Scholarship Info
The Japan Foundation, that was established in 1972 as a special legal entity to undertake international cultural exchange, became an independent administrative institution on October 1, 2003. As part of the changes being initiated, a new organizational structure was adopted in May this year that consists of the following four categories in order to aim toward the even more comprehensive and effective development of its international cultural exchange programs. Those categories are
Promotion of cultural and arts exchange, Promotion of overseas Japanese-language education and intellectual exchange, Promotion of overseas Japanese studies and intellectual exchange and Support of collection and provision of international exchange information and international cultural exchange standard bearers.

The Japan Foundation offers Asian Youth Fellowship for 2007 or phD scholarship to study the Japanese language for Malaysian students, who wish to study at graduate schools in Japan and have a strong wish to contribute to regional cooperation after obtaining a Master Degree or PhD Degree.

The scholarship grantees shall take a preparatory course in the Japanese language and other subjects for approximately 7 months at the Japan Foundation Japanese-Language Institute, Kansai , situated in Osaka, Japan. Grantees shall live in the provided dormitory through the Program.

Grantees will thereafter be matriculated into Japanese universities as Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) scholarship students (Research Student or regular course students) from April 2008.

Scholarship Name
Asian Youth Fellowship for 2007

Field Of Study
Humanities, Social Sciences, Engineering and Natural Sciences.Fields of study must be one of those available at Japanese universities. Practical training given by factories or companies is excluded. Japanese Studies or Japanese Culture Studies are not fit for the purpose of this Program. The study area must be in the same field as the applicant has studied (or is now studying) or a related one.

Eligibility

1. Applicants must be nationals of one of the following countries; Bangladesh, Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand or Vietnam.
2. Applicants must be under 35 years of age as of April 1, 2008 (i.e. born on or after April 2, 1973)
3. Applicants must be university or college graduates, who have completed the fundamental education of their countries, basically of 16 years (those who will graduate from a university or college by the Registration Day of AYF may apply).
4. Applicants should not have Japanese language proficiency. Those who have learned Japanese language and already acquired Japanese proficiency comparable to the Japanese Proficiency Test Level 3 are excluded.
5. Good proficiency in English is required.
6. Military men and military civilian employees registered on the personnel list are excluded.
7. Applicants should be in good health.
8. The grants may be canceled if grantees fail to arrive in Osaka, Japan, by the Registration Day of AYF, 2007.
9. The applicant whose spouse has already won a Japanese Government scholarship will not be selected as a grantee, and likewise in the case of a couple applying at the same time.
10. The applicant who has been awarded a Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) scholarship in the past will not be selected as a grantee unless he/she has had a few years research or teaching experience after returning to his/her country.
11. It is not recommended for his/her family to accompany the applicant to Japan during the AYF program.

Scholarship Value
The scholarship will be granted for a period of about 7 months, in principle, from the date of arrival in Osaka to March 2008. After completing the AYF Program, the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) scholarship will be granted according to its own regulation.

Expenses necessary for participation in the official curriculum (transportation, teaching material, etc.). Meals during the program (partly in the form of cash allowances) and a set amount of allowances to cover miscellaneous living expenses. Accommodation (a single room) at the Institute. Overseas travel insurance for disease and injury for the duration of the program. Round-trip, economy-class airline between the nearest International Airport from your residence and Kansai International Airport (Osaka, Japan) on the most direct and economical route. Japanese visa as a trainee.

The above terms of the grant will be effective from the date of arrival in Kansai to March 2008. After completing the AYF Program, grantees will proceed to Japanese universities as Monbukagakusho Scholarship students. Allowances, accommodations, and other status are subject to Monbukagakusho regulations.

How to apply
Japanese diplomatic missions concerned will select preliminary candidates from among applicants by means of a review of the documents submitted, in cooperation with the foreign governments concerned.

Those who have been selected as the preliminary candidates will be recommended to Asian Youth Fellowship Screening Committee, Tokyo, Japan. The Committee will select grantees from among the preliminary candidates by means of an interview made in their respective countries by a mission member assigned and dispatched by the Committee.

Final announcement will be provided by the Embassy of Japan in writing after Monbukagakusho approval to the decision by the AYF Screening Committee. The grantees of the Japanese Government (Monbukagakusho) scholarship for 2008 will be finally selected after the university placement has been made, provided they have passed the final examination of AYF. AYF will provide the students with information on Japanese universities through the Program.

For more info please visit Asian Youth Fellowship for 2007 website.