Preparing for the JICA Innovative Asia Scholarship
Rahul Maroju Updated in JULY 2024

The ‘Innovative Asia’ scholarship by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) supports master's programs, doctor's programs, and internship opportunities in Japan. It provides support for the tuition and living expenses so that the research work can be focused without anxiety. Students belonging to 60 partner schools of 12 target countries are eligible.

To obtain this scholarship, the first step is to submit an online application form. This form, along with the program details will be shared by the partner school to all the eligible candidates by email. The first part of this form includes basic personal information, job record, educational record with scores, language proficiency, and medical record. In the next part, the candidate needs to explain their personal objectives from this program and support them with their interest, past experience and achievements. This step is a basic check of the student qualifications and confirms their willingness to join the program.

Once the initial screening is completed, all the eligible candidates need to submit the main application. Here, the career objectives and details of the research plan which the student plans to work at the Japanese university should be filled. Additionally, scores of English-speaking tests like TOEFL can be submitted to add advantage. Finally, names of two university supervisors (from the same university or different university) must be provided under whose supervision, the student is interested to work with. The student is expected to explore various labs at Japanese universities and email the professors explaining about the scholarship program to obtain their consent to fill their names in this form. The name should be filled only with the supervisor’s consent, which means that he/ she is willing to accept the student on obtaining a university admission (along with clearing the entrance exam). Searching the websites of different universities and correlating the research work with the student’s interest is the key decision here.

After this round, the selected candidates will be invited for an interview which is the final step of the screening. This will probably be held face-to-face at the partner school. The candidate can expect questions on the details mentioned in their application forms of the previous rounds, especially about their background, motivation for studying in Japan and research experience. So, the application should be prepared consciously before the submission along with a thorough preparation of the content.

In summary, this program is suitable for students passionate to study in Japan. At every phase of the selection process, the student must have a clear idea on what is expected to be filled and must support their responses with appropriate justification. Demonstrating clarity of thought and confidence with the interviewers will likely impress them for the selection.

Finally, even if the candidate gets selected for this scholarship, this is applicable only if he/ she can also get an admission in a university program. As a final note, Innovative Asia is just one of the several scholarships offered by JICA to support many countries around the globe.

Reference:
https://www.jica.go.jp/english/overseas/asia/innovative_asia.html
Copyright by JICA Source: JICA