Testimonials FROM former participants

Ms Gizem Cicek (TR)

Trainee at Hitachi Research Lab – VinJ 2016/2017 "Can you imagine yourself feeling so lucky all the time? I couldn't, until I got a chance to live in Japan." Read more Ms Madalina IOVANICA (RO)

Trainee at Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation – VinJ 2016/2017 "I applied for Vulcanus in Japan with the mindset that the program would, for sure substantially, improve my professional skills and stimulate my personal growth. And so it happened." Read more

What is it?

Vulcanus in Japan started in 1997. The programme consists of industrial placements for EU / COSME* students. It starts in September and ends in August of the following year in order to accommodate the academic year in EU Member States.

The students follow:

a one-week seminar on Japan,

a four-month intensive Japanese language course,

and then an eight-month traineeship in a Japanese company.

Objectives

To study the range of advanced technologies employed by a leading Japanese host company.

employed by a leading Japanese host company. To learn Japanese and to understand and appreciate Japanese culture with a view to an enriching one year experience abroad.

and to understand and appreciate Japanese culture with a view to an enriching one year experience abroad. To be well placed in your future career to interact with Japanese businesses and people.

Who pays what

This programme is financed by the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation and the Japanese host company. The EU / COSME * students are awarded a grant (Yen 1.900.000) to cover the cost of travel to and from Japan and living expenses in Japan. There is no charge for the language course and seminar, and accommodation is provided free of charge during the course and seminar and the company traineeship.

Are you eligible?

You must be:

citizen of an EU Member-State or a COSME* partening country.

a student of engineering or science at an EU / COSME* university, enrolled –at the moment of application – in between the 4 th official year of studies and the penultimate year of PhD .**

able to provide a certificate of enrollment at the university valid until at least 3 months prior to the starting of the programme

(*) Non EU ? Please check if your country has joined COSME and the agreement is "in force". Then you can apply. (See here the status of your country & of the country of your university.)

(**) Computer science, science engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical, electronics, biotechnology, electrical engineering, physics, telecommunication, nuclear engineering, civil engineering, metal materials, ceramics, production system …

Selection criteria

Applicants are short-listed on the basis of their academic record and the opinion of their tutors, their knowledge of written and spoken English, their motivation, their attitude to EU-Japan relations and their ability to adapt to a different culture. The final say lies with the Japanese host companies. (for more information: click here)

How to apply

Deadline to apply for session 2018/2019: passed

Deadline to apply for session 2019/2020: 20 January 2019

Documents for session 2019/2020 will be updated by early November. For now, please check (only for reference) the documents of session 2018/2019, in the grey box, in this page.

Info on how to apply can be found on top left of the 1st page of the application form

Info on the documents to submit can be found in the list in the 1st page of the application form.

Answers to frequently asked questions can be found in the documents "FAQ" and "More info on compulsory docs", available in the grey box on the right of this page

(*) http://ec.europa.eu/DocsRoom/documents/21365