JAPAN: MEXT Scholarships for 2025 academic year

The Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT) is offering scholarships to international students who wish to study at Japanese universities or Japanese specialized training colleges under the Japanese Government Scholarship Programme in 2025.

The aim of the scholarship is to foster human resources who will become bridges of friendship between South Africa and Japan through study in Japan and candidates who will contribute to the development of both countries and the wider world.

For more information, please visit Embassy of Japan in South Africa Website.

Degree level

• Undergraduate Students;
• Specialized Training College Students; and 
• Research Students – Postgraduate students enrolled in a master’s, doctorate, or professional course; and undergraduate students conducting research in specialized fields.

Deadline

17 May 2024

Who can apply?

• Must be a South African in good health;
• Applicants must be willing to learn Japanese. Applicants must be interested in Japan and be willing to deepen their understanding of Japan after arrival;
• Health certificates in the prescribed format, signed by a medical doctor attesting that you do not have any physical or mental condition that would impede your studies in Japan.

Undergraduate students:

• Must be under 25 years of age (born on or after 2 April 2000) and have completed 12 years of school education.

Specialized Training College Students:

• Must be under 25 years of age (born on or after 2 April 2000) and have completed 12 years of school education. 

Research students:

• Must be under 35 years of age (born on or after 2 April 1990) and a university graduate (includes prospective graduates);
• Academic Background:
  • Applicants must satisfy any one of the following conditions for admission to either a master’s or doctoral course at a Japanese graduate school in which they wish to first enroll.
    1. Master’s course / Doctoral course (first phase)
       1. Must have completed 16 years of schooling in countries other than Japan;
       2. Must have completed a programme with the standard study period of three years or more at universities or equivalent educational institutions in countries other than Japan and received a degree equivalent to a bachelor’s degree;
       3. Other than the above ① and ② conditions, applicants who are eligible for enrollment in a master’s course /doctoral course (first phase) at a Japanese graduate school.
• Applicants must have the ability to do research and adapt to living in Japan.

Fields of study

For Undergraduate Students:

(1)  Social Sciences and Humanities

(2)  Natural Sciences

Please refer to the Application Guidelines for Undergraduate Students for more information.

For Specialized Training College Students:

Applicants must choose a field of study in accordance with the following procedure and fill in “Preferred field of study and subjects in Japan” on the application form;

• Choose a preferred field of study from among (A) to (F) below. 

(A) Technology  (B) Personal Care and Nutrition    (C) Education and Welfare   (D) Business    (E) Fashion and Home Economics  (F) Culture and General Education 

• Choose preferred subject(s) from the “Name of Subjects” listed in the chosen field of study on the Annex “Majors and Related Subjects for Fields of Study”;
• Each grantee will be enrolled at a preparatory educational institution designated by MEXT for the first year of the scholarship period;
• The preparatory course is a one-year intensive course in the Japanese language, Japanese affairs, and other subjects necessary for preparation for proceeding to a specialized training college.

Please refer to the Application Guidelines for Specialized Training College Students for more information.

For Research Students:

Applicants should apply for the field of study they majored in at university or a related field.

The fields of study must be the courses that applicants will be able to study and research at Japanese universities.

Please refer to the Application Guidelines for Research Students for more information.

What the scholarship offers

• Monthly allowance
• Round-trip airfare
• Tuition fees
• Entrance examination fees
• Matriculation fees

 Application process

Applications must be couriered or be hand delivered and addressed to:

Cultural Section of the Embassy of Japan in South Africa

259 Baines Street, Groenkloof, Pretoria, 0181

Contact

For further information about this scholarship please contact Mr. Ryan Keet by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Documents and links

Application Guidelines for Undergraduate Students

Application Guidelines for Specialized Training College Students

Application Guidelines for Research Students

Application Form for Undergraduate Students FY2025

Application Form for Specialized Training College Students FY2025

Application Form for Research Students FY2025

Placement Preference Application Form for FY2025

Majors and Related Key Terms for Fields of Study for Specialized Training College Students

Field of Study and Research Plan for Research Students

Certificate of Health must be filled in by a professional medical doctor.

Recommendation Letter Sample: This is a sample. Any form/style of letter is to be accepted.

Note

Please note that this opportunity is not offered by the Department of Higher Education and Training. Applicants are required to undertake their own research into programmes and institutions and are responsible for ensuring that the qualifications will be recognised in South Africa by contacting the South African Qualifications Authority and the relevant professional bodies. If there are any discrepancies in the details provided, the information given by the sponsor supersedes the details provided above. No additional financial support will be provided by the Department of Higher Education and Training.

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