program of TOEFL or
TOEIC (TOEFL-ITP, TOEIC-IP) will not be accepted.
2. a certificate which shows that the applicant completed an undergraduate program or master's
program which was conducted in English as a main language.
3. a certificate which shows that the applicant’s English language proficiency level is equivalent
to or higher than the above No.1.
JAPANESE
Eligible applicants are those who have:
1. a certificate of Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) Level N2 or higher on and afterJanuary 11, 2022.
2. a certificate which shows that the applicant completed an undergraduate program or master's
program which was conducted in Japanese as a main language.
3. a certificate which shows that the applicant’s Japanese language proficiency level is equivalent
to or higher than the above No.1.

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Letter of Pledge [Form 4]
Applicant should sign by his/her own hand. We don't accept digital signature.

10 Photocopy of applicant’s passport
Please print the pages with applicant’s picture, name, nationality, date of birth and passport number.

11 Curriculum Vitae [Form 5]
12 PhotographSubmission should be both via email and mail.
The photograph should be 4.5 cm in length by 3.5 cm in width, upper half of body, facing camera,
without a hat or any material covering your head and face, taken in the past 6 months. Please write
your name and nationality on the back of the photograph and do not attach it to the application form. A
digital photograph is unacceptable.

13 Self-Declaration Form of Applicability to a Specific Category [Form 6]
Note➢All the documents must be prepared in English or Japanese. Documents in languages otherthan English must be accompanied with a translation in English or Japanese. We prefertranslations to be issued by the university or government agency and bear a stamp or
embossed seal of the school or the agency and the signature of the authorizing official.
Translations from a Japanese language school or translation company are acceptable.
➢All the application documents are important to enable the Selection Committee to screen
applicants in a fair and accurate manner, and applications omitting any one of the required
documents will not be accepted.
➢Applicants may be requested to submit additional documents.
➢JAIST cannot respond to any inquiries regarding receipt of individual application documents.
Applicants are responsible for tracking all materials. JAIST strongly encourages sending the7documents by registered mail, courier, or a similar service that provides tracking numbers andreceipt verification services.
➢Submitted documents will not be returned under any circumstances. JAIST will not provide
photocopies of submitted documents. Please keep a copy of all documents for personalreference. If the applicant needs to keep the original copy, please submit a certified copy
instead.
➢If it is discovered that an applicant has made false statements or has neglected matters to bestated on application documents, the admission may be revoked even after enrollment.
Notification of the Results
In February 2024, JAIST will announce its selection of candidates to be recommended for the
MEXT Scholarship. Please note that a recommendation by JAIST does not mean that theapplicant will be accepted by MEXT as a scholarship recipient. If MEXT rejects therecommendation, JAIST cannot offer admission. If the applicant would like to enroll in JAIST
without MEXT Scholarship, he/she must separately apply as a privately-funded student.
The official announcement of MEXT Scholarship recipients will be made in June 2024 (TBD) via
email.
Scholarship Conditions
I. Payment of the scholarship will be cancelled for the reasons given below. Should any of
the following reasons apply, the grantee may be ordered to return a part of, or all of, thescholarship paid up to that time. Payment of the scholarship may also be stopped during
the period up to the decision on the disposition of the matter.
1. A grantee is determined to have made a false statement on his/her application.
2. A grantee violates any article of his/her pledge to the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports,
Science and Technology.
3. A grantee violates any Japanese laws and is sentenced and imprisoned for an indefinite
period or for a period exceeding 1 year.
4. A grantee is suspended from his/her university or receives other punishment, or is removed
from enrollment; as a disciplinary action in accordance with school regulations of the accepting
institution.
5. It has been determined that it will be impossible for a grantee to complete the course within
the standard period of study because of poor academic grades or suspension or absence fromthe university.
6. A grantee came to Japan without newly acquiring the “Student” residence status, or changed
his/her residence status to one other than “Student.” In case of domestic recommenders, they
begin studies as Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship students with a status ofresidence other than “Student” or changed his/her residence status to one other than “Student.”
7. A grantee has received another scholarship (excluding those specified for researchexpenditures).
8. A grantee proceeds to a more advanced level of education without receiving approval for an
extension of the period of the scholarship.
9. A grantee withdraws from his/her university or transfers to another university.

8II. Research Activities outside of JAISTMEXT scholarship students who enrolled in JAIST are generally NOT allowed to be supervised
outside of JAIST for long time because this scholarship is intended for international students whowish to enroll in JAIST and do graduate research in JAIST. The recipients cannot receive
scholarship during the period in other institutions.
Other Important Information
1. Recipients’ personal information may be used for international students support programs andpromotion activities by the Japanese Government. MEXT shall ask for the recipients’ approvalby written pledge at the time of adoption.
2. Recipients 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 JAIST, cooperate with the conducting of post-return survey questionnaires,
participate in events conducted by local Japanese government offices, and endeavor to
improve relations between their home country and Japan.

Contact and Submission
International Student Section
Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology -JAIST
1-1 Asahidai Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292, Japan
TEL: +81-761-51-1933
Email: ryugaku@ml.jaist.ac.jp9