Japanese Government (MEXT) Postgraduate Scholarships

Dr Alexander Rotard
Japanese Government (MEXT) Postgraduate Scholarship
PhD student in Modern Japanese History at Hitotsubashi University 2017 – 2021

I was awarded the MEXT scholarship in April 2017 to pursue a PhD in modern Japanese history at Hitotsubashi University in Tokyo. Being accepted as a MEXT scholar has been life-changing for me both professionally and personally and I would like to take this opportunity to thank the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology for its generous funding as well as the Japanese Embassy staff who took the time to process my application and grant me this tremendous privilege.

I studied Japanese and French at the University of Leeds, spending my second year abroad in Kobe, Japan. After graduating in 2011, I moved to Tokyo where I taught English for three years and further developed my Japanese language skills. I returned to the UK in 2014 to study for a Master’s degree in international history at the London School of Economics, specialising in empire, colonialism and globalisation. After graduating, I sought funding opportunities for PhD research in Japan where I could combine my academic interests with my Japanese language skills.

The MEXT scholarship offered me the possibility to study at a prestigious Japanese university with access to the historical resources I required for my research while providing me with a generous monthly stipend. The application process was very smooth. For the initial document submission in May 2016, I needed to provide a research proposal and an explanation of my field of study alongside other application materials. I also had to list three prospective universities and three supervisors who had agreed to supervise my research. All instructions were very clear and easy to follow.

I was delighted to have been selected for an interview and Japanese language aptitude test in July. In the interview, I was asked about the specifics of my research and what I intended to do after completion of my PhD. I was also asked questions in Japanese to test my competency as my research in Japanese history required it.

After the interview, I was fortunate enough to be recommended for secondary screening in Tokyo, which I was very pleased to hear that I had passed in November. I was then accepted by Hitotsubashi University as a research student in January 2017. Throughout the application and screening process I was very well supported; any questions I had were answered promptly and clearly.

I began my first year at Hitotsubashi University in April. I was offered courses to specifically improve my academic Japanese and I was able to take Korean language and Japanese modern history modules to benefit my research. After my first year as a research student, I applied to progress onto the PhD program. The process involved an interview, in my case in Japanese, conducted by professors from the Graduate School of Social Sciences. I needed to satisfactorily explain my research topic, methodology and originality. I felt well-prepared for the interview due to the support I had received from my academic supervisor and I was able to enter the PhD program and begin my doctoral research in April 2018.

Since then, I have been researching the relationship between the semi-official English-language Japanese newspaper, The Japan Times, and Japanese empire. For my PhD thesis I am conducting the first study of how The Japan Times contributed to the international justification of the colonisation of Korea from 1897-1904. I have had access to a wealth of fantastic historical sources in multiple languages through Hitotsubashi University Library and the National Diet Archives.

During my PhD I have published work on this subject in both English and Japanese and have presented my research at an international conference. In October 2022, I will be attending another international conference on war-time sexual violence in Seoul and in November I will be giving a lecture at Tottori University on The Japan Times and imperial Japan.

The MEXT scholarship has provided me with an invaluable opportunity to begin my academic career by funding my research and connecting me to experts in my field. This has been a truly life-changing experience for me and I whole-heartedly recommend the MEXT scholarship to any dedicated students seeking opportunities to further their academic careers.