Kokugakuin University Visiting Fellows Program 2016, Japan

Overview of Fellows Program 2016

Toward the promotion of international academic communication and cooperation, and in the interest of stimulating global research on Japanese society and culture, Kokugakuin University administers a Visiting Fellows Program to support qualified foreign researchers with fellowships as Kokugakuin University Visiting Fellows (hereinafter, “Visiting Fellows”).

Qualifications

1. Applicants for the Visiting Fellows program shall be researchers engaged in a field of study dealing broadly with Japanese culture and society.
2. The focus of a Visiting Fellow’s research must be one shared with one or more faculty members of Kokugakuin University to allow the provision of appropriate collaboration with and direction to the Visiting Fellow.
3. In principle, Visiting Fellows must be candidates for the Ph. D. degree (or equivalent) affiliated with universities or research intuitions located outside of Japan.
4. Citizenship or nationality is not taken into consideration when selecting Visiting Fellows.
   The successful applicant for the Visiting Fellows Program shall possess a sufficient command of the Japanese or English language to allow successful completion of research and academic activities in Japan.
5. During the term of his or her designation as Kokugakuin Visiting Fellow, an individual may not receive other fellowships or funding exceeding JPY300,000 (or equivalent) per month, and may not take on any employment not permitted by the conditions of his or her visa.

Annual Quota

No specific quota of Visiting Fellows is set, but it is anticipated that a few persons will be selected each year of the program.

Application Procedures

Applicants shall submit the documents listed in Section 7 by the application deadline, following the instructions noted in 1), 2), and 3) below. The application process shall not be completed until Kokugakuin acknowledges receipt of the documents.
1) Applicants shall submit the required documents by registered mail, trackable courier service, or by PDF file attachment to email.
2) Deadline for submission of all documents is December 15, 2016, Japan standard time.
3) The International Exchange Programs Office at Kokugakuin willl send acknowledgement within three days of receipt of documents. If the applicant does not receive acknowledgement, he/she should contact the International Exchange Programs Office without delay.

Application Documents

Applicants shall submit the following documents, completed in either Japanese or English. If documents are submitted in other languages, they must be accompanied by an accurate translation in Japanese or English.
1) Application form (Form 1)
2) Research proposal
3) Recommendation letter from the head of the home institution / organization or equivalent.
4) Recommendation letter from a researcher who can attest to the research abilities of the applicant
※In the event the authors of letters 3) and 4) are the same person, the two letters may be combined in a single letter.
5) Document certifying the status of the applicant as a student or employee of the home institution
6) Curriculum vitae, including the applicant’s academic record, career record, published research, membership in academic societies, and relevant social activity
7) Health certificate (issued by the home institution or other medical authority) certifying the applicant’s health is sufficient to conduct research during the period as a Visiting Fellow.)

In some cases, Kokugakuin University may request the applicant for further information and/or documentation. The applicant may be rejected in the event any false statement or data is found in the submitted documents.

Letter of agreement from a tenured faculty member of Kokugakuin University.

In addition to the documents listed in section 7, an applicant shall submit a letter from a tenured faculty member of Kokugakuin University (Form 2) agreeing to act as cooperating academic advisor to the applicant in the event the applicant is selected as Visiting Fellow. The letter may also be submitted to the International Exchange Programs Office directly by the cooperating Kokugakuin faculty member.

In the event the cooperating academic advisor is away from Kokugakuin during the period of the Visiting Fellow’s actual research, a different tenured faculty mamber may be nominated to act as alternate academic advisor before or during the Visiting Fellow’s period of residence as a researcher.

If an applicant is unable to find an appropriate cooperating academic advisor from within the Kokugakuin faculty, he/she may request an introduction by sending the Application form (Form 1), Research proposal, and Curriculum Vitae to the International Exchange Programs Office by November 5, 2016. Depending on the applicant’s area of specialty, however, it cannot be assured that an appropriate Kokugakuin faculty member will be found to take the role of academic advisor for the applicant.

For more information click "Further official information" below.