The programme is open to EU nationals and citizens of SMP-associated countries and lasts 8 months, from August 2025 to March 2026, during which the student will be offered:
- A seminar on Japanese culture
- A two-month intensive Japanese language course
- A six-month traineeship in a company based in Japan
The objectives of this programme are to get acquainted with the range of advanced technologies employed by a leading Japanese host company, learn Japanese, appreciate Japanese culture to achieve an enriching experience abroad and be well placed in a future career to interact with Japanese businesses and people.
Who is eligible?
To be eligible for this programme, applicants must be:
- An EU national or a citizen of an SMP-associated country
- A first- or second-year Master’s student
- Registered at VU Amsterdam until at least June 2025
- Enrolled in engineering (mechanical, chemical, electrical, civil, nuclear) or other scientific fields (computer science, GNSS, electronics, biotechnology, physics, telecommunication, materials science, production systems or related)
Who pays what?
The EU-Japan Center will cover costs for providing lectures about Japan and the Japanese language course. The host company will provide accommodation throughout the entire stay in Japan.
A maximum of €9200 (paid in JPY) will be given in total: €8200 for participation in the traineeship and its compulsory activities and an additional €1,000 for students who participate in an optional ‘Eyes on Japan’ group work assignment. The grant covers return tickets to Japan, personal insurance and day-to-day living expenses for 8 months.
Confirm your interest in the programme
Are you interested in this unique opportunity? Our team within International Relations will be pre-screening VU students to prepare a shortlist of top candidates to be promoted to the Vulcanus team.
Please fill out this Google Form to confirm your eligibility and to be considered for the shortlist of candidates. The deadline for this is Friday, 6 December 2024.
If you have any questions, please email both Gagan Kaur via g.kaur@vu.nl and Maya Allister via m.allister@vu.nl.