Japanese Embassy Undergraduate & Postgraduate Scholarship , Apply Here !

Japanese Embassy Undergraduate and Postgraduate Scholarship Award application 2015/2016 has commenced. The Government of Japan through its embassy in Nigeria has proposed to provide scholarship awards for Nigerian students desirous of pursuing undergraduate and postgraduate studies in Japanese Universities in the academic year commencing in April or October, 2016.

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology（MEXT）offers scholarships to international students who wish to study at Japanese universities as undergraduate students under the Japanese Government (MEXT) Scholarship Program for 2016 as follows.
1. FIELDS OF STUDY
Those who wish to study in Japan as an undergraduate student must choose a field of study (major) from (1) or (2) below. Applicants may enter a first, second, and third choice.
(1) Social Sciences and Humanities
Social Sciences and Humanities-A: Law, Politics, Pedagogy, Sociology, Literature, History, Japanese language, others.
Social Sciences and Humanities-B: Economics, Business Administration.
Note 1: Applicants who wish to major in fields other than those listed above (“others”) may have difficulties in finding universities that can accept them.
Note 2: Any fields related to “Economics” and “Business Administration” in Humanities B are not included in “others.”
(2) Natural Sciences
Science (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry), Electric and Electronic Studies (Electronics, Electrical Engineering, Information Engineering), Mechanical Studies  (Mechanical Engineering, Naval Architecture), Civil Engineering and Architecture (Civil Engineering, Architecture, Environmental Engineering), Chemical Studies (Applied Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Industrial Chemistry, Textile Engineering), other fields (Metallurgical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Maritime Engineering, Biotechnology).
Agricultural studies (Agriculture, Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine, Forestry, Food Science, Fisheries), Hygienic studies (Pharmacy, Hygienics, Nursing), and Science (Biology).
(3) Medicine, and Dentistry.
Note: A student who intends to major in Natural Sciences and would like to choose more than one major is required to choose and select first-, second-, and third-choice subjects from the subjects in parentheses from within the same course (i.e. Natural Sciences A, B or C). However, a student who selects Course C as his/her first choice may choose his/her second-choice subjects from Course B or C and third-choice subject from Course B as Course C offers only two subjects.
QUALIFICATIONS AND CONDITIONS
(1) Age: Applicants generally must have been born between April 2, 1994 and April 1, 1999.
(2) Academic Background: Applicants must either have completed 12 years of regular school education or have graduated from a school equivalent to an upper secondary school in Japan. (Applicants who will meet the above qualifications by March 2016 are eligible.)　Applicants who satisfy the entrance requirements for a Japanese university are also eligible.
(3) Japanese Language: Applicants must be willing to learn Japanese. Applicants must be interested in Japan and be willing to deepen their understanding of Japan after arriving in Japan. In addition, in principle, applicants must be willing to carry out their academic studies in Japan in Japanese.
(4) Health: Applicants must be free from any mental or physical disabilities that would impede the pursuit of study at Japanese universities.
(5) Arrival in Japan: In principle, applicants must be able to arrive in Japan between the 1st and 7th of April 2016. If an applicant is to enroll in his/her university from the fall semester through direct placement, he or she must be able to leave for and arrive in Japan by the date specified by the accepting university.
(6) Visa Requirement: Applicants must acquire College Student (ryugaku) visas before entering Japan. They then enter Japan with the College Student (ryugaku) residence status. Please also note that those who change their visa status to one other than College Student after arrival in Japan will lose their qualification to be Japanese Government Scholarship recipients from the date when their visa status changes.
PERIOD OF SCHOLARSHIP
(1) The scholarship period will last for five years from April 2016 to March 2021, including the one-year preparatory education in the Japanese language and other subjects due to be provided upon arrival in Japan. For scholarship grantees majoring in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or a six-year course in pharmacy, the scholarship period will be seven years until March 2023.
SCHOLARSHIP BENEFITS
(1) Allowance: 117,000 yen per month. (In case that the recipient research in a designated region, 2,000 or 3,000 yen per month will be added. The monetary amount each year may be subject to change due to budgetary reasons).
POSTGRADUATE/RESEARCH STUDENTS
FIELDS OF STUDY
Applicants should apply for the field of study they majored in at university or its related field. Moreover, the fields of study must be subjects which applicants will be able to study and research in graduate courses at Japanese universities.
The fields of study may be restricted to particular fields by the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General (hereinafter referred to as the “Japanese diplomatic mission”) in the applicant’s country.
A student who studies medicine, dentistry or welfare science will not be allowed to engage in clinical training such as medical care and operative surgery until he/she obtains a relevant license from the Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare under applicable Japanese laws. Those studying traditional entertainment arts such as Kabuki and classical Japanese dances, or subjects that require practical training in specific technologies or techniques at factories or companies are excluded from this restriction.
QUALIFICATIONS AND CONDITION
(1) Nationality: Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan.　Applicants with no official nationality are also eligible to apply. An applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application is not eligible. However, persons with dual nationality who hold Japanese nationality and whose place of residence at the time of application is outside of Japan are eligible to apply as long as they choose the nationality of the foreign country and give up their Japanese nationality by the date of their arrival in Japan. Applicant screening will be conducted at the Japanese diplomatic mission in the country of applicant’s nationality.
(2) Age: Applicants generally must have been born on or after April 2, 1981.
HOW TO APPLY
Visit http://www.ng.emb-japan.go.jp/mext2015.html for application details. Application forms could also be obtained in person from the Embassy of Japan in Abuja.
CLOSING DATE
Closing date for submission of completed application forms is June 30, 2015.