Education fair unveils academic avenues in Japan

Pune, October 4 The Land of the Rising Sun is opening out its doors to aspiring students and researchers from India. At the Japan Education Fair held at the Abasaheb Garware College on Thursday, some 19 universities from Japan offered students information on courses, scholarships and entrance procedures in fields as varied as dentistry, fine arts, international relations, atomic energy and so on.

The Japan Education Fair, supported by the Ministry of Education in Japan, was organised jointly by the Japanese Student Services Organisation (JASSO) and the Mombusho Scholars Association of India (MOSAI). “Of the total 1,20,000 international students pursuing higher education in Japan, only 525 are from India, plus some 116 more who are studying the Japanese language. We want to increase this number further,” said JASSO executive director Sadayoshi Takagawa, speaking to reporters.

“The year 2007 has been declared as the Indo-Japanese Friendship Year by both the Indian and Japanese governments. With Japan’s investments in India at $ 2 lakh crore, there will be a world of opportunities opening up for students in terms of employment opportunities in both countries,” said MOSAI vice-president Umesh Joshi.

Students interested in studying in Japan would need to go through the examination for Entrance to Japanese Universities (EJU) held twice a year at New Delhi, which is on the lines of the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) for the United States. Knowledge of the Japanese language, which could earlier have served as an obstacle for some, is now no longer a must.

“Many universities now offer their courses in English, and even the (EJU) is conducted in both English and Japanese. Moreover, most universities even offer introductory courses in Japanese to the students,” said Takagawa.

Full scholarships are also awarded to students on the basis of a merit list drawn up after the EJU examination. “A full scholarship is up to $ 2000 a month, which is equivalent to the amount earned by fresh graduates in Japan when they begin working,” said Takagawa. Apart from those awarded by JASSO, scholarships are also offered by the Japanese Embassy in India and individual Japanese universities. For researchers, fellowships like the Mombusho scholarship are also available for pursuing postdoctoral research.

“Japan also assists its alumni in various ways even after they graduate, keeping them posted on latest developments in Japan and often inviting them back for continuing their education,” Takigawa said.

While Pune was the first choice for the Japan Education Fair in India, the Fair will be carried forward to New Delhi on Saturday. “For students in Pune, MOSAI will be setting up a facilitation centre at our office in Tilak Road, where students can get detailed information about courses in Japan, scholarships, and even on Japan in general,” said Joshi.

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