Peace and Education; Rotary Yoneyama Scholarship in Japan

WeXpats
2020/09/08

Rotary Yoneyama Scholarships have helped students through decades past and will continue to do so in decades to come. The scholarship has stood for years as an international symbol of hope and opportunity for overseas students, and a beacon for lasting peace emanating from Japan widely seen throughout the world. 


Table of Contents


Rotary Club of Tokyo

The Yoneyama Scholarship Program was established in 1952, named after Mr. Umekichi Yoneyama (1868-1946), a Japanese bank executive who advocated the principle of “corporate philanthropy” who was instrumental in the formation of the first Rotary Club in Japan in Tokyo. Today, it is called the Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation, after the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology granted its official recognition and the authorization in 1967 to become part of the nation’s contribution to global peace and understanding.

The Foundation awards scholarships to overseas students who wish to study or conduct research in Japanese universities and other schools, especially well-qualified and dynamic individuals who have leadership potential and who can be expected to use their education and talents to serve their own countries and the whole global community through their careers and advocacies. Mr. Yoneyama’s dream of promoting Japan as a peace-loving nation continues to be a growing testimony to its fulfillment through the many individuals from over a hundred countries who have benefited from the scholarship and who continue to promote goodwill by their own lives. As of 2019, the Rotary Club had awarded over 21,000 scholarship grants to students from 129 countries and regions. 

※ Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation, “Application for the 2020 school year”

Scholarships

There are several types of scholarships granted by the Yoneyama Foundation, as listed in the Foundation’s official website, namely:

Scholarship

Qualifications

Amount of the Grant

Duration and other info

1. Rotary Yoneyama Memorial
Undergraduate Course Scholarship (YU)

· 3rd and 4th year undergraduate college students; 

· 5th and 6th year students in these courses:
medicine, dentistry, or veterinary medicine

100,000 yen per month

1 or 2 years 

2. Rotary Yoneyama Memorial
Master Course Scholarship (YM)

· 1st and 2nd-year students of a master’s program

140,000 yen per month

1 or 2 years 

3. Rotary Yoneyama Memorial
Doctoral Course Scholarship(YD)

· 2nd and 3rd-year students of a doctoral program; 

· 3rd and 4th-year students of a doctoral program
in medicine, dentistry, and veterinary medicine

140,000 yen per month. 

2 years

4. Rotary Yoneyama Memorial
District Support Scholarship

Granted to students enrolled in an institution
of higher education, specifically: 

· students in an advanced course at a college of technology;

· students enrolled in the degree of Advanced diploma
(Koudo Senmonshi) at a specialized training school

100,000 yen per month
for those enrolled to get Koudo Senmonshi

 

70,000 for others

1 or 2 years

5. Rotary Yoneyama Memorial
Club Support Scholarship
(half is granted by the Sewa Club)

Granted to those enrolled in their final year of a doctoral course
and soon to receive their doctoral degree or those in
the final year of a master’s course and proceeding to
a doctoral program in the same university.

140,000 yen per month

6 months to 1 year

 

You must get approval
from your Sewa Club

6. Rotary Yoneyama Scholarship
for Applicants Residing Abroad

Granted to foreign individuals entering universities
under a pre-arrival admission system.

-100,000 yen per month for undergraduates 

-140,000 yen per month for postgraduate students.

2 years

 

Students must know
basic Japanese (N4 level)

7. Japan Rotary Yoneyama
Memorial Research Fellowship

Granted to advanced researchers from Taiwan
and South Korea who are invited to conduct research
at a Japanese university.

140,000 yen per month

1 year


 

Please check the Rotary Yoneyama website for more eligibility requirements and details for each scholarship, as well as their application period. 

Types and Period of Scholarships

Application and selection

Scholars under the YU, YM, and YD types must fulfill the following requirements: 

1. Citizenship 

Only non-Japanese citizens will qualify, including those from other countries, non-Japanese dual citizens, and stateless people. Appropriate student or research visas are required of grantees, whether for college students or refugees duly authorized by the Minister of Justice.

2. System of Nomination for Chosen Institution  

The scholar must be nominated by the school where the scholar plans to study. Enrollment must already be guaranteed and/or the student must already be enrolled to apply. Specific qualifications may differ per school.

3. Designated Schools and Grant Periods

The respective Rotary district will designate the schools where scholars may enroll and can apply to the grant as provided in the above section, subject to conditions in cases of repeated years or leaves of absence.

4. Health Condition

Scholars must have generally good health to finish the course in Japan.

5. Doctorates

Holders of doctorate degrees are not eligible, unless they are engaged in research in a different field.

6. Age Limit 

Students must be 44 years old or under at the time of the start of the course. 

Japanese Language Proficiency

Some scholarships require a high level of proficiency in the Japanese language as early as during the time of the interview - or the school requires that you need have a high level of Japanese to enroll before applying to the scholarships. Saitama University is one of those schools strictly observing this requirements. Tokyo Medical and Dental University also requires high Japanese proficiency for students already enrolled in a program at their school.

Selection Process

  • Applicant submits completed application form to the school.

  • From September to early October, the school will select and then nominate students to the Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation.

  • The Rotary committee will screen the nominees.

  • The Rotary selection committee will conduct interviews from December to January to screen the nominees to the school within that Rotary district. 

  • The Rotary committee will notify successful candidates through their schools by the middle of February.

Summary

Mr. Yoneyama’s legacy of peace and goodwill remains a bright guiding light for hundreds of students and professionals who have participated in the Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation’s noble educational program, as well as for future scholars who seek solid and meaningful education in Japan. If you plan to study in Japan, or already studying in Japan and you qualify, go for these competitive but generous scholarships!

Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation 

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