Active Projects

Projects that have been Discontinued

Active Projects

Gallaudet University Sasakawa International Scholarship

Established	1993
Coordinator	Gallaudet University
Length of program	1 year
Fund size	$2,000,000
Purpose	The Sasakawa International Scholarship is a partial-tuition program that The Nippon Foundation has established at Gallaudet University. This program is for deaf exchange students from developing countries who have met the entrance requirements of Gallaudet University, but who do not possess the financial means to attend.
Website	http://www.gallaudet.edu/

Gallaudet University World Deaf Leadership Scholarship

Established	2003
Coordinator	Gallaudet University
Length of program	A maximum of 5 years
Fund size	$3,000,000
Purpose	The World Deaf Leadership Scholarship one of two scholarship programs that The Nippon Foundation has established at Gallaudet University. This program is for deaf exchange students from developing countries who have met the entrance requirements of Gallaudet University, but who do not possess the financial means to attend. It provides full tuition support. Graduates who have received this scholarship are expected to return to their home countries, to aid in the development of the deaf community there.
Website	http://www.gallaudet.edu/

Japan-China Sasakawa Medical Fellowship

Established	1986
Coordinator	Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation
Length of program	1 year
Fund size	Approx. ¥411 million/year
Purpose	The Japan-China Sasakawa Medical Fellowship is the result of a tripartite agreement between the Chinese Ministry of Public Health, the Japan-China Medical Association and the Sasakawa Memorial Health Foundation. In recent years, roughly 30 Chinese medical health professionals are given a chance to come to Japan each year to attend Japanese medical universities and learn the latest in medical technology. They are then required to return to their country to put their new knowledge to use, thus avoiding the “brain-drain” that so many countries have experienced as a result of similar scholarship programs.
Website	Japan China Medical Association (Japanese)

The Nikkei Scholarship

Established	2003
Coordinator	The Association of Nikkei and Japanese Abroad
Length of program	A maximum of 5 years
Fund size	Approx. ¥117,750,000/year
Purpose	The number of post-secondary level exchange students that came to Japan in 2005 was more than 120,000. However, most of these students came from Asia. The number from Central and South America amounted to no more than 1 percent of the total. Although scholarship programs run by the national or local governments do exist, there is some question as to whether they truly meet the needs of those who want to study in Japan. This program on the other hand, tailors specialized programs of study to fit with the future plans of the students. In addition, the program aims to create leaders for the next generation who can help in the development of their countries. Finally, we hope that this scholarship will form the basis for new bridges between Japan and Latin America.
Website	http://www.jadesas.or.jp/en/

The Nippon Foundation Fellows Program at the Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies

Established	2012
Coordinator	Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies (IUC)
Length of program	1 year
Fund size	Approx. ¥86 million (20 students/year)
Purpose	IUC was established in 1963 by a consortium of 10 US universities with established Japan studies programs, led by Stanford University. In addition to contributing to the development of Japanese language education with original teaching methods and materials, IUC accepts students from around the world and its graduates include leading Japan researchers and specialists. The Nippon Foundation provides scholarships to up to 20 students per year, to maintain the quality of future leaders in the field of Japan studies.
Website	http://www.iucjapan.org/

NTID Ryoichi Sasakawa Scholarship (National Technical Institute for the Deaf, at Rochester Technical Institute)

Established	1993
Coordinator	National Technical Institute for the Deaf (Rochester Institute of Technology)
Length of program	1 year
Fund size	$2,000,000
Purpose	The National Technical Institute for the Deaf (NTID), administered by Rochester Institute of Technology, was the world’s first technical institute oriented toward deaf people. Today it continues to be a leader in the field. This scholarship program helps deaf people from developing countries, who can demonstrate financial need, to take part in an exchange program at NTID. Following graduation, recipients are required to return to their home countries to aid in the support of the deaf communities there.
Website	http://www.ntid.rit.edu/

