Join us / Scholarship
The hydraulics lab welcomes excellent international master’s/doctoral students and postdocs as new members working with us. Our students, in particular doctoral students, are strongly supported and encouraged to create scientific significances and to publish excellent papers in high quality international journals. The current main research topics in our group are introduced here.
To join our research group, you must first show adequate English or Japanese skills in order to have meaningful discussions on your research topic. Same as the minimum requirement for MEXT scholarship application, we expect English level B2 or higher in the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) as a minimum score. B2 in CEFR may be almost equivalent with 5.5 in IELTS, 72 in TOEFL iBT, and 680 in TOEIC. In addition, excellent research capability with high motivation is mandatory. Your excellent academic achievements (academic transcript) in previous schools and your publication list can be used to demonstrate this. Finally, although living costs in Hiroshima are relatively cheap compared to other regions of Japan, you need to carefully prepare a financial plan to support your study here. Many scholarships are available from the Japanese government, local governments, private foundations, and local international associations.
Overview of study in Japan
You can see an overview of studying in Japan in the following site by Japan Student Services Organization (JASSO) supported by the Japanese government: https://www.studyinjapan.go.jp/en/
Also, you can find information for incoming international students including student support from the following website by Hiroshima University: https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en/international
MEXT scholarship
Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT: Monbukagakusho) of the Japanese government provides MEXT Scholarship supporting international students to study in Japanese universities. The candidates are selected based on the recommendations of Hiroshima University or the Japanese Embassy/Consulate General in your country. For the embassy recommendation, please directly contact the Japanese embassy or consulate general in your country. For the university recommendation, the candidates are usually selected in January for the enrollment in October next year, based on the recommendation from potential supervisors. If you are interested in the application for this scholarship, please contact one of our faculty members in November or December.
MEXT scholarship site (in Japanese): http://www.mext.go.jp/a_menu/koutou/ryugaku/06032818.htm
JICA Program
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) also supports your study in Japan through several programs. Our group accepts doctoral students supported by JICA. One of the programs for doctoral study at Hiroshima University is the JICA SDGs Global Leader Program, where JICA aims to foster junior/mid-level government officials, academicians, and leading human resources. Nomination of applicants in the respective organization is generally conducted in October for enrollment in the following October. For pre-screening, select Prof. Kenichiro Nakarai at the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering (Civil and Environmental Engineering Program) of Hiroshima University as your supervisor in your application. If you are interested in the application, please directly contact your nearest JICA Overseas Office.
JICA SDGs Global Leader Program site: https://www.jica.go.jp/dsp-chair/english/dsp/course/content/sdgs_global_leader.html
Postdoctoral researchers
Excellent postdoctoral researchers are also welcome. Although postdocs are sometimes employed for existing research projects in our lab, JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships is a strong item for all candidates planning international research activities with our lab at Hiroshima University. If you are interested in the application for the JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships, please contact one of our faculty members.
JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research in Japan site: https://www.jsps.go.jp/english/e-fellow/