The summer program at the University of Tokyo’s School of Engineering, called ESEP, is an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in scientific research projects at world-leading laboratories at the University of Tokyo. Students from our partner universities are eligible to participate.

Participants will be assigned to a laboratory and engage in research activities for six weeks. During the program, participants will be engaged in research activities for approximately seven hours a day, Monday through Friday. In addition to research activities, the program also includes a one-day bus trip and Japanese cultural experiences.

1.　Program period : June 25th – August 1st, 2024

2.　Eligibility :

Applicants must be full-time students enrolled at one of our *partner universities.

• Undergraduate students who have completed at least 2 full years in a bachelor’s degree program before the program start
• Graduate students

*Partner universities : (List of partner universities for ESEP-G 2024), öffnet eine externe URL in einem neuen Fenster

3.　Number of participants : Up to 20 students

4.　Program fee : Free

5.　Host labs and research topics : List of Host Laboratories (ESEP-G 2024), öffnet eine externe URL in einem neuen Fenster

Students will be hosted by one of the laboratories. Any special academic requirements for training in each lab are also indicated on the list.

6.　Program schedule :

June 25:　Orientation & campus tour

June 26 to July 31:　Research activities (full-time)

TBD:　Final presentation

August 1:　Report submission

≪Activities≫

TBD:　Japanese lesson (1.5 hours)

TBD:　One-day bus tour

TBD:　Japanese drum workshop (half day)

7.　ESEP-G2024 Poster : Here, öffnet eine externe URL in einem neuen Fenster

8.　Requirements

Applicants must:

1. participate in the entire duration of the program
2. have high rated academic performance and a high level of English proficiency
3. have a strong interest in pursuing a Ph. D
4. remain enrolled at their current home university during the program period. When an applicant is in the last year of their degree program, the graduation must be taken place after the program ends
5. not have joined this program before
6. secure overseas travel insurance in their home countries before coming to Japan, and bear the premium of personal liability insurance (see "Insurance" for details)
7. refrain from attending other courses and being employed
8. respect the work of all laboratory members and participate in activities in the laboratory
9. able to conduct research activities on their own initiative

9.　Financial support :

ESEP scholarship : Based on the ESEP Scholarship guideline of the School of Engineering, The University of Tokyo, JPY 160,000 (JPY 80,000 monthly × 2 months) will be provided to participants who meet the following requirements. The scholarship will be paid on a monthly basis in cash.

• participating in the entire duration of the program
• staying in the accommodation provided by the program
• attending all required activities and social events
• submitting a final report to the School of Engineering at the end of the program

NOTE: Participants must bear the following costs:

• Air ticket (round-trip ticket)
• Overseas travel insurance and personal liability insurance
• Visa fee, domestic transportation fee
• Daily commuting expenses for coming to campus from the accommodation
• Everyday living expenses

10.　Insurance :

• Selected students must pay a personal liability insurance premium on the first day of the program in Japan. This insurance will cover any unintentional accidents involving another person and/or laboratory equipment while in training. The premium will cost about JPY 5,000 per person.
• Selected students must be covered by their own travel insurance for the entire duration of their stay in Japan and must submit copies of their insurance policy to us.

11.　Accommodation :

Designated accommodations will be provided free of charge to students during of the program. The details will be announced after the selection process.

How to apply

Applications are only accepted via the online application system T-cens. You need to create an account and ID to start filling it in.

https://t-cens-sp.adm.u-tokyo.ac.jp/t-cens_sp/login.php, öffnet eine externe URL in einem neuen Fenster

Please refer to Important Notes , öffnet eine externe URL in einem neuen Fensterfor your T-cens application.

Application period : November 17th, 2023 - January 18th, 2024, 3:00PM (Japan time)

Required documents to upload

NOTE:

• Students enrolled in their final year of the current university must submit documentation showing the date of graduation.
• Some universities take time to issue certificate of current enrollment and academic transcripts. Early submission is recommended.
• The documents with the sign must have been issued in the last 6 months.

Selection

1. • Photo : must have been taken in the last 6 months

   • Photocopy of the photo page of your valid passport

   • Photocopy of your current student ID card

   • Official certificate of current enrollment

   • Official Undergraduate academic transcript(both undergraduate students and graduate students)

   • Official Graduate academic transcript*(graduate students only)
   • English test scores report (IELTS/TOEIC/TOEFL/ other external tests)

     Exemption: those whose nationality is USA, UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand or Ireland, or currently enrolled at a university in those countries.

   • Personal statement (designated form for ESEP-G)

   • Letter of recommendation (suggested format)
     The letter must be issued by applicant’s supervising faculty member. Applicants need to ask the supervisor to upload the letter directly to the T-cens. Please refer to the “How to upload a letter of recommendation” guide.

   Candidates will be selected through document screening. Also, some laboratories may conduct online interviews in early February. Please make sure to provide an email address on T-cens where you can be contacted.

   Selection result : Middle of March 2024

   The selection results will be notified through T-cens. Successful candidates will be notified by email.