University for Peace Asian Peacebuilders Scholarship (APS)

Established	2006
Coordinator	The University for Peace
Length of program	19 months
Fund size	$1,643,700/year(2012)
Purpose	To date, Japan and other Asian countries have been under-represented among staff at international organizations. To address this imbalance, The Nippon Foundation is funding a 21-month graduate program that allows Asian students to receive a Master of Arts in International Peace Studies from the United Nations mandated University for Peace. The program has the academic collaboration of Ateneo de Manila University, where students take an introductory English Training Module and courses related to Asian issues that are taught by Asian scholars. The foundation courses in international peace studies are received in the University for Peace main campus located in Costa Rica. The program provides 30 The Nippon Foundation scholarships per year, and will equip these students with the knowledge and language skills required to work at international organisations and NGOs in the fields of peace building and conflict resolution.

The Sasakawa Japanese Studies Postgraduate Studentship Programme

Established	2013
Coordinator	The Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation
Length of program	1 year
Fund size	Approx. £300,000 (30 students/year)
Purpose	British universities have played an important role in cultivating Japan specialists in Great Britain and Europe. In recent years in particular, insufficient support for universities and students has meant that only a limited number of students are able to pursue graduate-level studies with a Japan specialization. This program provides scholarships to 30 students in Japan studies programs at the master’s and doctoral level at British universities, with the aim of contributing to the vitalization of Japan studies programs at universities in Great Britain and around the world.
Website	http://www.gbsf.org.uk/studentships/

Funding for Contemporary Japanese Studies in the Nordic countries

Established	2018
Coordinator	Scandinavia-Japan Sasakawa Foundation
Length of program	5 years for Lectureships / 1 year for PhD candidates
Fund size	Euro 845,800 (Actual amount in 2018)
Purpose	We aim to promote the study of Contemporary Japan in the Nordic countries by providing support to local universities and the PhD students. To advance the understanding of Japan culture and society in the five Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland and Iceland), which have the potential to collaborate in fields such as science and technology, peace building and maritime affairs, we support the lectureship costs for Contemporary Japanese studies course in 9 universities in the Nordic countries, and we also cover the expenses of research activities conducted in Japan for a maximum of 10 PhD candidates on an annual basis. By offer incentives to those proceeding their studies in the relevant fields in the Nordic countries, we aim to contribute in the vitalization of Japan studies and to further enhance its presence.
Website	https://sjsf.se/japanese-studies-grants/

Ryoichi Sasakawa Young Leaders Fellowship Fund (Sylff)

Established	1980’s
Coordinator	The Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research
Length of program	Varies by university
Fund size	US$1 million / university
Purpose	Against a backdrop of increasingly complex and diverse problems in today’s society in areas including government, religion, and ethnic identity, Sylff began operating as a global program from the 1980’s to cultivate human resources working to promote respect for diverse cultures and values and to resolve common issues affecting all mankind. Scholarships are provided to graduate students, mostly in the humanities, at 69 universities and university consortia in 44 countries around the world, including Japan. Selected for their potential as future leaders, the program’s more than 16,000 scholarship recipients (Sylff Fellows) are active in a wide range of fields.
Website	https://www.sylff.org/

The Nippon Foundation Fund for Japanese Language Education (NF-JLEP)

Established	1994
Coordinator	The Tokyo Foundation for Policy Research
Length of program	Varies by university
Fund size	US$1.5 million / university
Purpose	NF-JLEP was established in 1994 through grants of $1.5 million to eight universities and university consortia in six countries, as a global program to promote interest in the Japanese language and Japanese language education outside Japan. A total of 11 universities, including consortia members, receive support for Japanese language education as required in each region, including scholarships to students studying Japanese, the cultivation and skill enhancement of Japanese language instructors, and the development of Japanese language teaching curricula. More than 1,600 student scholarship recipients and Japanese language teachers (NF-JLEP fellows) are contributing to the development of Japanese language education in many countries.
Website	https://www.nf-jlep.org/

