The Sasakawa Japanese Studies Postgraduate Studentship

Birkbeck can nominate up to three candidates for the Sasakawa Postgraduate Studentship in Japanese Studies, made possible through the generosity of the Nippon Foundation and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.

Value and duration of award

• Each studentship consists of £10,000 to be used towards a postgraduate degree with a focus on Japanese Studies at Birkbeck, starting in October.
• Candidates interested in various aspects of modern and contemporary Japanese culture and society as well as in comparative literature, Japanese film and visual culture, transculturality, memory and history, minorities and diversity are especially encouraged to apply.
• The studentship is for one year only. Applications from PhD candidates can be made in recurrent years up to maximum of the first three years of a PhD.

Eligibility criteria

• You must have completed a first-class or a good upper-second-class undergraduate degree (or its equivalent for non-UK candidates) or be predicted to obtain one.
• You must be an applicant for a full-time MA/MRes Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies (Japanese pathway) or Japanese MPhil/PhD programme.
• Non-UK candidates are eligible only if they have been in the UK for at least three years before the beginning of their master’s study.
• You must not have already accepted full scholarships from other funding sources.
• Please note that, while the Department of Languages, Cultures and Applied Linguistics will nominate candidates, it is the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation that makes the final decision.

How to apply

• Note: Before applying, candidates must have submitted an application for admission to the MA/MRes Comparative Literary and Cultural Studies (Japanese pathway), MPhil/PhD in Japanese or another field where the research focus is related to Japan.
• Applications should email the following items to both Dr Irene González-López and Dr Michael Tsang:
  • an academic CV
  • academic record (transcript)
  • two-page (double-spaced) statement including dissertation research interests and future career plans. The research proposal must focus on Japan.

Application deadline

• Applications are to reach Dr Irene González-López and Dr Michael Tsang by 1 March every year. Following review of applications, we will make the final recommendation to the Sasakawa Foundation.

Further information

• If you have any questions, please email Dr Irene González-López and Dr Michael Tsang