MINERVA Fellowship Program in Japan, 2022-2023

Application for the MINERVA Fellowship Program is now open. The programme proposes a 6-month in-house fellowship scheme in Japan, designed to support its research and policy analysis of EU-Japan economic and industrial issues.

The Research Fellow will undertake research work on a selected priority topic of the Centre, which should result in a consistent policy report (70-100 pages), to be owned by the Centre.

Apart from research on a pre-determined topic, the research Fellow will be expected to support the daily analytical activities of the Centre, including media monitoring, policy briefings, seminar reports, etc.

Programme Details

• Host Institution: The European Union – Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation.
• Priority topics: Please check the list below.
• Number of awards: Not specified.
• Duration: 6 months.
• Target group: Open to citizens of EU Member-States, COSME Third Countries and Japan.

MINERVA Fellowship Program Benefits

The MINERVA Fellowship Program provides selected candidates with the following benefits.

• The fellowship is worth 2500 EUR/month (paid in JPY) and covers a period of 6 months. The fellowship is expected to cover basic daily expenses and accommodation in Tokyo.
• A Research Fellow selected from outside Japan, will receive an additional travel subsidy of up to 1000 EUR.
• Insurance: the Research Fellow shall take out a personal insurance policy for the whole duration of the Fellowship to cover:
  • Travel,
  • Personal health,
  • Accident insurance,
  • Third-party liability (private life): insurance against the loss of, or damage to, his/her personal property, and insurance against any injury, loss or damage suffered by a third person for which the Participant is personally liable.
• The EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation will provide assistance in obtaining the visa for Japan.

PRIORITY TOPICS 2022

Below is the list of priority topic for the 2022 application call.

1. Circularizing the Japanese Fashion & Textile economy: current situation, future prospects and opportunities for business cooperation for European companies and SMEs in Japan
2. The automotive industry in the face of environmental, social and economic challenges: how can EU-Japan potential cooperation contribute to better technology regulation?
3. New mobility markets in emerging metropoles: opportunities for collaboration between Japanese and European manufacturers
4. Updated analysis of Japan’s SME internationalization priorities, strategy and industrial policy for cooperation with the EU
5. Analysis of highly regulated markets in Japan and regulatory implications for European companies trading in these areas
6. Analysis of digital transformation among Japanese SMEs and lessons learned for the European Industry
7. Analysis on how best to support European research organizations and SMEs, and to identify the most appealing technologies for Japanese companies interested in licensing opportunities from Europe
8. Analysis and profiling of certification-related specialized consultants and notified bodies based in Japan
9. Resilience of global supply chains: possible solutions from EU-Japan Industrial Cooperation. Please click here to see the full details.

MINERVA Fellowship Program Eligibility

To apply for the fellowship, applicants must meet following criteria:

Candidates must be citizens of an EU Member-State or a COSME Third Country or Japan. They must be professionals (trade and economic analysts, academics, scientists, civil servants) with a proven interest in EU-Japan cooperation from multiple perspectives (trade/market access, industrial policy issues, R&D, etc.).

Minimum requirements: EU / COSME or Japanese citizenship, university degree, strong interest and motivation in Japan and EU-Japan relations.

The following elements will constitute an advantage in the selection process: previous professional experience with Japan, an already advanced study/research on one of the priority topics, Japanese language abilities.

Similar opportunities

1. Top 20 Government Scholarships Currently Open;
2. Top 38 Scholarships Currently Open for Application;
3. Schwarzman Scholars program at Tsinghua University;
4. University of Jinan Scholarship for International Students.

How to Apply for the MINERVA Fellowship Program

Interested applicants must click on the apply button below and follow instructions to submit their applications.

Required Documents

1. CV,
2. Covering Letter,
3. Research Topic-Research Plan (1-2 A4 pages).

Documents should be submitted in English. Contents of each MINERVA application should flow coherently and contain substance, in order to allow the selection board to see clear and easy-to-understand connections between the candidate’s background, the letter of motivation and his/her research plan.

The deadline to apply for the next slot (September 2022 – February 2023) is May 27, 2022. For more detail on the MINERVA Fellowship Program, please visit the official page. To be the first to see latest opportunities, please follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Instagram.