Japan: Tohoku University Scholarship for International Doctoral Program in Engineering

The Faculty of Engineering is pleased to announce the Tohoku University International Doctoral Program in Engineering and invites eligible students to submit applications for the 2006 program. A wide variety of elective courses are being offered in English. Scholarships for overseas students with outstanding scholastic ability are being offered as part of the program. The Program was launched in 2001 through the financial support of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (Monbukagakusho) and is now in its sixth year. Doctoral students in Tohoku University enjoy some of the best experimental facilities in the world and study along side distinguished faculty and associates to develop creative and original research that is published in highly reputed international journals.

Departments
Department of Mechanical System and Design
Department of Nanomechanics
Department of Aerospace Engineering
Department of Quantum Science and Energy Engineering
Department of Bioengineering and Robotics
Department of Electrical and Communication Engineering
Department of Electronic Engineering
Department of Applied Physics
Department of Applied Chemistry
Department of Chemical Engineering
Department of Biomolecular Engineering
Department of Metallurgy
Department of Materials Science
Department of Materials Processing
Department of Civil Engineering
Department of Architecture and Building Sciences
Management of Science and Technology Department
Prospective students should also choose one from the following course groups (A-E):

Group A: Environmental Engineering
Group B: Information and Communications
Group C: Medical Engineering
Group D: Energy
Group E: Materials
Twenty-five students will be admitted per year into the five course groups, with 5 students being admitted into each course group. A maximum of 17 students can be awarded Monbukagakusho scholarships.

Lectures in English are arranged in areas of candidate research speciality. Research supervision may be in English or Japanese depending on the candidate`s ability and students may also attend lectures given in Japanese to fulfill their requirements.

Degree Requirements
The main requirements for Doctor of Engineering (D. Eng.) degree are (1) three years of residency, which may be shortened for special cases where outstanding research performance is demonstrated; (2) successful completion of a minimum of 16 credits; (3) submission of a Doctoral dissertation; and (4) oral defense of doctoral thesis.

The 16 credits consist of basic interdisciplinary courses and research seminar (8 credits), and thesis preparation and submission (8 credits). Credits for basic interdisciplinary courses and research seminar depend on the department requirements. Credits for the obligatory interdisciplinary courses must be acquired within 3 years from the admission.

Candidate Eligibility
Eligible candidates are those who have the following qualifications:

Master`s degree or be currently enrolled in a Master`s degree program with expected completion before the admission date of the International Doctoral Program. The Master degree acquired or to be acquired by the candidate must be equivalent to the Master of Engineering degree awarded by Tohoku University that includes both research and thesis components.
Those who have been involved in research for a minimum of two years in internationally accredited College, University or research Institute after a Bachelor`s degree from a Japanese accredited college or University, or after equivalent degree from another country, as determined by the Admission Office of the Faculty of Engineering.
Applicants must be under 35 years of age as of April 2006 (born after April 2,1971) to be eligible for financial aid and must be citizens of a country that has diplomatic relations with Japan. Military personnel and employees from military institutions are not eligible for this program.

Application
Prospective candidates should submit all materials except for recommendation letters in a single envelope as listed below. The envelope should be addressed as given below and should contain: three copies of items 9 and 11; originals of items 6, 7 and 14; and original plus two copies of all other items, except 8 and 15. GRE and English test scores should be provided in sealed envelopes as supplied by the responsible organization. Materials required for application:

Tohoku University application form (Form #1)
Monbukagakusho forms (Form #2 and Form #3) for students applying for financial support.
Health Certificate (Form #4)
Certificates of Bachelor`s Degree and Master`s Degree
Undergraduate and graduate transcripts.
Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores. (GRE General Test is preferable)
Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), or International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) scores.
Two recommendation letters (Form #5)
Census register, Passport, or other proof of citizenship.
Curriculum Vitae with passport photos (6*4cm) taken within the past 6 months. (An original photo is required on each copy of the curriculum vitae).
Master`s dissertation or equivalent (1000 words in English, 2000 characters in Japanese).
Draft proposal in chosen area of study describing 3-year research plan.
Personal statement on why the applicant desires to pursue the Doctoral Degree in Engineering.
Supporting material (optional) such as theses, journal, conference, and submitted publications.
Official recommendation letter (Form #6) for students from the Institutions with formal academic agreement with Tohoku University.
Selection and Admission
Preliminary selection is carried out by the International Doctoral Program Evaluation Committee, based on recommendations from the above-mentioned departments and scholastic aptitude of applicants, according to transcripts, GRE and English language test scores, direct interview or interview using the internet, and applicant supplied materials. Tohoku University recommends of candidates to Monbukagakusho, which makes the final determination of grantees for Japanese Government Scholarships. Admission is from the winter semester, which begins on October 1, 2006.

Financial Support
Monbukagakusho awards 3-year scholarships to students receiving favorable evaluations. The scholarships cover living expenses (approximately 175,000 yen/month) and include a round-trip air ticket (discounted economy) between the nearest international airport in the country of the candidate`s nationality and the New Tokyo International Airport (NRT). Students awarded with a scholarship are exempt from all entrance and tuition fees. Monbukagakusho requests that students who are admitted to the program complete their doctoral studies within three years of financial support.

For non-scholarship students, entrance examination and admission fees are 30,000 Yen and 282,000 Yen, respectively. Tuition is 535,800 Yen per academic year. Fees can be revised during the enrollment period and in those cases, the new rates are applicable and become effective from the date of the revision.

