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Scholarship Fund

Introduction

Adachi Museum of Art, Shimane.

Photo by courtesy of JNTO

The Swiss-Japan Scholarship Fund, powered by SJCC and SCCIJ, represents an important long-term activity of the Swiss-Japanese Chamber of Commerce. The fund was established on 1st October 1988 for the purpose of encouraging and supporting young Swiss residents in their efforts to learn more about Japan, its culture, language, social and business environments. In October 2018 the SJCC celebrated the 30th Anniversary of the Scholarship Fund.

A Year in Japan

The Fund offers financial and other pertinent assistance to qualified students, graduates and professionals who are willing to add a “Year in Japan” to their education. The purpose of this commitment is for them to further improve their Japanese language skills during a 3-6 months intensive language training (including the study of kanji) at a local school and to gain in-depth experience of working as intern with Japanese colleagues for 6-9 months in Japanese or local subsidiaries of international companies. Examples can be found under Scholarship Reports.

Building Bridges

The Chamber strongly believes that such an extensive and unique learning experience of the Japanese language and way of life will have lasting benefits for the participants in this program. It will enable them to help building bridges and better understanding between the two cultures. In summary, their efforts will eventually make lasting contributions towards the development of even closer economic relations and friendship between our two nations – the  ultimate objective of SJCC’s activities.

Typical Profile of a Scholarship Recipient

  • Female or male graduate from university or qualified professional with apprenticeship
  • Age less than 30 years, resident of Switzerland
  • Has already acquired good basic knowledge of spoken and written Japanese
  • Highly motivated and committed to a “Year in Japan” consisting of intensive language training and internship in a Japanese or international company
  • Well balanced and positive personality with clear goals
  • Displays an entrepreneurial spirit and risk tolerance

For further details on how to apply and what documents to submit please refer to the information provided on the application procedure.

Successful candidates will have a background in business administration, economics, engineering, informatics, international law or similar areas of study. In addition, they will already have acquired a solid basic knowledge of spoken and written Japanese (hiragana, katakana and approximately 200 kanji) before departing for Japan.