Japanese Government Scholarships 2021 for Undergraduate, Masters & Research International Students

Japanese MEXT Government Scholarships  2021

Japanese MEXT Government Scholarships  2021

The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) is offering scholarships to international students who wish to study at Japanese universities as undergraduate and Masters students under the Japanese Government Scholarships (MEXT) Programme for 2021.

Application Deadline: Varying for different countries

The deadlines of the applications differ according to the country. Please contact with Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country (See link below).

Offered annually? Yes

To be taken at (country): Japanese Universities

Eligible Field of Study: Those who wish to study through the Japanese Government Scholarships as an undergraduate student must choose a field of 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: Laws, Politics, Pedagogy, Sociology, Literature, History, Japanese language, and others. Social Sciences and Humanities-B: Economics and Business Administration.

(2) Natural Sciences: Natural Sciences-A: Science (Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry), Electrical 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), and other fields (Metallurgical Engineering, Mining Engineering, Maritime Engineering, Biotechnology). Natural Sciences-B: Agricultural studies (Agriculture, Agricultural Chemistry, Agricultural Engineering, Animal Science, Veterinary Medicine, Forestry, Food Science, Fisheries), Hygienic studies (Pharmacy, Hygienics, Nursing), and Science (Biology). Natural Sciences-C: Medicine, and Dentistry.

For postgraduate, 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.

About the Award: The Japanese Government’s Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) offers Japanese Government Scholarships for academic study in Japan to foreign students interested in deepening their understanding of the Japanese language, Japanese affairs and Japanese culture. The purpose of the Japanese Government Scholarships is to promote mutual understanding and deepening friendly ties between Japan and other countries through the application of advanced knowledge regarding Japan’s language and culture.

Type: Undergraduate, Postgraduate


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Scholarship is available in four categories:

• Research students
• Undergraduate students
• College of Technology students
• Specialized Training College students

Selection Criteria and Eligibility: To be eligible for the Japanese Government Scholarships:

• Nationality: Applicants must have the nationality of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. An applicant who has Japanese nationality at the time of application is not eligible. Selection is conducted at facilities such as the Japanese Embassy /Consulate General (hereinafter “Japanese legation”) located in the country of the applicant’s nationality. (This shall not necessarily be applied in cases where one embassy covers multiple nations.)

• Health: Applicants must be free from any mental or physical disabilities that would be an impediment to the pursuit of university study.

• Military personnel or military civilian employees at the time of arriving in Japan are not eligible.

• Availability on arriving in Japan by April/ October 2020

• Age: Research Student: Applicants generally must have been born on or after April 2, 1985.

Undergraduate Student: Applicants generally must have been born between April 2, 1995 and April 1, 2003.
College of Technology Student: Applicants generally must have been born between April 2, 1995 and April 1, 2003.
Specialised Training College Student: Applicants generally must have been born between April 2, 1995 and April 1, 2003.
 Research Student: Undergraduate Degree holders from universities and/or colleges with a total mark of Second Class Upper Division or higher. Applicants for this program must submit a complete research proposal at the time of applying Undergraduate Student: Highschool graduate with a mathmatic score of B3 or higher.

Number of Scholarships: Not specified

Value of Scholarship:

• Allowance: The amount of the scholarship disbursement per month has yet to be determined.
• Transportation to Japan
• Transportation from Japan: The recipient who returns to his/her home country within the fixed period after the expiration of his/her scholarship will be supplied, upon application, with an economy-class airplane ticket for travel from the New Tokyo International Airport or any other international airport that the appointed university usually uses to the international airport nearest to his/her home address
• Tuition and Other Fees: Fees for the entrance examination, matriculation, and tuition at universities will be borne by the Japanese Government.

Duration of Scholarship: For undergraduate, the scholarship period will last for five years from April 2020 to March 2025, including the one-year preparatory education in the Japanese language and other subjects due to be provided upon arrival in Japan. For Japanese Government Scholarships grantees majoring in medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine or a six-year course in pharmacy, the scholarship period will be seven years until March 2026.

For postgraduate, between 18 & 24 months.

Eligible African Countries: Africa: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cape Verde, Chad, Comoros, Republic of Congo, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabonese Republic, Gambia, Ghana, Republic of Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Zambia, Uganda and Zimbabwe

Other Eligible Countries: See link below for eligible European, Middle East, Asian and other developing countries

How to Apply:  

Apply below

Previous exam papers for written exams are available here

Visit the general scholarship webpage for details. For country specific details, please contact with Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country.

For Sample, See the Embassy of Japan in South Africa

Important Notes: Please note that applications forms for the current exercise is clearly marked – (2021). Applications made with the 2020 forms will, therefore, not be processed by the Embassy. If applications are not open for your country, kindly wait until they are.

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