Application Guidelines for Japanese Government (MONBUKAGAKUSHO) Scholarship forApril 2024
Special Admissions for Research Students for Master’s Course
Since Akita university’s “International Education Program for Design for Environment”
having been in practice from April 2022 (referred to as “Program” hereinafter) has been
assigned from April 2022 by the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science andTechnology (MEXT) to preferentially accept the recipients who have been awarded“MONBUKAGAKUSHO Scholarship”, Akita University is going to newly accept excellent 3
applicants abroad.
This Program is conducted with collaboration of following 5 departments at Graduate Schoolof Engineering Science, Akita University: Department of Life Science, Department ofMaterial Science, Department of Mathematical Science and Electrical-Electronic-ComputerEngineering, Department of System Design Engineering and Cooperative Major in
Sustainable Engineering, and applicants for this program shall be assigned either one of thesedepartments.
This Program aims to acquire multidisciplinary knowledge about design for environment
mainly about the idea of de-carbonization and green energy.
1. Target Students
Applicants shall be the residents outside of Japan currently and will be newly enrolled into
Master’s Course at Graduate School, Akita University in April 2024.
2. Nationality: As shown in hereinafter “17. Nationality”
3. Age: Applicants must have been born after April 2nd, 1989.
4. Academic Background
Applicants shall have completed their study at university as Bachelor, or will prospectively
complete their study at university by March 2024.
5. Academic Grades
It is expected for currently working adults to have GPA (Grade Point Average: 1-3 scale/calculation method is shown in hereinafter “18. Calculation Method of GPA”) score at
2.30 or more on their final academic backgrounds, or for current students to have GPA

score at 2.30 or more on their latest academic grades. At the same time, applicants shallbe requested to maintain the score even during the scholarship period.
6. Language Requirements
Applicants shall meet either one of the following requirements about the language skill(Japanese or English).
 Japanese: Applicants shall pass the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT)
level N2 or higher, or have completed an educational program in which Japaneseis the primary language that meets the requirements for admission to the Master'sDegree.
 English: Applicants shall have a score of B2 or higher on the Common European
Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) in English, or have completed an
educational program in which English is the primary language that meets therequirements for admission to the Master's Degree.
7. Arrival Date in Japan
In principle, applicants shall arrive in Japan between April 1st and April 7th, 2024. The
departure date from applicants' resident countries shall also be April 1st, 2024 or later.
8. Visa Requirements
Applicants shall, in principle, newly obtain a “Student” Visa at Japanese diplomatic
mission located in each country of nationality before leaving for Japan, and enter Japan
with the residence status of “Student”.
9. Exclusions:
The following applicants are not eligible for the scholarship. If he/ she is found out as aconcerned student after being selected, he/ she must be withdrawn from the scholarship.
① Those who are actively involved in military service or are military civilian
employees at the time of their arrival in Japan or during the period of scholarship.
② Those who are unable to arrive in Japan within the designated period by AkitaUniversity.
③ Those who were previous grantees of Japanese Government (MEXT) scholarshipprograms.
④ Those who are currently applying to another program under Japanese government(MEXT) scholarship system.
⑤ Those who are already enrolled in a university or other schools in Japan with aresidence status of “Student”.
⑥ Those who are prospective to complete their study at university but unable to fulfill
the requirements of academic qualification and background by the prescribed date.
⑦ Those who have dual nationality at the time of application and cannot prove thatthey have given up Japanese nationality by the time of arrival in Japan.
⑧ Those who are planning to be absent from graduate school for a long period due tointernship, research activities and so on from the time of application.
10. Period of Scholarship
The scholarship period is effective for the standard total education period at theDepartment (two years).
11. Scholarship Benefits Allowance
144,000 yen per month will be supplied.
12. Traveling Costs
1. Transportation to Japan: The recipient will be provided with funds, according tohis/ her itinerary and route as designated by MEXT or Akita University, with an
economy-class airplane ticket from the nearest international airport to his/ herhome residence (*) to International Airport or another that Akita Universitydesignates. Expenses such as domestic transportation from his/ her home address
to the international airport, airport tax, airport usage fees, special taxes on travel,
or domestic transportation within Japan (including transit expense) will NOT becovered. (* The home country address stated in the application form is regarded
as the recipient’s “home residence”. But if it is clear the address when the recipientarrived at Japan to be different from present address, changed address isregarded.)
2. Transportation from Japan: The recipient who returns to his/her home country
within the fixed period after the expiration of his/her scholarship will be provided
upon application, with an economy-class airplane ticket for travel from the nearest
international airport.
Note 1: Travel insurance to and from Japan shall be paid for by the recipient.
Note 2: If a grantee continues to stay in Japan after the scholarship period has
ended, he/she will not be paid travel expenses to return to the home country fora temporary return.
Note 3: If the recipient returns to his/ her home country for his/ her personalreason or the reason based on “17. Scholarship Payment Suspension Matters”
before the expiration month of his/ her scholarship, he/ she will not be paid travel
expenses to return to the home country.
13. Admission and Tuition Fees
Admission and tuition fees will not be charged to the recipients.
14. Scholarship Payment Suspension Matters
The scholarship will be cancelled in principle in the following situations. If the recipient
has been receiving the scholarship despite his/her falling under any of the following
situations, the recipient shall be ordered to return the total/ partial amount of scholarshipthat he/she received during the period wherein he/she was involved with any of thefollowing situations:① The recipient is determined to have made a false statement on his/her application.
② The recipient violates any Japanese laws and is sentenced to imprisonment with orwithout work for life or for a period of exceeding 1 year.
③ The recipient is taken a disciplinary action such as expulsion, suspension and an
official letter of censure officially published by the university, based on the regulations ofthe university.
④ It has been determined that it will be impossible for the recipient to complete thecourse within the standard education period because of poor academic grades, suspension
or leave of absence.
⑤ The recipient arrives at Japan without valid student Visa, or the recipient’s residence
status has changed to one other than “Student”.
⑥ The recipient has received a scholarship from another institution (excluding thosespecified for research expenditures).
⑦ The recipient has proceeded to a higher level of education without receiving approval
for an extension of the period of the scholarship.
⑧ The recipient has withdrawn from Akita University or has moved to anotheruniversity/ college or another graduate school.
⑨ The recipient fails to keep GPA at 2.30 or more at each end of the academic year, orrequired grade level of Akita University.
15. Requirements for Completion of Program(1) Complete Master’s Course at Akita University with satisfying all the requirements at
the relevant Department.

