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MEXT Scholarship 2016 (Research)

Hello madphysicist, they just said that if we wanna live at the dorms we must choose the komaba lodge main.. After that they just give you a room number..

Best regards..

Thanks for your quick reply. Just considering the economics of living in Tokyo, since it's possible I would be based far from the main campus (and very far from Komaba...)
 
Hi guys, just wanted to ask if those of you accepted to Todai were offered a choice of dorms, or only one? Can I ask which one(s) were you offered? I couldn't find this info anywhere.

For mext scholarship students, you will go to Komaba campus and only komaba.

For utokyo or any other fellowship students, we get to apply for the dorm of our choice in June and hopefully get into one.

Thanks for your quick reply. Just considering the economics of living in Tokyo, since it's possible I would be based far from the main campus (and very far from Komaba...)

I am sure you will find a place. It is very much like a big city so there are many many options for housing (within your budget) if you can't get into a dorm. You might just need to save up a few thousand dollars to cover the first month with the deposit, and the other various charges.
 
Does anyone know if we have to drop of of the scholarship before we complete the research student period, do we have to pay money?
 
And another research related question... What happens if you don't get accepted into your university of choice after the 2 years are over? And what exactly are we required to do in order not to return the scholarship? Any idea?
 
@ven0m The guidelines are very clear about cases where you would actually have to return the scholarship money. See the section "Scholarship Benefits".

It seems like if you haven't got into any graduate course after 2 years, you just go home without a degree. There is a possibility to apply to a graduate school other than the one you are doing your research student period at (again, before the 2 years is up).

@calley21 If you have to drop out because of health problems or some unforeseeable situation that was not your fault, this kind of event is not listed under the "reasons you might have to give the money back". From what it says in the guidelines, seems like you would just have to pay for your own flight home and stop receiving the scholarship.

I am just relaying information from the embassy scholarship guidelines - I'd suggest reading them carefully for yourselves, they're not that long.
 
*hands up*

What sort of info have you gotten from your school (housing, etc)? I am happy to have the summer here - I've got to finish writing my thesis before I defend it in September - but some days I really want to move, asap.

Anyone know if/when we get extended vacations? (I'm talking like several weeks)

Check your school's calendar. See Kobe's, for example: キャンパスカレンダー | 国立大学法人 神戸大学 (Kobe University)
 

Thanks. I was thinking more of what's socially acceptable. Searching on Google, I've read that graduate students don't typically take long vacations like undergraduate students do (I couldn't find anything about research students specifically). It seems like a week to ten days off is considered "long". I would definitely like to take some longer vacations to go back to be with family and friends, but I don't want to ask and seem like I'm not serious about being here.
 
Thanks. I was thinking more of what's socially acceptable. Searching on Google, I've read that graduate students don't typically take long vacations like undergraduate students do (I couldn't find anything about research students specifically). It seems like a week to ten days off is considered "long". I would definitely like to take some longer vacations to go back to be with family and friends, but I don't want to ask and seem like I'm not serious about being here.

As far as I remember, 10 days to 14 days is kinda okay - the important thing is to not go missing for a month+ (that would be a problem).

I'm not sure whether there weren't procedures involved for longer absences, though (like some paperwork to fill and send to your graduate school or something).
 
As far as I remember, 10 days to 14 days is kinda okay - the important thing is to not go missing for a month+ (that would be a problem).

I'm not sure whether there weren't procedures involved for longer absences, though (like some paperwork to fill and send to your graduate school or something).
I remember that we're not allowed to be gone for over a month, and also that we need to confirm our presence by the specified days each month. I'm thinking of taking off just under a month in summer and spring, between semesters. I think we're supposed to notify the school whenever we leave the country, but I'm not comfortable with approaching my advising professor about it yet. (Again, I don't want to give off the wrong impression.. I want to learn and work hard, but I also really want to see my family as much as possible). I guess it might depend on the specific program/lab that you're in? Just trying to see if anyone else is thinking about taking long breaks too...
 
