MEXT Scholarship (MONBUKAGAKUSHU-Japanese Government Scholarship) Selection Process for Research Students

I have received several dozen messages asking me about a Government-of-Japan Scholarship called "MONBUKAGAKUSHU or MEXT Scholarship". 

Scholarship flyer taken from "Embassy of Japan in Cambodia's Facebook Page" 

A lot of people, if not all, think that MEXT Scholarship selection process is complicated. However, it is not that complicated. You just need some hints to unlock its mysteries. Therefore, in this short article, I would like to briefly illustrate the selection process of this scholarship and some tips to win this one of the most prestigious scholarships offered in Cambodia by integrating information and recommendation given by the Embassy of Japan in Phnom Penh during the orientation session with my personal experience in winning this scholarship. I hope this will help. 

A Brief Overview of MEXT Scholarship

Every year the government of Japan offers 4 different levels of MEXT scholarship namely Research (Post-graduate), Undergraduate, Specialized Training College, and College of Technology. However, I will put an emphasis on only MEXT Scholarship for Post-Graduate Level. 

For Post-graduate level, there are several steps to be successful candidates of MEXT Scholarship, 5 steps to be precise, all of which are as follows. 

1. Shortlist

The very first step of this scholarship is to get shortlisted among hundreds of applicants. After enlisting your name in the applicant list, you are invited to take a written test designed by the scholarship provider. All applicants are required to take English and Japanese written test; however, you don't need to worry if you don't know any Japanese due to the fact that you can choose either English or Japanese as the main score, meaning that if your English score is higher, it will be considered as your main score, and vice versa.  

During my generation, there were well over 500 applicants from various fields of study and/or institutions/organizations. After the first selection process, 50 students were selected and were invited to submit their application form and necessary documents for screening, which is the second process of the scholarship.

2. First Screening

What you need to do after being shortlisted  is to submit your research proposal, application form together with recommendation letters from your previous lecturers and/or work place, and other necessary documents. 

The most important component of this step is "Research Proposal". Research Proposal is your research plan stating what you are going to do as a research student at a Japanese university. Your research proposal, or research plan, should tell the selection committee "What you are going to do, Whether you have academic skills, Why your research is important, useful or unique, Why it needs to be conducted in Japan, How you are going to do it, Your Research Time Frame, and last but not least What your expected results are." 

"Research proposal is one of the most important criteria to evaluate candidates' expertise. Many students do not have sufficient knowledge on research proposal. Basic knowledge should be acquired in their former education or in their career." (Embassy of Japan's Handout)

Hence, it is of most importance to consider it wisely once you plan to apply for this scholarship. During my generation only 22 candidates could go through this process and move on to the next.

3. Interview

After your application form, research proposal, and other attached documents have been reviewed, if deemed qualified, you will be invited to enter the interview room in which 5 interviewers are waiting to grill you. 

The intent of the interview, I think, is to test the applicants in person to know whether they are expertise in their research plan or qualified as potential candidates or not. This step is a bit tougher since the selection committee will look closely how well/knowledgeable you are in the subject by comparing you with other candidates who are qualified enough to get at this stage. Thus, it is important to note that you should be well prepared and ready to overcome challenges during the interview.

I remember seeing my fellow candidates anxious just before their turn to be interviewed, some of whom were too nervous to show their potentials. Indeed, being nervous is natural, but unable to control your nervousness is dreadful, resulting in a total failure; ergo, looking natural is great to show your confidence to the interviewers.

Personally, I have developed a Four Win Principles for Interview. If you think it works as it does to me, apply it for your sake, or forget it if it doesn't. Here they are:

[I won't explain it in detail. I just want you to analyze it by your self]

1. Humble, Polite, and Convincing
2. Forceful and Influencing
3. Diplomatic and Professional
4. Short and Precise, avoiding Verbose  

In this step, several more candidates will be disallowed to further another step on the selection process. As far as I am concern, 12 amongst the 22 (during my generation) were announced as successful candidates of interview, and the fourth step followed. 

4. Asking for Acceptance Letter from Japanese Universities

The next thing to do after earning recognition as successful candidates of the interview is to contact Japanese universities directly to seek for admission/acceptance letters. This step is the easiest, yet somehow time consuming. You will be given a period of time to contact your advisers at Japanese universities and ask them to grant you admission letters so that you can submit to the local Embassy of Japan. 

You are allowed to fill in three universities options in your university placement form, placing the most wanted on the top of the list to the least at the bottom. You are allowed to contact as many universities as you want, but make sure that once you submit them to the embassy, submit those [Letters of Acceptance] want to be your choices, or else you may be given the university you less prefer. [I think 3 most wanted universities are enough]

Although, you get admission letters from Japanese universities of your choice, the journey hasn't ended yet. The embassy needs to submit your application form and admission letters to the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan for second screening.

5. Second Screening and Final Result Announcement

Every year, the final result announcement of MEXT Scholarship is announced at the conclusion of December of the year, or early January of  the following year. 

I hope to see you in Japan. Leave me a message if you get it. Good LUCK!

For further information, you can contact:

Embassy of Japan in Cambodia

Culture and Information Section

Scholarship Advisor

Tel: 023-210-331

Email: scholarship.jpn@pp.mofa.go.jp

Office Hour: 14:00-17:30