In the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho:MEXT) Scholarship Program, the Japanese Government (Ministry of Education and Science) provides international students with a scholarship and traveling expenses. The government-sponsored international students are waived from the enrollment fee and tuition. Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine (OUAVM) has a scholarship program for international students, too. The governments of international students’ home countries also offer scholarships. In addition, Japan Students Services Organization, public service corporations, local public organizations and other groups have scholarship programs.
This chapter mainly explains the Japanese Government Scholarship Program and our scholarship program, both of which can be applied for before you come to Japan
Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho:MEXT) Scholarship Program
There are two ways to apply for the Japanese Government Scholarship:
- with an embassy’s recommendation;
- with a university’s recommendation;
Government-sponsored international students admitted to OUAVM are classified as follows
| Category | Status at OUAVM |
|---|---|
| International undergraduate student | ・Undergraduate student |
| International research student | ・Graduate student Graduate School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences and Agriculture Master’s/Doctoral Programs) ・Research student |
This chapter explains
- embassy’s recommendation;
- university’s recommendation, which can be applied for before coming to Japan. Please refer to the website of the Ministry of Education and Science, or the Japanese Embassy in each country for more details of the Japanese Government Scholarship.
Website of the Ministry of Education and Science:
Embassy’s Recommendation
Applications are accepted through the Japanese Embassies and Consulate Generals overseas. The first selection is implemented locally and those selected are recommended to the Ministry of Education and Science. They implement the second selection, talk with universities about the acceptance of students, and make a final decision.
The period of application differs depending on the offices. Check the details with the Japanese government office of your area.
University’s recommendation
Candidates for the university’s recommendation are recruited through universities outside Japan that have an exchange agreement with OUAVM. We accept international research students (at the level of the graduate school) only. We suggest that, before applying, those who wish to apply for the university’s recommendation take one of the language proficiency tests for Japanese or English, which is one of the documents to submit. It is too late to take the test after you apply.
*Click here for the application guidelines of the previous academic year.
Scholarship from Foreign Governments
In recent years, national governments are sending more and more students abroad on the governments’ expenses. Japan is accepting these students mainly in the following two ways:
When a national government asks the Japanese government to cooperate in accepting students
For students sent by the Malaysian, Thai, Singaporean, United Arab Emirates, or Saudi Arabian governments, the Japanese government gives necessary assistances including contact with universities and arrangements of pre-training such as the Japanese language training. When it receives a request from the Ministry of Education and Science, OUAVM, considering the field of the prospective student’s specialty, asks the relevant instructors if they can accept the student.
When a national government directly asks an instructor at OUAVM
Some institutions of higher education, based on information from, for example, those who have studied in Japan before or researchers with Japanese co-researchers, seek Japanese universities that can accept their excellent students, and have them obtain government scholarship and study in Japan. In such cases, usually the institute directly asks instructors at OUAVM if they can accept the student.
In either case, scholarships are available in each country. Collect information by yourself and grab the chance.
Other scholarships
For those who cannot receive one of the aforementioned scholarships 1-3, Japan Students Services Organization, public service corporations, local public organizations and other groups have scholarship programs available. Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine also has a scholarship program. However, recruitment and selection of all these scholarships is done after you come to Japan. Therefore, you should not expect these scholarships to be the source of all your living expenses and tuition in Japan. In addition, research students are not eligible.
In recent years, both the number of students to whom scholarships are given and the amount of each scholarship are decreasing. Also, it is very difficult to pay the costs of your student life only by the income of part-time jobs. Life as a graduate student is very busy, and sometimes a part-time job is even prohibited so that you can concentrate on your study. Therefore, before you come to Japan, you need to make a solid plan to cover the necessary expenses.