(2) In addition to the requirements referred to in (1), register and obtain credits for
specific subjects (5 subjects) prescribed by Program.
16. Calculation Method of GPA (Grade Point Average)
Applicants shall calculate their own GPA at the time of their final academic backgroundor the current academic record at their relevant course according to the calculation
method below.
Firstly, applicants shall determine “Assessment Point” based on the table shown in as
follows, and then calculate by applying a formula indicated under the table.

Classification

Grade Assessment

4-point scale

Excellent

Good

Acceptable

Failed4-point scale

ＡＢＣＦ

80% or

70% or60%

orabove (Upabove –above–to 100%)

below 80%

below 70%

4-point scale

Below 60%

5-point scaleＳＡＢＣＦ

5-point scale

ＡＢＣＤＦor80% or70% or60%orabove (Upabove –above –above–to 100%)

below 90%

below 80%

below 70%

33

2

190%
5-point scale

Assessment
Point

Below 60%0The formula to be applied:｛（”The number of credits of which “Assessment Point” is 3 × 3）+（”The number of creditsof which “Assessment Point” is 2 × 2）+（”The number of credits of which “AssessmentPoint” is 1 × 1）+(”The number of credits of which “Assessment Point” is 0 × 0）｝/The
total number of registered credits
Note 1: If credit system is not used for the lectures/ classes registered, the number of credits
shall be calculated with being replaced with the number of subjects.
Note 2: Assessment that is not listed in the table above shall be excluded.

17. Nationality
India, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Nepal, Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Philippines, Brunei, Vietnam, Malaysia, Myanmar, Maldives, Mongolia, Laos,
Azerbaijan, Armenia, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan,Moldova, Afghanistan, United Arab Emirates, Yemen, Israel, Iraq, Iran, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait,
Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Algeria, Angola, Uganda
Algeria, Angola, Uganda, Egypt, Ethiopia, Eritrea, Ghana, Cape Verde, Gabon, Cameroon,Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Cote d'Ivoire, Comoros, Republic of Congo,
Democratic Republic of Congo, Sao Tome and Principe, Zambia, Sierra Leone Djibouti,
Zimbabwe, Sudan, Swaziland, Seychelles, Equatorial Guinea, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania,Chad, Central Africa, Tunisia, Togo, Nigeria, Namibia, Niger, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Benin,
Botswana, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali South Africa, Mozambique, Mauritius, Mauritania,Morocco, Libya, Liberia, Rwanda, Lesotho, South Sudan, USA, Argentina, Uruguay, Ecuador,Guyana, Colombia, Suriname, Chile, Paraguay, Brazil, Venezuela, Peru, Bolivia, Albania
Ukraine, Austria, Cyprus, Greece, Croatia, Switzerland, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic,
Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary, Bulgaria, Poland, Macedonia, Liechtenstein, Romania,Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo

Applicants who fulfill these requirements shall take the Special entrance examination forforeigners(secondary recruitment).
Those who wish to apply for the Program will be interviewed online at a later date and theresult shall be announced accordingly.
● Master’s Courses 2024 April （ Spring ）Special entrance examination forforeigners(secondary recruitment)
https://www.riko.akita-u.ac.jp/assets/files/nyushi2023/M202404_secondary.pdf