The Hitachi Scholarship

Scholarship Program for Postgraduate Study in Japan

The Hitachi Scholarship provides an excellent opportunity for Southeast Asian universities to send faculty members, who wish to continue teaching and research at their universities after graduation, to Japan as part of their human development programs. Recipients of this award are invited to attend Japanese public and private graduate schools that have close relationships with Southeast Asian universities. The Scholarship provides financial support and personal assistance and consultation.

Eligibility for the program is limited to faculty members up to the age of 30 for masters degree candidates or 35 for Ph. D. degree cabdidates in the fields of scince and technology and each applicant must be recommended by a senior staff at their home university as a potential cabdidate for international reasearch collaboration after graduation. Each grantee receives full financial support to study Japanese for six months after arrival. The Foundation funds tour programs every year to visit various location in the fields of industry, science technology, research, culture, history, society and nature so that the grantees’ experience and understanding during their stay in Japan will not be limited to one campus

Qualifications

• Be faculty members of one of the 15 eligible universities in 6 nations.
• Have been nominated by their university’s presidential office, with the approval and recommendation of the faculty and the department.
• Have received a specific and confirmed invitation from a professor at a Japanese university, who will act as the host professor to collaborate with and/or advise the applicant until graduation or the completion of the program.

Application and Screening

1. Applicants to all programs must be faculty members at one of the eligible universities.
2. English will be the common language used in most of the international conferences. Therefore,we strongly suggest that applicants have a good knowledge of English as a communication tool. A TOEFL score of 530 or above is preferred.
3. The Foundation shall mail application forms every year in June to the presidential office of each university.
4. Each applicant shall submit the application to his/her university’s presidential office with all requested information. The Foundation will accept applications and nomination letters from the presidential offices until the end of November 2009 . No direct application from individual will be accepted.
5. The application form should be supplemented with a recommendation letter from the Head of Department and/or the Dean of Faculty, along with a confirmed certificate of acceptance from a Japanese host professor (Scholarship) or advisory professor/research counterpart (Research/Komai Fellowship).
6. The selection committee of the Foundation initially screens applications received and identifies candidates to interview.
7. Interviews with candidates shall be carried out individually, usually at candidates’ home universities, during the period from January to April.
8. One of the most important points for evaluation is why the university has nominated the candidate and what kind of scenario the department or faculty has for the candidate in terms of academic collaboration after graduation. If the applicant’s department or faculty has been implementing specific cooperation/collaboration with the laboratory of the proposed host professor in Japan, this will receive positive consideration in the screening of the candidate.
9. Following the interview, the Foundation may contact both senior advisors at the home university and the proposed host professor in Japan for further verification.
10. Notification of final decisions will be made to the presidential offices, and award notices will be sent to each successful candidate in June.

Eligible Universities

Indonesia

• University of Indonesia
• Bandung Institute of Technology
• Gadjah Mada University
• Surabaya Institute of Technology

Singapore

• The National University of Singapore

Malaysia

• University of Malaya
• University of Technology Malaysia

Thailand

• Chulalongkorn University
• Chiang Mai University
• Khon Kaen University
• King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang
• King Mongkut’s University of Technology Thonburi

The Philippines

• University of the Philippines

Vietnam

• Hanoi University of Technology
• Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology

Source: http://www.hitachi-zaidan.org/global/scholarship/activities/active01.html