MEXT Young Leaders Program Scholarships at GRIPS, Japan

The Japanese Government (MEXT) offers full scholarships to outstanding candidates who have been accepted to study at GRIPS. If you are an international student applying to the Young Leaders Program at GRIPS, you can apply for this MEXT scholarship. Awards are competitive and only a limited number are available. You must be an overseas student recommended by a Japanese Embassy or Consulate General, a university, or an authority.

• Host: National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Japan
• Level: Master's degree
• Fields: Master of Public Policy
• Awards: not specified
• Covered: monthly stipend of 242,000 yen, application, admission and tuition fees, and economy-class air tickets
• Deadline: varies, check with your Japanese embassy

National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS), Japan

Master of Public Policy.

The source does not specify a number of scholarships.

The School of Government deals with national policy-making and takes students from 29 countries:

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

The School of Local Governance deals with strengthening local governance and government responses to regional issues in areas such as education, health, social welfare, and local development. It takes students from 20 countries:

P. R. China, Rep. of Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Viet Nam, Laos, Myanmar, Cambodia, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Turkey, Hungary, Czech Republic, Poland, Romania.

This award suits young public administrators and government officials who are expected to take on national leadership roles in their home countries. You should already have several years of full-time work in your country's public field and hold a bachelor's degree before you apply.

The award pays a monthly stipend of 242,000 yen (rate in FY 2020; the amount is subject to change). It is meant to cover living costs such as food, clothing and other daily expenses, plus accommodation, transportation, medical treatment, insurance, and other miscellaneous costs tied to study at GRIPS. The stipend is fixed and cannot be raised to support family members. The scholarship also covers the university application fee, admission fee and tuition.

Scholars receive an economy-class air ticket from their home country to Japan when they enrol at GRIPS, and an economy-class air ticket from Japan back home when they finish their studies at GRIPS.

The YLP is open to young public administrators and government officials expected to play active roles as future national leaders in their home countries. Admission requires a minimum of three years of full-time work experience (five is preferable) in the field in the applicant's home country.

You also need a bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a recognised, accredited university of the highest standard, and certifiable health. You should be under 40 years of age as of 1 October, 2021. You must be proficient in English with a TOEFL iBT score of 79, an IELTS Academic score of 6.0 or equivalent, and you must be able to obtain a Student visa before arriving in Japan.

All application steps for Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho: MEXT) Scholarships go through Japanese embassies and consulates in your country, or through recommending authorities in the eligible countries. The official website (link below) explains who the recommending authorities are in your country. The application deadline varies, so check with your Japanese embassy for the date by which you must submit to the embassy.

Read the 2021-22 YLP Brochure and visit the official website (link below) for full details on how to apply for this scholarship.

• Who can apply for the MEXT Young Leaders Program scholarship? Young public administrators and government officials from the listed countries who are recommended by a Japanese Embassy or Consulate General, a university, or an authority, and who meet the admission conditions.
• What does the scholarship cover? A monthly stipend of 242,000 yen, the application, admission and tuition fees, and economy-class air tickets to Japan and home again.
• When is the deadline? It varies, so contact your Japanese embassy to confirm the submission date.
• How do I apply? Apply through your Japanese embassy or consulate, or the recommending authority in your country, following the steps on the official website.

• Read the official guidelines and the YLP brochure before you start, and follow the instructions for your country exactly.
• Prepare your degree certificate, work experience records and health documents early so nothing is missing at submission.
• Book your English test in good time and check that your score meets the required level.
• Contact the recommending authority in your country first to confirm the procedure and the date you must submit by.