Important Notes
Documents submitted become the property of Tohoku University and cannot be returned.
Simultaneous applications for the Japanese Government Scholarship to more than one university are strictly prohibited and will result in cancellation of all applications being made by the applicant.
Prospective candidates should locate a possible research advisor at Tohoku University before application.
Applicants must depart their country on the 1st of October 2006 or later, and arrive in Japan between the 1st of October and 7th of October 2006. Scholarships may be canceled if grantees awarded with Monbukagakusho scholarships fail to arrive in Japan within the above time frame.
All applicants for the Program must have finished at least 16 years of primary and secondary education and must have graduated from a university or equivalent. In principle, a degree from another country should have corresponding number of years of formal education to be considered as equivalent to a Japanese degree. However, the Japanese Government and Universities, considering the differences in educational systems of different countries, have established criteria and schemes that allow international students to attain equivalence to Japanese educational system. International students are strongly advised to contact the Admission Office of the Faculty of Engineering regards to matters on eligibility prior to submission of an application.
Applicants are encouraged to become acquainted with Japanese language, culture, and customs. Knowledge of Japanese is essential for daily life and will help to make your stay in Japan both productive and culturally enriching.
Schedule and Contact Information
Candidates should submit the necessary materials so that they arrive no later than February 2, 2006. Applicants will be notified of the preliminary selection results around the end of April 2006. Final selection results authorized by Monbukagakusho will be announced by July 2006. Please obtain application forms from your college or university, office, or homepage listed below. Further information for the application may be obtained by writing:

International Doctoral Program in Engineering (E)
c/o Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University
Aramaki Aza Aoba 6-6-04, Aoba-ku, Sendai 980-8579
TEL: +81-22-795-5820
FAX: +81-22-795-5824
E-MAIL: eng-in@bureau.tohoku.ac.jp
HOME PAGE: http://www.eng.tohoku.ac.jp/eng/english/

2006-2008 Course Groups
Numbers in parentheses "( )" refer to departments offering the courses listed in page 1.
Courses with (*) are offered by the Graduate School of Environmental Studies.

Group A: Environmental Engineering
(1)(2) / (16) Advanced Damage Tolerance and Design / Risk Management for Failure Prevention, July and/or August, 2009
(9) Advanced Process Analysis and Modeling, July and/or August, 2008
(14) Advanced Environmental Hydraulics and Water Quality Engineering, July and/or August, every year
(15) Geological Environment and Earthquake Disaster, July and/or August, 2007
(16) Advanced Topics in Technology Policy, October 2008 to February 2009
(*) Advanced Materials Processing for Environment, November 2008
(*) Advanced Environmental Biotechnology, July and/or August, 2007
(*) Advanced Ecoengineering Systems, August, 2009
Group B: Information and Communications
(1)(2)(3)(4) Computer Architecture, October 2006 to February 2007
(5)(6) Advanced High-Speed Communication Engineering, April to September , 2009
(6) Advanced Electronic Device Engineering, July and/or August, 2007
(7) Quantum Material Physics, February 2008
(12) Advanced Topics on High Performance Materials, July and/or August, 2007
(1)(2)(3)(4) Image Analysis, October 2007 to February 2008
Group C: Medical Engineering
(4) Advanced Quantum Science and Energy Engineering, September, 2008
(4) Molecular Medical Engineering, August, 2007
(5) Advanced Bioelectromagnetics, January and/or February, 2008
(6) Advanced Biomedical Electronics, July and/or August, 2007
(10) Advanced Biomolecular Engineering, July and/or August, 2009
(13) Advanced Course on Materials Physical Chemistry, July and/or August, 2007
(17) Advanced Bio-Mechanics, January 2007
Group D: Energy
(3) Shock Wave in Complex Media and their Interdisciplinary Applications, July and/or August, 2007
(4) Advanced Quantum Science and Energy Engineering, September 2008
(8) Advanced Course in Atoms and Molecules Control Engineering, July and/or August, 2008
(9) Advanced Process Analysis and Modeling, July and/or August, 2008
(13) Advanced Materials Processing, July and/or August, 2007
(14) Advanced Structural and Material Engineering, July and/or August, every year
(15) Energy and Indoor Environment of Residential Buildings, April to July, 2007
(*) Advanced Materials Processing for Environment, November 2008
(*) Advanced Environmental Biotechnology, July and/or August, 2007
(*) Advanced Ecoengineering Systems, July and/or August, 2009
Group E: Materials
(7) Quantum Material Physics, February, 2008
(8) Advanced Course in Atoms and Molecules Control Engineering, July and/or August, 2008
(10) Advanced Biomolecular Engineering, July and/or August, 2009
(11) Metallurgical Process Engineering, July and/or August, 2009
(12) Advanced Topics on Highly Sophisticated Materials, July and/or August, 2007
(13) Advanced Materials Processing, July and/or August, 2007
(16) Advanced Energy and Resources, April to July, 2008
(17) Advanced Bio-Device Engineering, July and/or August, 2008
Note:
Students must take 2 to 4 courses depending on the respective departmental requirements and at least one course from the respective department within three years of admission to fulfill the requirements in basic interdisciplinary courses. Courses from other groups or from course groups of graduate programs in Japanese may be taken as substitutes for at most 4 credits in basic interdisciplinary courses upon approval by the respective department and research advisor.