MEXT Scholarship - How good does your research project have to be?

[1amadalina]

Hello. I was wondering about what exactly the MEXT are looking for in a research project, or, more precisely, what are some qualities that can make a research project stand out?

I want to address this question to students who received a MEXT scholarship, and find out their personal thoughts as to why their project attracted the examination commission's attention.

Thank you!

[Aleksa]

Hello. I was wondering about what exactly the MEXT are looking for in a research project, or, more precisely, what are some qualities that can make a research project stand out?
I want to address this question to students who received a MEXT scholarship, and find out their personal thoughts as to why their project attracted the examination commission's attention.
Thank you!

Buna Madalina, I'm glad to see a conational applying for MEXT scjolarship May I ask you what field of study are you in? I was granted the MEXT scholarship through University recommendation in veterinary science. Anyway, regardless the field of study, in both embassy and uni recommending system, the research proposal is the most important weapon u can win with. Therefore, the research project should be very good. By this, I do not mean that you should squeeze your brain to find the newest and most complicated topic in your field. It has to be original indeed, cuz noone is interested in research that was done before, but you can find out about latter research interests by reading the recent literature and of course adapt it to match with the interest of a Japanese sensei or university. U may have an excellent research proposal, but realise that noone is interested in it in Japan and that would be sad. Most important is how you sell your research proposal, which means how you write it and how you present it It should be quite short in most situations, not longer than 3-4 pages word font 12. But please do not take it as a rule, it depends a lot on the field if study... If ure doing graphics, architecture etc, u may need more space for images etc. It should be very well structured, with introduction, review of literature, methods and material, final goals, bibliography if necessary. Very very important is the usefullness of your research, therefore do not neglect the goals. Write as detailed as possible about your future goals with this project, and if possible put them in a light that it will be helpful for future research, in an institution or university of your home country, or if it is the case, improve the research exchange btw Japan and Romania. Do not lie or exagerate, but in case u find those points DO Not forget to write them down. In your application as well, write as much as possible about your academic experience, even if you do not consider important ( ex: volunteered in a lab for a period,or helped a teacher during a symposium etc) volunteering counts a lot in a CV. Write few words about your graduation thesis at the section field of study studied in the past beside explaining the field of study. Please, for everyone who reads my post, this is just an opinion, nothing precise or guarranteed. I hope you will find it useful, Madalina and if you need anything else regarding your application, contact me without hesitation. Best of luck!

[1amadalina]

Oh, thank you, Aleksa, for your lenghty and detailed reply. I am really grateful for receiving such a complete account of what it takes to obtain the scholarship from someone who actually was successful.

Well, my field of expertise is History/Cultural Anthropology, and the project i prepared for the admission is an anthropological/cultural study of the Japanese archipelago - I won't go into detail here, but it's quite a novel research topic. The problem is, according to the forms the Embassy gave me, that, because I don't have knowledge of the Japanese language, and I am approaching a subject which is referring to Japan, i won't have the chance to get the scholarship.

But i hope that other aspects will prevail, like the quality of my research project, etc. I'll see.

Thanks again, compatriot!

[Eloisa]

Hi Madalina,

I'm also applied for the MEXT scholarship and my field of study is Art History.
We're in the same boat, because I don't speak or read japanese and they said in the Embassy that is very hard to get the scholarshio in this kind of field without Japanese.

I've been talking with some Professors at the University I choose, and because of my subject, japanese language is important, but I could manage to do the Master without it, even because the Master Program is all in English... And the best new I could heard is that my mother language is actually an advantage because of my research project. So I hope get it with this arguments...

Let me know how goes your application and I will telling you how goes mine

Thank you!
Eloísa

[1amadalina]

Eloisa, can I ask you a question?

Did you apply for a master's scholarship, or a "research student" scholarship? (The forms i had to fill in gave me that option. But since I haven't applied for a master's yet - i plan on doing so during my time there, and i already contacted the University and the professors that are involved in the master's program i'm interested in, and they showed their support - i can only apply for the "research student" scholarship)

I think you have a good chance to get it, if you're motivated enough and the MEXT can notice that in your arguments during the interview, but also in how well prepared your project is. Good luck, and be optimistic! I'll do that as well

[Eloisa]

Hi!

Yes, I applied for a master scholarship.
I haven't applied for a master in Japan yet. But I sent a e-mail to University to ask about the admission process, and I have time do apply after.
But I think everybody that gest the scholarship goes to Japan as a Research Student, because in the first six months you will studying japanese. Than you have to do a test at the University and after that your statu pass to a master ou phd studant...

Which university did you choose? My first choice is Kyushu University.

Thank you

[1amadalina]

Mine too! I have a hunch that we both have the same master's program in mind..

[zabur]

watz up my good friends?i also applied for the scholarship and am writing my exam coming sunday and interview on monday plz ve you done your own exam and interview and i must let you know that i have nt been contacting the university is choose,any implicatn for that