MEXT Young Leaders Program 2020/2021

Applications for MEXT Young Leaders Program 2020/2021 are now open. YLP Japan scholarship gives international students the opportunity to undertake masters programs in various fields such as local governance, law, business administration, Public administration and health administration in Japan. MEXT undergraduate scholarships are also available for international students.

This programs’ main objective is to foster future leaders from Asian countries.  Other than giving a deep insight to the scholars, the MEXT Japanese scholarship creates a network and friendly relationships between different national leaders. It, in turn, helps in improving policy planning strategies and various activities in Asian and other countries which includes Japan.

The young leaders’ program was launched in 2001 by the Ministry of Education, science, and technology, sports and culture of the Japanese government. It is a yearlong scholarship that aids in the preparation and empowerment of young people with leadership roles from various parts of the globe in their chosen study fields.  The available scholarship is for the Master’s program.

Eligibility Criteria:

• The applicants must hail from countries eligible for the young leaders’ program (YLP).
• The applicants must be 40 years and below as of 2nd October every year.
• They must be holders of a bachelor’s degree or equivalent from an accredited institution and have excelled in the academic performance.
• They should have at least a working experience of three years or preferably five years full-time in public administration.
• Applicants must be proficient in English with a minimum score of 79 points or equivalent.
• The applicant’s health must be good to apply for YLP scholarship program.
• Visa requirement: The selected slot of applicants must be holders of college student’s visas before going to Japan. The visas should be issues in applicant’s nationality Japanese legation. Those who change their resident status to any other than the outlined college student loses their Japanese scholarship.

Scholarship Benefits:

• The scholarship award provides for a monthly stipend of 242,000 yen per month (rate in FY 2019; amount is subject to change) to cover living expenses such as food, clothing, and other daily expenses, as well as accommodation, transportation, medical treatment, insurance, and various miscellaneous expenses related to the study at GRIPS. This stipend is fixed and cannot be increased to cover family members. The scholarship also covers university application fee, admission fee, and tuition.
• Scholars will be given an economy-class air ticket from their home country to Japan upon enrollment at GRIPS and an economy-class air ticket from Japan to their home country upon completion of their studies at GRIPS