MEXT Scholarship Interview

In our first article (Japanese Government Scholarship MEXT), we mentioned a general idea about the MEXT scholarship, and then in our second article we mentioned the most important points related to the topic (MEXT Scholarship Written Exam). Now we have reached the stage where students accepted in the “initial examination and written exam” process conduct personal interviews after being invited by Japanese embassies and consulates around the world, where in this article we will talk about the most important points related to the topic of “MEXT Scholarship Interview”.

The main article about the MEXT scholarship can be found here.

For more information about the written exam, you can read the following article by clicking here.

This article was prepared based mainly on the most important sources available on the Internet, which contained the experiences and advice of a large number of applicants or those accepted into the MEXT scholarship. It is known that the applicant’s arrival at the personal interview stage is considered a great achievement that brings him closer and closer to obtaining a full scholarship to study in Japan. It is worth noting that the best thing an applicant can do at this stage is to prepare well.

Tips for Preparing for MEXT Scholarship Interview

In the following lines, we will mention the most important points that the applicant can take into consideration when preparing for the MEXT scholarship interview:
-The written exam and interview may be on the same day (like India), or they may be held separately on two separate days.
-The best thing to do to prepare for the interview is for the applicant to have a clear idea about the academic and practical objectives of his research project.
-It is better for the applicant to practice mock interviews with family members or friends, during which he can practice answering potential interview questions.
-The applicant can identify two or three points that he sees himself as distinguished in, and then focus on them and try to compose his expected answers to revolve around these points.
-It is better for the applicant to learn some matters related to daily dealings in Japan (Greetings, the way to stand, sit, talk, etc.).
-It is better for the applicant to keep his nerves calm and get enough sleep the night before the interview.
-It is preferable for the applicant to choose appropriate clothing (a professional and simple suit) and it is preferable that it be as formal as possible, while trying to avoid wearing distracting accessories and attachments (jewelry, chains, etc.), as well as not overdoing it with makeup (for women), and keeping the hair neat and clean.

Tips for Conducting MEXT Scholarship Interview

It is very important for the applicant to have at least a basic knowledge of the basics of interviews (whether academic or work), and before starting, we would like to remind you that due to the special circumstances at this stage (Coronavirus) (previously), there may be additional procedures (social distancing, wearing a mask, etc.) by the embassies, and below we will mention the most important points related to the MEXT scholarship interview:
-The applicant begins by greeting the interview team upon entering the interview location (either in Japanese or English).
-The interview team usually consists of three to five people (official members of the embassy and university professors), but this varies from time to time and from place to place, so the applicant must be prepared for any eventuality.
-The interview questions are often the common questions in interviews related to academic admissions, such as: Introduce yourself, what do you want to study, why do you want to study this major, why do you want to study in Japan, and other questions.
-It is best for the applicant to direct his answers directly to the person asking the question while trying to maintain eye contact as much as possible with the rest of the interview members.
-If there is a question consisting of two parts and the applicant forgets the second part of the question while answering, it is best not to hesitate to ask the questioner to repeat the second part of the question.
-The applicant must answer the questions in the same language of the interview (English, Japanese, or both), and the language of the interview often depends on whether the applicant took the Japanese language exam in the previous stage (the written exam) or not.
-The applicant must try to communicate the objectives of his study, the importance of the study and the expected results in clear and simple terms, as the interview committee may not include anyone from his specialization.
-The applicant must greet the interview team again upon leaving the interview location.

Types of questions to expect in MEXT scholarship interview

There are many sources that mentioned the experiences of applicants for Japanese scholarship interviews, and these sources mentioned many of the questions that were asked to applicants during the interviews. The questions that the applicant will deal with can be classified as follows: Questions about the applicant’s past, questions about the applicant’s future, questions related to the applicant’s research project, and questions about Japan. In the following lines, we will review what was easy to collect from different sources:
-Briefly introduce yourself?
-Tell us about your academic background?
-What do you want to study?
-Why do you want to study this subject?
-What will this subject provide to scientific knowledge?
-Which university/universities do you want to study in Japan and why?
-Have you contacted any professor, and if your answer is yes: Is he or she ready to supervise you?
-How did you learn about the MEXT scholarship?
-Why did you apply for the MEXT scholarship?
-Are you currently applying for another scholarship?
-Why do you want to study in Japan?
-What is the expected benefit of the research you will conduct for Japan and your country?
-How do you think you will be able to cope with life in Japan?
-How will you spend your vacation time in Japan?
-What cultural activities do you plan to do in Japan?
-What do you know about Japan and the Japanese language?
-What has happened recently in Japan politically? (This refers to the resignation of the Prime Minister).
-Names of Prime Ministers and Emperors?
-Name of the current era and current year (this refers to 2020)? (reiwa-2).
-Population of Japan?
-Basic structure of Japan (cities and regions) and number of prefectures?
-What do you plan to do after finishing your studies?
-What are your plans if you do not get this scholarship?
-Do you want to get an invitation from Japanese universities if you do not get this scholarship?

The preliminary results of the interviews are announced one or two days after the interviews are completed (this varies from one country to another).

The following video from Bloomberg QuickTake about some job interview rules in Japan might help us a little here:

Finally (Be Yourself), and good luck to everyone in their interviews.

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References

-mextipedia.wordpress.com
-transenzjapan.com
-schoolynk.com
-netspring.wordpress.com
-quora.com

This article by Farhan Blog is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International