I remember that we're not allowed to be gone for over a month, and also that we need to confirm our presence by the specified days each month. I'm thinking of taking off just under a month in summer and spring, between semesters. I think we're supposed to notify the school whenever we leave the country, but I'm not comfortable with approaching my advising professor about it yet. (Again, I don't want to give off the wrong impression.. I want to learn and work hard, but I also really want to see my family as much as possible). I guess it might depend on the specific program/lab that you're in? Just trying to see if anyone else is thinking about taking long breaks too...

If it is during the school's vacation period you would not necessarily be obligated to be at seminars, etc, so what could the problem be? You wouldn't be missing anything you are registered for and could simply take no appointments with you supervisor while you are planning on being away. That's how grad school works most other places, anyway.

Mid-semester absences, however....
 
@chidat
I think it really depends on the supervisor, as well as whether you're doing a masters or PhD or are simply a "research student".

Right now I'm doing my masters research project in Germany. My supervisor has asked me to be at the group meeting once a week, as long as I can reasonably make it. The rest of the time I can come and go as I please - I'm not obligated to be at the department at any particular times and I could go back to my home country for a month or longer if I really wanted. He doesn't care as long as I get the work done. But I know some PhD students who pretty much go to work 9 to 5 every weekday and only get a few weeks off a year - they have contracts that specify how much holiday time they officially get because they're being paid by the university.

I think you should discuss with your supervisor at the beginning how often you're expected to be there, and inform them as soon as possible if you want to take a holiday to make sure it doesn't clash with any seminars, conferences etc. I don't think it matters whether it's during term time or not if you're doing research and not taking classes. Ultimately neither the group nor the university are paying you the scholarship, which is a key point I think. Also just because you go back to your home country doesn't mean you have to completely stop working!
 
What sort of info have you gotten from your school (housing, etc)? I am happy to have the summer here - I've got to finish writing my thesis before I defend it in September - but some days I really want to move, asap.

Nope, i haven't got any info yet. I guess they will inform me about housing on august since the registration period for october arrival will be open on June. Regarding the student visa, the embassy have told me that they will also start the application on August. Anw, good luck for your thesis defense!
 
Nope, i haven't got any info yet. I guess they will inform me about housing on august since the registration period for october arrival will be open on June. Regarding the student visa, the embassy have told me that they will also start the application on August. Anw, good luck for your thesis defense!

Thank you - I've heard all the same information.
 
Thank you - I've heard all the same information.

Yeah right now it is mid semester in Japan so I am assuming most schools are busy dealing with their current international students already there.

For Todai, I have been told I will need to apply for dorms in the middle of the summer and I won't get a student email or account until the day that I am physically at their office. They also don't require me apply for a visa entirely on my own. In July they are going to prepare a certificate of eligibility and ship it to me in August along with the International Student handbook and maybe some other things. So it seems like most likely this summer should be rather quiet except for doing the application and submitting the certificate of eligibility to the embassy. Maybe I will just take some Japanese classes to pass the time.
 
Anyone apply via LA Embassy? :O
Mine should have arrived in the mail today or tomorrow and I am wondering if I should expect an e-mail or anything confirming they have received my app!

Good lucky guys!
 
Hi everyone!
I would like to apply for the MEXT scholarship via my Embassy in the year 2017 as a research student, and since this seems to be the most recent thread about research scholarships, I hope it's ok to post here. There isn't a lot of info on the embassy's site in Croatia and some of it even differs from what I read on the japanese sites (maybe because of translation) so I just wanted to ask people with experience about it.

1. At the end of studying in Japan as research students do we get a degree? For example, I'm getting my bachelor's degree in a few months and wanted to study in Japan as a graduate student for my master's degree. Can I get my master's degree when studying with the research scholarship?

2. Also, in some places it says we need to have a graduation certificate/diploma when sending all the documentation in April, but on other sites it says you have time until September. I'll probably graduate for bachelor's in either April or May so it's kind of an important difference for me, since if April is the deadline, that's quite a problem for me.

3. I would be applying for social sciences (I'm interested in departments like social services/social welfare/social work), so if anyone has experience with applying for something like that, it would be a great help if you shared some insight or advice.

Thank you very much! :)
 
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