The MEXT Scholarship at the University of Tokyo is awarded to outstanding international students who are recommended by the University of Tokyo (UT). The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) provides the MEXT scholarship with the aim of enhancing the international competitiveness and promoting the active exchange of international students in Japanese universities.
This University Recommended Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship – General program is awarded to international students applying to study at the University of Tokyo. Established in 1877, The University of Tokyo (UTokyo, 東京大学 – Tōkyō daigaku), is the first national university in Japan a leading research university located in Tokyo, Japan.
The University of Tokyo offers courses in almost all academic disciplines to both undergraduate and graduate students. It has about 30,000 students, including more than 4,200 international students. UTokyo aims to provide its students with a rich and varied academic environment that ensures opportunities for both intellectual development and the acquisition of professional knowledge and skills. Its five campuses are located in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most selective and prestigious university in Japan.
Program Details
- Host Institution: The University of Tokyo, Japan.
- Field of study: Physics, Astronomy, Earth & Planetary Science, Chemistry, Biological Sciences.
- Number of awards: Not specified.
- Duration: Master’s program (2 years) and Doctoral Program (3 years).
- Target group: Open to nationals of countries that have diplomatic relations with the Japanese government.
MEXT Scholarship at the University of Tokyo Benefits
This government scholarship provides successful applicants with various benefits. The amounts of monthly stipend for 2024 academic year (AY) have yet to be determined. As an example, the monthly amounts for 2023 AY is shown below:
- Exempt from Enrollment and Tuition fees
- 144,000 yen/month (for a student of a Master’s program).
- 145,000 yen/month (for a student of a doctoral Program).
- An additional monthly stipend of 2,000 or 3,000 yen may be added to those students undertaking study or research in some designated regions of the country.
- Economy class air travel between the candidate’s home country and Japan.
Note : The amounts above are subject to change depending on the size of the annual fiscal budget each year, commodity prices, etc. The scholarship will not be paid to a recipient during a leave of absence or a long absence from his or her university.
MEXT Scholarship at the University of Tokyo Eligibility
To qualify for this Asia scholarships program, candidates must:
- be international students with outstanding academic records who wish to enter Japan in October 2024 as a new student to study in the Master’s or Doctoral Program at the Graduate School of Science. An applicant must have university grade points of 2.30 (out of 3.00) or above in their two most recent years of study, and be expected to maintain the same academic standards during the course of the scholarship program.
- have the nationality of a country specified by MEXT (This year’s nationality provisions have yet to be announced). Furthermore, applicants must have the nationality of a country with diplomatic relations with the Japanese government. Applicants who have Japanese nationality at the time of application are ineligible. However, Japanese nationals that reside outside of Japan at the time of application, having dual citizenship with another country, and plan on relinquishing their Japanese nationality before arrival, may apply.
- be born on or after April 2, 1989.
- have the necessary qualifications to be admitted to the Graduate School of Science, at the University of Tokyo as a Master’s or a Doctoral Program student.
- apply for the field of study that they studied at their previous university or a related field.
- meet one of the language requirements in either English or in Japanese, as described below:
- English: Holds an English proficiency test score equivalent to B2 or above on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) scale (e.g. TOEFL iBT 72 or above, IELTS 5.5 or above). Or has completed an educational program whose primary language of instruction is English.
- Japanese: has passed the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT) with a score of N2 or higher. Or has completed an educational program whose primary language of instruction is Japanese.
- be physically and mentally healthy enough to pursue their studies.
- be able to leave their country and arrive in Japan by the date specified by the University of Tokyo.
- enter the country with the resident status of “Student”.
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How to Apply for the MEXT Scholarship at the University of Tokyo ?
Applicants must send in the required documents for MEXT Scholarship after completing their admission application for entering the Master’s/Doctoral Program, following the “Instruction for Graduate School Application for International Students”.
For an application to count, both MEXT scholarship application and the Graduate School of Science admission application must be completed before the application deadline through the respective online forms.
Online Application
To submit the electronic application, candidates must upload all application documents through the designated application form, as instructed below, before the application deadline. Note that other forms of submission such as via email will not be accepted:
- You must scan in each item of the application documents listed below and upload it in the file format designated in the application form (such as PDF).
- Upload all of your application documents and submit your electronic application before the application deadline: Online Form for MEXT Electronic Application.
- Be sure to check the contents of the automated email that you receive upon submitting your electronic application.
Required Documents
- Application form (must be in double-sided print)
- Field of Study and Research Plan (Please click here, download the form)
- Letter of recommendation from “dean or above”. This letter must fulfill all the following conditions:
- The name of the addressee stated in the letter must be “the President of the University of Tokyo”
- The letter must be printed on your university’s letterhead.
- The letter must be written by and signed by a dean or above. Digital signature is not acceptable.
- Passport-type photo taken within the last 6 months (4.5 x 3.5 cm, upper-body, full-faced, without a cap)
- Official transcript(s) issued by the last university(ies) attended (undergraduate and/or graduate) covering at least two full years of your most recent grades
- You must also submit (an) official document(s) that specifies and explains the grading system(s) if it is not indicated in your transcript(s).
- Proof of language ability proficiency
- Abstract of graduation thesis (If you are currently working on your thesis and cannot submit an abstract, you can instead submit the tentative title of your thesis.)
- Official statement of (expected) graduation. Applicants who will graduate from their current program after submitting their MEXT application, must submit an official statement provided by their university that indicates the date of their expected graduation.
- A copy of the student’s passport (The page with photo).
Note : Documents must be written in either Japanese or English. They must be created in A4 format using software such as MS Word and must be printed double-sided (duplex printing). A document written in any other language must be accompanied with a Japanese translation.
Notification
The result will be notified to applicants according to the following schedule.
- The nominees selected by the Graduate School of Science will be notified by e-mail in mid-February, 2024. The unsuccessful candidates are also notified by e-mail.
- The nominees selected at the University of Tokyo selection stage will be further notified by e-mail in April 2024. The candidates found unsuccessful at this stage are also notified by e-mail.
- On receipt of the official announcement of the decision by MEXT, winners of the scholarship will be notified by postal mail in June, 2024(tentative). The unsuccessful nominees are also notified by postal mail.
The application deadline for this scholarship program is , Japan Standard Time. For more detail on the MEXT Scholarship at the University of Tokyo, please visit the university’s website. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.