Let's study in Japan
Since the founding of Tanzania, thousands of Tanzanians have been invited to Japan to study at universities or colleges, or to join JICA training courses. We believe that they have brought back excellent skills in their professional fields, as well as good personal experiences and memories from Japan, and have assumed important roles in the Tanzanian society. As explained on another page, we have a government scholarship scheme and every year three graduate students are chosen from Tanzania to study in Japan.
On the other hand, not many Tanzanians have studied in Japan on their own initiative. You might think that studying in Japan must be expensive and ordinary students cannot afford it. That is not true! Where there is a will, there is a way! There are many possibilities in Japan to assist students who are eager to study.
In August 2012 the ambassador from a West African country presented his credentials to Emperor Akihito. The new Beninese ambassador Zomahoun Idossou Rufin came to Japan in 1994 as poor student without any public scholarship. He financed his studies by numerous kinds of part time jobs and studied sociology at Sophia University. He then happened to become a famous TV personality and from his fees and other income, he contributed to the education of his home country Benin. He was accorded the People's Honor Award by the government of Benin and advanced to ambassador.
This is a good example that even a poor African student has a chance to study in Japan. Japan is a non-Western country, but it started and successfully realized industrialization and modernization of the society earlier than any other non-Western country. Among non-Western countries, Japan with its 16 Nobel Prize scientists - and three other Nobel prize winners - is by far a top contender in science and technology. Based on world class research and development, the Japanese industry has come to develop its high-tech capabilities. Isn't it fascinating, to study among the internationally top-class scientists in the environment and culture which are different from Europe whose culture is dominating in Africa? You can discover in Japan alternatives to the Western civilization or Western way of thinking. You can find another value system which works as effectively as that of the West, so that you can compare alternatives and find your own way.
In
Japan, traditionally everything was taught in Japanese. However, more
and more Japanese universities offer students the possibility to study
in the English language. Of course, if you can communicate in Japanese,
your choice of universities - there are 758 in total - will be
drastically widened. You may start learning the Japanese language in a
language school, while doing a part time job to finance your studies.
As ambassador Zomahoun says, Japan is an extremely safe country, or maybe the safest country in the world. Once you have legally entered Japan and found your place to work or study, you are free, even if you are a woman, to go anywhere at any time in Japan without worrying about safety. So, come and study in Japan!
See also: Summer of Code Google Internship in 2023 (Covers $6000 Stipend)
MEXT Scholarship Program
Applications for 2024 Japanese Government Scholarship Now Open (Deadline: June 5th)
This year, there are also chances to apply for undergraduate programs. All applications must be submitted to the Embassy of Japan in Tanzania no later than 4:30pm on Monday 5th June, 2023.
