UNAIR NEWS – Universitas Airlangga highly supports its students to pursue studies abroad. Student Executive Board (BEM) of the Faculty of Law UNAIR demonstrated the commitment by inviting the Representative Consulate for Cultural and Educational Information of Japan in Surabaya, Kota Nakagome, in Japan Exchange Program international talk show. The event was conducted on Thursday, March 13, 2024, at the Pancasila Hall, Building A, the Faculty of Law, Dharmawangsa-B Campus, UNAIR.
Exploring “A Global Perspective on Japanese Academia”, Kota shared the details of the Japanese Gov’t Scholarship for UNAIR students.
MEXT scholarship rarely known
The MEXT scholarship has been established by the Japan Gov’t since 1954. MEXT has awarded scholarships to 102,000 students from 160 countries, including Indonesia. It offers opportunities for undergraduate to doctoral students to pursue studies in Japan fully funded, covering tuition fees, living expenses, insurance, visa fees, stipends, and even research and conference expenses.
However, he regrets that many Indonesian students are unaware of the MEXT scholarship. “Since I assumed the role of consul general in Indonesia, I have frequently visited schools and campuses to promote the scholarship. Unfortunately, many students are still unaware of this opportunity. Hopefully, after this, many UNAIR students will be interested in studying law in Japan with MEXT,” said Kota, who has lived in Indonesia for more than 10 years.
Benefits of studying in Japan
Japan is known for its technological advancements and knowledge. Apart from being Muslim-friendly, its crime rate is also low. Japanese people value the foreigners. Kota emphasized that there is no need to worry about communication difficulties because many Japanese people also speak English.
“In Japan, many universities provide English courses. The language certificate requirements for MEXT scholarships are not high, with a minimum of 5.5 IELTS and 543 TOEFL. Don’t worry, there are also plenty of Japanese language courses available,” he said.
In addition to academic pursuits, studying abroad allows students to learn and exchange cultures with other international students. “You get to make friends with many peers in Japan, so you can go sightseeing with them to experience Japanese culture. Japan has four seasons, so you’ll learn about each season and the famous cultural sides of Japan,” Kota explained.
Scholarship application tips
In the end, he shared several tips to get Japan scholarships. Learning foreign languages, studying for the written test, writing motivational letters, and practicing for the interview are some of them. He also reminded students to go the extra mile by finding scholarship info, requirements, and study programs.
“You should actively seek for scholarship information in Japan on the website and social media,” Kota suggested.
Author: Febriana Putri Nur Aziizah
Editor : Khefti Al Mawalia