Master’s Scholarship at Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural University

Established	2018
Coordinator	Zamorano University
Length of program	2 years
Fund size	$1,110,000 (annual budget: 15 students/grade, 2 grades)
Purpose	To support the Master’s degree program in Sustainable Tropical Agricultural Sciences (MATS), which is part of the University’s innovative academic program that started in August 2018 to train leaders with high skills and knowledge to further promote sustainable agricultural development.
Website	https://www.zamorano.edu/en/

Projects that have been Discontinued

The API Fellowships Program (The Nippon Foundation Fellowships for Asian Public Intellectuals)

This project has come to a close and is listed on this page for reference only.

Established	2000
Coordinator	Institute of Asian Studies, Chulalongkorn University
Length of program	1 month to 1 year
Fund size	Approx. $1.6 million/year
Purpose	The API Fellowships aim to promote mutual learning among Asian public intellectuals and contribute to the growth of the wider public spaces in which effective responses to regional needs can be generated. To this end, a maximum of 6 such people are chosen annually from each of the five nations of Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, the Philippines and Thailand. These fellows then conduct research projects in one of the other four nations, thus contributing both to the advancement of mutual understanding, and creating networks of the regions top thinkers–the kind of networks that are necessary to guide Asia into the future.

The Nippon Foundation International Fellowship Program

This project has come to a close and is listed on this page for reference only.

Established	2011
Coordinator	The Nippon Foundation
Length of program	Maximum 2 years
Fund size	Approx. $1.7 million/year
Purpose	The Nippon Foundation International Fellowship Program provides highly motivated Japanese working in the public or private sectors with opportunities to further develop their abilities through mid-career study at overseas research or educational institutions. It is expected that, upon returning from their fellowships, the fellows will take the initiative, both individually and collectively, to address social issues in Japan and overseas, thereby acting as vital sources of knowledge and conveying that knowledge beyond their own national boundaries to help improve other parts of the world. After producing 45 fellows over six terms, this program concluded in fiscal 2019.

Peking University Graduate Program in International Relations

This project has come to a close and is listed on this page for reference only.

Established	1996
Coordinator	School of International Studies, Peking University
Length of program	3 to 4 Years
Fund size	Approx. $600,000/year
Purpose	This program for Master’s and PhD candidates is an attempt to build a cadre of Chinese experts in international relations who have a focus or special interest in Japan. Students in the 3-year master’s program divide their time between Peking University and Tokyo University. The 4-year PhD course, on the other hand, is split between Peking University and Waseda University.Students are listed by their year of graduation.

Scholarship Program for Central Asian University Students in Turkey

This project has come to a close and is listed on this page for reference only.

Established	2003
Coordinator	Japan Turkey Central Asia Friendship Association
Length of program	Up to 3 years
Fund size	Approx. $430,000/year
Purpose	This program provides scholarships to students from Central Asia who are studying at universities in Istanbul and Ankara. The program currently supports over 100 of the best and brightest students who have potential to initiate positive change in their home countries after graduation. During their scholarship term, the students will also participate in cultural seminars to learn and become familiar with the Japanese culture as well as the Japanese language.

Ryoichi Sasakawa/Norman Borlaug Scholarship Program

Established	2002
Coordinator	Zamorano University
Length of program	4 years
Fund size	$7,020,500 (disbursed total, 158 students over 10 years)
Purpose	Ryoichi Sasakawa/Norman Borlaug Scholarship Program provided scholarships to undergraduate students in Zamorano University in Honduras from 2002 to 2012, aiming to nurture the future leaders in the field of agriculture in Latin American countries. A total of 158 students from 15 countries graduated with a bachelor’s degree over the decade. The graduates are slated to become leaders in the agricultural sector who will contribute to the local development.
Website	https://www.zamorano.edu/en/