JAPANESE GOVERNMENT (MEXT) SCHOLARSHIPS FOR RESEARCH STUDENTS 2027

Graduates pursuing Research degrees

First Screening: The first screening of applicants will be conducted by Japanese diplomatic missions through examination of submitted application documents, written examinations of language proficiency, and interviews. The written examinations will assess proficiency in both Japanese and English. These examinations are mandatory for all applicants. The results of the Japanese language exam will be used to determine appropriate preparatory education after the grantee arrives in Japan. Additionally, the English proficiency test may be waived for applicants from countries where English is an official language. Applicants are advised to follow the guidance provided by their home country's overseas diplomatic establishment. The date and time for notification of the first screening results will be announced separately by Japanese diplomatic missions in the applicant's country. The reasons for the results will not be disclosed. Passing the first screening does not guarantee selection as a MEXT Scholarship grantee. The results will be used as a reference for the second screening and university placement. Second Screening: MEXT conducts the second screening based on the results of the first screening, which is overseen by the Japanese embassy or consulate in the applicant's country. Applicants are selected as MEXT scholarship students once their placement at a university is confirmed. Applications may be rejected due to proliferation concerns, including those related to weapons of mass destruction (WMD) and related items. University Placement: Successful applicants are generally placed at the university that issued them a provisional acceptance letter. MEXT will consult with the three universities listed on the applicant's placement preference application form. The applicant will be placed at the university that approves their admission after these consultations. If an applicant's preferences include both national and private or non-national public universities, the Japanese government's budget may prioritise placement at a national university, regardless of the applicant's ranking on the placement preference application form. If the university judges, based on the results of the written language exam taken during the first screening, that an applicant's Japanese language proficiency is not sufficient to understand lectures and research guidance, including those for experiments and practical training, the applicant will be placed in a six-month Japanese-language preparatory course at an institution designated by the university or MEXT upon arrival in Japan. Upon completion of the course, the grantee will enter the university for advanced education. Applicants deemed to have sufficient proficiency for research by the accepting university may be directly admitted as regular or non-regular students. The Japanese diplomatic mission will notify applicants of the final selection results and their assigned university between January and March 2027. The selection rationale will not be disclosed, and objections to university placement cannot be accepted.