GRIPS - Young Leaders' Program (YLP) - Japanese Government Scholarships

1. Overview

The Young Leaders' Program (YLP) aims to cultivate national leaders of the future in Asia and around the world. In addition, while enhancing the participants' understanding about Japan, it should help form a network among national leaders, contributing to the establishment of friendly relations and improved policy planning activities between worldwide, including Japan. The YLP is one of the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho: MEXT*) Scholarship Student systems.

*MEXT = Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology

2. Eligible Countries and Participants

Participants are selected from the countries listed below. They should be young public administrators and government officials who are expected to play active roles in the future as national leaders in their home countries.

Eligible Countries:

P. R. China, Rep. of Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei Darussalam, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, Hungary, Czech, Slovakia, Poland, Bulgaria, Romania, Turkey

(29 Countries)

3. Host University

National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)

4. Number of Students

Approximately 20 students

5. Recruitment and Selection

(1) Method of Recruitment

Recruitment will be conducted through the recommending authorities of each eligible country. Please ask the

Japanese Embassy for further information.

(2) Screening Procedure

① First screening by the recommending authorities

② Second screening by GRIPS

③ Final screening by the YLP committee organized by MEXT

6. Curriculum (Please refer to the "Curriculum Guidelines" on pages 6 and 7.)

(1) Basic Concepts

The curriculum is designed to train and cultivate national leaders in their respective fields of government, who are seeking to take advantage of Japan's experiences of interaction with both Western and Asian countries and also to establish a human network through various activities, such as special lectures, colloquium, independent study, field trips, etc.

(2) Course Duration and Qualification

Course duration is one year, resulting in the conferral of a Master's Degree in Public Administration/Public Policy by GRIPS.

(3) Language

All lectures are conducted in English.

7. Commencement of the Program October 2012

II INFORMATION FOR APPLICANTS

MEXT will offer scholarships to foreign students who wish to study at GRIPS as YLP students in public administration/public policy for the academic year 2012 under the MEXT Scholarship Program. The conditions are as follows:

1. Field of Study

Public Administration/Public Policy

2. Qualifications

(1) Nationality: Applicants must be nationals of countries eligible for the YLP (School of Government).

(2) Age: Applicants must be, in principle, under 40 years of age, as at 1 October, 2012 (i.e. born on or after 2 October

1972).

(3) Academic Background: Applicants must hold a Bachelor's degree or equivalent from a recognized/accredited university or college, and have achieved shown excellent academic performance.

(4) Work Experience: At least 3 years of work experience in public administration (preferably 5 years or more).

(5) English Proficiency: A minimum TOEFL-iBT score of 79 (TOEFL-CBT score of 213, TOEFL-PBT score of 550) or equivalent.

(6) Health: Applicants must be in good health.

(7) Visa Requirement: Selected Applicants must obtain a “College Student” visa prior to their arrival in Japan. Applicants who are already in Japan under a different visa category are required to change it to “College Student” by the end of the month preceding the start of the scholarship. Applicants who change their resident status to anything other than “College Student” following their arrival in Japan will immediately lose their status as a Japanese government scholarship student.

(8) Applicants who meet any or all of the conditions below are not eligible. If identified as such after commencement of the scholarship period, applicants will be required to withdraw from the scholarship:

①Active members of military forces, or civilians employed by military forces at the time that the scholarship period is scheduled to commence.

② Unable to travel to Japan within dates set by the receiving university.

③Already enrolled in a Japanese university under “College Student” status, or plans to enroll at a Japanese university as a privately-financed international student, between the time of application for the GRIPS scholarship and the time the scholarship period is due to commence.

④Those who will lose their status as public administrators or government officials following the time of application or before completion of the program.

3. Term of Scholarship

One year, from October 2012 to September 2013

4. Scholarship Benefits

(1) Allowance: 255,000 yen per month (in FY 2011; amount is subject to change) will be provided to grantees during the term of the scholarship. Grantees who are absent from the university for long periods, will no longer be provided with the scholarship.

Scholarships will be cancelled in the event of any of the cases below. Furthermore, if scholarship payments were made during the period that such conditions applied, grantees may be ordered to return any scholarship payments received during said period.

① If application documents are found to contain falsehoods;

② If pledges made to the Minister of MONBUKAGAKUSHO (MEXT) are breached;

③ If poor academic performance or suspension guarantees that the grantee will be unable to complete the course within the standard term;

④ If “College Student” resident status, as provided for in Paragraph 1-4 of Appendix to the Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act, changes to any other status;

⑤ If grantee is provided with another scholarship (excluding scholarships designated for research expenses); and

⑥ If grantee’s government and/or other state institutions request such cancellation.

(2) Travel Allowance:

① Transportation to Japan: Grantees will be provided, in accordance with their itinerary and route as designated by MEXT, with an economy class air ticket from the international airport closest to their place of residence to Narita International Airport (or following the itinerary normally used by the university where grantees are placed). Expenses such as inland transportation from place of residence to the nearest international airport; airport taxes; airport usage charges; special taxes on overseas travel; and travel expenses within Japan will be borne by the grantee (in principle, the grantee’s place of residence shall be the address stated in the application form).

② Transportation from Japan: Grantees who return to their home country within the fixed period following the expiration of the scholarship will be provided, upon application, with an economy class air ticket from New Tokyo International Airport to the international airport nearest to their home address. Expenses such as inland transportation from their home address to the international airport, airport taxes, and special travel taxes will NOT be provided (in principle, the address in the grantee’s home country as stated in the application is considered the “home address”).

* Grantees must arrange any aviation and/or accident insurance to and from Japan on their own. The airport that the grantee departs from, or returns to, must be an airport in their home country.

(3) Tuition Fees: Fees for matriculation, tuition, and university entrance examinations will be paid by the Japanese government.

(4) Accommodations:

① If grantees so desire, they may reside at accommodations provided by GRIPS. However, some of these facilities may not be able to accommodate all grantees, due to limitations in room availability.

② Private Boarding Houses or Apartment Houses:

Those who do not accommodate in the facilities described above will be arranged at private boarding houses

or apartments recommended by the GRIPS Student Office.

5. Selection

(1) Initial screening will be conducted by the recommending authorities in applicant's home country.

(2) Second screening by means of an interview and review of submitted documents will be conducted by GRIPS. If it is difficult to arrange an interview in the applicant's home country, the interview may be conducted by telephone or webcam.

(3) The list of final selections by GRIPS will be submitted to the YLP committee organized by MEXT for final approval.

6. Education at GRIPS

All lectures and practical training are conducted in English.

Notes

(1) For more detailed information on the YLP scholarship program, please contact the corresponding office at the Japanese Embassy in your home country.

(2) Recipient are advised to learn the Japanese language and familiarize themselves with Japanese weather/climate, customs, university education, and conditions, as well as about differences between the Japanese legal system and that of their home country before departing for Japan.

(3) It is highly recommended for grantees to bring at least US$1,500 or the equivalent to cover their immediate needs upon arrival in Japan.

Further information

For more information on GRIPS, please visit: http://www.grips.ac.jp/


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