The MEXT Scholarship: IGP Special Quota is a block of Japanese government (MEXT) scholarships reserved for the International Graduate Program (IGP) of Hokkaido University’s Graduate School of Life Science.
Recipients take a PhD or master’s degree in Sapporo, taught in English, in one of three IGP courses. Applications go through a prospective supervisor, who puts candidates forward for October 2027 entry.
Benefits & funding
- ¥145,000 a month for doctoral and ¥144,000 for master’s students (IGP leaflet); the university’s MEXT page lists ¥148,000 / ¥147,000 from November to March, including a cold-region allowance.
- Admission and tuition fees waived.
- Flights from the airport nearest home to Japan and the final departure covered; some travel within Japan may be self-paid.
- Three years for doctoral, two for master’s students.
Eligibility
- Any nationality except Japanese; dual citizens must prove they renounced Japanese citizenship by arrival.
- Applying to a master’s or PhD in the Transdisciplinary Life Science Course, Biosystems Science Course or Division of Soft Matter, with a supervisor’s approval; expected graduates may apply.
- Academic record of 2.30 out of 3.00 or above (Hokkaido’s university-recommendation rule).
- Not eligible: past MEXT scholars, applicants to another MEXT scholarship that year, anyone holding another agency’s scholarship during the award, and foreign armed forces members or civilian employees.
- Must reach Japan by the set date.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
Decoded from the official rules. A free account checks them against your passport, degree and age in seconds.
Eligible nationalities
USA · Canada · Mexico · Guatemala · Costa Rica · Nicaragua · Honduras · El Salvador · Panama · Belize · Cuba · Haiti
+ 217 more
Jamaica · Bahamas · Barbados · Dominican Republic · Dominica · Grenada · Antigua and Barbuda · Saint Kitts and Nevis · Saint Lucia · Saint Vincent and the Grenadines · Trinidad and Tobago · Anguilla · Aruba · Bermuda · Bonaire · Saba · Sint Eustatius · British Virgin Islands · Cayman Islands · Curaçao · Montserrat · Puerto Rico · Guadeloupe · Sint Maarten · Turks and Caicos Islands · US Virgin Islands · Greenland · Brazil · Argentina · Chile · Colombia · Peru · Ecuador · Paraguay · Bolivia · Uruguay · Venezuela · Guyana · Suriname · Falkland Islands · UK · France · Germany · Italy · Spain · Portugal · Netherlands · Belgium · Luxembourg · Switzerland · Austria · Sweden · Norway · Denmark · Finland · Iceland · Faroe Islands · Gibraltar · Ireland · Poland · Czechia · Hungary · Romania · Serbia · Greece · Bulgaria · Estonia · Latvia · Lithuania · Ukraine · Russia · Albania · Andorra · Belarus · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Croatia · Cyprus · Kosovo · Liechtenstein · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · North Macedonia · San Marino · Slovakia · Slovenia · Vatican City · China · Hong Kong · Macau · Taiwan · South Korea · North Korea · Singapore · Malaysia · Thailand · Vietnam · Indonesia · Philippines · India · Nepal · Brunei · Pakistan · Bangladesh · UAE · Saudi Arabia · Israel · Türkiye · Mongolia · Cambodia · Laos · Myanmar · Timor-Leste · Sri Lanka · Bhutan · Afghanistan · Armenia · Azerbaijan · Bahrain · Georgia · Iran · Iraq · Jordan · Kazakhstan · Kuwait · Kyrgyzstan · Lebanon · Maldives · Oman · Palestine · Qatar · Syria · Tajikistan · Turkmenistan · Uzbekistan · Yemen · South Africa · Kenya · Nigeria · Egypt · Morocco · Ghana · Uganda · Cameroon · Algeria · Angola · Benin · Botswana · Burkina Faso · Burundi · Cabo Verde · Central African Republic · Chad · Comoros · Côte d'Ivoire · DR Congo · Republic of the Congo · Djibouti · Equatorial Guinea · Eritrea · Eswatini · Ethiopia · Gabon · Gambia · Guinea · Guinea-Bissau · Lesotho · Liberia · Libya · Madagascar · Malawi · Mali · Mauritania · Mauritius · Mozambique · Namibia · Niger · Rwanda · São Tomé and Príncipe · Senegal · Seychelles · Sierra Leone · Somalia · South Sudan · Sudan · Tanzania · Togo · Tunisia · Zambia · Zimbabwe · Western Sahara · Saint Helena · Australia · New Zealand · Fiji · Papua New Guinea · Samoa · Solomon Islands · Tonga · Vanuatu · Kiribati · Marshall Islands · Micronesia · Nauru · Palau · Tuvalu · American Samoa · Cook Islands · French Polynesia · Guam · New Caledonia · Northern Mariana Islands · Pitcairn Islands · Niue · Tokelau · Wallis and Futuna
Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Bachelor
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Application process
- 1Choose a lab from the IGP list and contact its director (the IGP first step form can be used) by 10 November 2026.
- 2Pass the lab screening to gain the supervisor’s permission and recommendation.
- 3Give the supervisor your documents, including a recommendation letter and proof of English; the supervisor files them with the IGP office by 10 December 2026.
- 4Course screening, then a final IGP committee screening; those who pass are recommended to MEXT in March 2027.
Program timeline
Deadline to contact a prospective supervisor
10 November 2026
Supervisor submits documents to the IGP office
10 December 2026
Selection
December 2026 – January 2027
Successful candidates recommended to MEXT
March 2027
Program starts
October 2027