Go East Young Man

We've been particular biased towards Western universities in most of our discussions in this blog. This is not surprising given that both Tony and I studied in the UK and I'm now studying in the US. But we often forget that there are opportunities to study abroad nearer to home and I'm not talking about Singapore or Australia or New Zealand. I'm referring to Japan.

I've always known that there were and are scholarships being offered to Malaysians to study in Japan. A lay preacher in a church I attend in Malaysia went to Japan in the 1970s on a scholarship offered by the Japanese government. More recently, a friend of mine, Ronnie, went to Japan for an MBA on a similar scholarship. Tony and I were recently alerted by Adriene (thanks for the heads-up) that the Japanese embassy in KL will be accepting applications for their MONBUKAGAKUSHO:MEXT scholarships at the undergraduate as well as post graduate levels. Applications are for the 2007 academic year (next year) and will be open from the 27th February to 31st March 2006. Tuition and matriculation fees are paid for and you get a monthly stipend as well.

I think there are many good things that can be said about studying in Japan. Firstly, you'd be able to learn a new, global language spoken by more than 120 million people in the world's 2nd largest economy (for now) and whose multinational companies dominate certain key industries (consumer electronics, car-making, robotics). You'll be learning this language in a setting where you can practise it on a daily basis and with people who speak it fluently (as opposed to learning it in Malaysia).

Secondly, you'll be studying in some of the top universities in Asia, if not the world. Tokyo University is probably the best known university in Japan. Kyoto, Waseda, Hokkaido and Nagoya are some of the other highly ranked universities. You probably would have access to good resources in terms of studying materials (books, online content, databases etc..), well-trained professors, and physical infrastructure (state of the art labs and libraries, the latest technology etc...).

Thirdly, as Japanese universities are becoming more internationalized, you probably would get opportunities (depending on the course and university, of course) to take some courses in English. This would make the transition easier for those who might not pick up Japanese as fast as they would like.

Fourthly, I think that there's a lot of character building to be experienced when studying and learning in a foreign environment. In the English speaking countries and universities that we are more familiar with, it is not that difficult to learn and live there. There are often many other Malaysians who are there with you. You often have good Asian food in many of the cities where these universities are located. And you won't have much trouble buying groceries, going to restaurants and travelling around the country because the main language of communication is English. The same can't be said of Japan.

Relatively few people speak English there. If you live in a big city, your living quarters will probably be 1/4 of the size that you are used to back home (if you are lucky!). My impression is that Japanese people are not particularly open to outsiders or 'gaijin' (though that attitude would probably differ across generations). You'll have to learn new customs and social norms that you might not be particularly comfortable with (like lots of bowing). If you can overcome these obstacles and still get a decent education experience, I think you'll come out of it a better man or woman.

There's quite a lot of information out there on studying in Japan. Visit the JASSO website on scholarships and the Japanese equivalent of MACEE in Malaysia for more information.

I'm too old now to apply for this but I certainly won't mind spending a few months in Japan on a study tour just to learn more about their culture, language and way of life (subject to approval from my wife, of course :))