If you feel that you have the motivation and that you may fit the profile that this scholarship is looking for, please do not think that “I may not be accepted,” but rather just apply first.
On the other hand, please note that, although we set a guideline of 50 students per year for this scholarship, we do not guarantee that 50 students will be awarded, as we want to ensure that those who satisfy our requirements both in academic performance and in the quality of their visions.
The scholarship is open to people who wish to contribute to solving social problems, and to grow by studying abroad. There are no age or annual income restrictions, and the scholarship is a merit-based program.
We expect that those who are close to problems in their localities would be closer to identifying solutions fit to the situations. Studying abroad would enable them to revisit their ideas from a different point of view, and to broaden their perspectives. After graduation, they may go back to Japan and set to work based on their discoveries, while others may continue to pursue their career in international settings.
With those in mind, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation visit many places in Japan, hold information sessions, and continue to talk individually with high school students, high school teachers, and parents. We also realize, especially in rural areas, there is little way to learn about study abroad, and people tend to shy away from it due to financial constraints.
I would like people to know that there is a way to study abroad and that scholarships are available. You do not have to give up from the beginning, saying, “It is impossible to do something that costs so much money.”
For those of you who have already decided what you want to do after studying abroad, you are welcome to speak with us with your ideas; our discussion may help you solidify your plans, or to modify them that would be better fit to realize your visions. For those who are just starting to decide, we would like to provide you with materials that will help you develop your plans for the future.
This scholarship is looking for people who are curious, open to new ideas, and have a sense of mission for society. We would be very pleased if, during the process of talking with you and deciding to apply, you could have better ideas for your undergraduate study in relation to your career goals.
Our staff persons have their own experiences of studying abroad, so one of our strengths is that we can talk with you based on the knowledge they gained from them.
Once students themselves realize their potential and become motivated to study abroad, we always talk to their teachers about it as well.
One day, we had a conversation with the teachers and they were concerned if students’ English skills would be good enough to keep up with the classes at overseas university.
In addition, when students go abroad to study, teachers have to prepare various documents, which can be a big burden for them. SPF would like to provide support in this area as well.
We believe that it is the role of SPF to make students aware of their own potential and to address any concerns that they and the adults around them may have.
We have a website dedicated to pre-application consultations, and we would love to hear from you, whether you are a student, a parent, or a teacher. We believe it is important to take action and consult with us first. Of course, we may not be able to offer scholarships to everyone who contacts us. However, we will work together to fulfill the wishes of good candidates who have a strong awareness of the issues and who aim to make a contribution to society.
We would like to hear from you even if you are thinking about studying abroad because you have an idea about what you want to do to address some kind of issue. We hope that by talking with us, we can give you a chance to realize what kind of potential exists, or what you might be able to do.
If you have decided to apply to an overseas university, we can support you on how to choose a university, how to apply to a university, and how to approach writing an essay. We will also provide training on the basics of living abroad and what to expect when you enter a university, as some of you may be landing at an overseas airport for the first time in your life.
According to the survey on the attitudes of young people, conducted by The Nippon Foundation, today’s Japanese young people are very pessimistic. There is an impression that many of them are looking at things from a rather distant perspective, saying that their work will not change society. On the other hand, there is a tendency for many of them to want social fairness and affirm conscientiousness. This is a very positive thing.
Because of these two trends, we would like to see young people in Japan take advantage of this scholarship to study abroad. In a society like the U.S. or the U.K., where individuality is respected, you will see that society changes more easily than you might think because it is affected by your own actions. You will learn the system to change society and your surroundings by being active, so you will learn to be proactive. In this process, we hope you will develop the conscientiousness that you possess and the idea of contributing to society.
Also, in study abroad, you will naturally interact more with international students from other countries. This should lead to a broadening of understanding and horizons, by understanding the way of thinking in a given country.
Although a lot of things could be done virtually nowadays, we think it is very important to actually meet and talk with people and see things with your own eyes. We hope Japanese young people will do their best in this area.