Daiwa Scholarship presentations at universities around the UK

Representatives of the Daiwa Anglo-Japanese Foundation and members of the Daiwa Scholars Alumni Association will be giving hour-long presentations about the Daiwa Scholarships at universities around the country during Autumn 2015:  http://www.dajf.org.uk/scholarships/general-information#universityvisits.

The Daiwa Scholarship programme was established in 1991, inspired by the belief that the exchange of young people would foster mutual understanding and support the long-term relationship between Britain and Japan.

The Daiwa Scholarship allows for 19 months to be spent in Japan including a 12-month period of Japanese language study, a 1-month homestay and a 6-month work placement, following a one-month period of Japanese language study in the UK (during August).

The Scholarships are aimed at future leaders in their fields who will derive personal and professional benefit from obtaining an in-depth experience of Japan.

Competition for places is intense and for 2015 Scholarships the Foundation received over 200 applications. Candidates undergo a thorough twoe-stage interview process before being selected by the Trustees who are able to offer up to six Daiwa Scholarships each year.

The intensive Japanese language course is held at the Tokyo School of the Japanese Language, known also as the Naganuma School. Scholars are expected to reach an upper-intermediate level of language ability by the end of the programme.

Following the homestay period spent living with a family outside Tokyo, full-time work placements appropriate to each Daiwa Scholar’s career goals are arranged. The Foundation has a wide network of contacts and a reputation for placing Scholars in organisations that rarely accept interns. Previous Daiwa Scholars have been based in government offices, NGOs, universities, think-tanks, hospitals, media companies, architecture practices and law firms.

Former Scholars are now forging careers in architecture, the arts, science, media, law, academia and medicine. They make up a distinctive network of individuals with a shared experience of Japan, and maintain their links with the Foundation and each other through the Daiwa Scholars Alumni Association.

Alumni include Professor Hugo Dobson, Head, Department of East Asian Studies at Sheffield University, James Harding, former editor of The Times and now Head, BBC News and Current Affairs, Professor Edmund de Waal OBE, ceramicists and author of The Hare with Amber Eyes, Dr Carl Randall, artist and winner of the 2012 BP Travel Award at the National Portrait Gallery, Natasha Pulley, author of The Watchmaker of Filigree Street and Dr Chris Harding, Lecturer in Asian History at the University of Edinburgh and selected a New Generation Thinker 2013 by the AHRC and Radio 3.

Benefits

• Return flight to Japan
• Accommodation in Tokyo whilst the Scholar is seeking a flat
• All tuition and examination costs
• A living allowance for the duration of the Scholarship which is to cover accommodation and living costs for a single person.
• While on the programme, Scholars may not undertake remunerated work.

Requirements

Candidates must be:

•  British citizens
• aged between 21 and 35 years of age by the time of departure.

Candidates should be: 

• graduates or due to graduate by the time of departure
• equipped with a strong degree in any subject* or with a strong record of achievement in their field
• in possession of clear career objectives combined with a serious interest in Japan.

*Graduates in Japanese language studies are not eligible to apply for Daiwa Scholarships but may wish to apply for support through the Foundation’s grant schemes and this other Scholarship opportunity: http://www.dajf.org.uk/scholarships/japanese-studies

Application Timetable

3 December 2015: Application deadline

February and March 2016: Interviews (There are three interview stages, all held in London)

End of March 2016: Interview results

August 2016: Japanese language course in the UK

September 2016: Departure for Japan

March 2018: End of Programme

For  more information on former Scholars, please refer to the link below.

Scholars Experiences