The Sasakawa Peace Foundation embarked on a merit-based scholarship program in 2022 to support Japanese youths who wish to study at colleges and universities in the U.S.A. and the U.K. Under this scholarship program, students will receive a full scholarship that covers their tuition, room and board, and health insurance, as well as stipends for four years of undergraduate study in the case of the U.S.A. The students who study in the U.K. will receive the same benefits for three years.
SELECTION PROCESS
The Sasakawa Peace Foundation conducts two selection processes every year: One in the Fall for students who are planning to apply to any of our designated universities and colleges in the U.S.A and the U.K., and one in the Spring, for students who already hold offers to study at any of these universities and colleges. We select finalists after a careful screening process and a 50-minute interview for each candidate who presents a great deal of potential, backed by an exceedingly high level of achievement either in their research activities or in their efforts to promote improvement in areas of great personal concern. In the Fall recruitment period, students send their applications in August and prospective scholars are selected in September. In the Spring period, applications typically open from mid-December to early April, and scholars are selected in early February and mid-April.
We have selected 35 finalists out of nearly 470 applicants in total in 2022, and 28 finalists out of nearly 370 applicants in the selection for 2023.
We are confident that they will prove to be a welcome new addition to their university communities.
NURTURING THE CAPACITY OF FUTURE LEADERS
With this scholarship program, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation aims to nurture the capacity of young students who stand out with their strong desire and determination to address social as well as global issues they face themselves. We wish to offer them the opportunity to study abroad in order to broaden their horizons and deepen their knowledge in the belief that those who take ownership of problems are the ones who find the best solutions.
For that purpose, the Sasakawa Peace Foundation intends to increase the number of students studying abroad not only from the metropolitan cities but also from rural areas where people are increasingly faced with difficult social problems arising from a rapidly aging population and social disparities. We visit small cities throughout the country to promote our scholarship program, and to encourage those students who may never think about entering overseas universities otherwise. We also make sure that students with disabilities will have the same opportunities in our scholarship program.
In the future, we wish to create a network of alumni who studied on our scholarship and made great achievements so that they can interact and cooperate together to make a better world for everyone.
BENEFIT
The scholarship covers tuition related costs and living expenses as follows
- Full university tuition fees
- Room and board
- Health insurance
- Annual support for living expenses etc.: USD 15,000 per year /￡11,000 per year
- Temporary support with preparation costs for studies: Variable depending on the scholar’s residential address.
In principle, paid in full with no set maximum value for No.1 to 3, but this may be limited in case of significant inflation, tuition increase or significant difference among dormitories.
LIST OF UNIVERSITIES AND COLLEGES
ABOUT SASAKAWA PEACE FOUNDATION
The Sasakawa Peace foundation was established in September 1986 as a private not-for-profit foundation, with endowments from the Nippon Foundation and the Japanese motorboat racing industry. Since then, it has engaged in various projects and activities aimed at contributing to human welfare, advancement of sound international society, and establishment of world peace through international understanding, international exchange, and international cooperation.
MISSION STATEMENT
The Sasakawa Peace Foundation addresses the diverse and complicated issues that the global community is encountering in the 21st century. In order to respond to an increasing number of natural disasters and social crises, we implement and support a variety of programs and projects. As a private Japanese foundation, we strive to strengthen cooperation at all levels between Japan and other countries. We make use of our freedom as a private foundation to effectively promote activities, proposals, and exchanges in the search for a new governance model for the society.