On Thursday 28 February 2019, the Embassy of Japan in India and the University of Tokyo (UTokyo) held a briefing session for open call for participants for the fifth group of foreign students to receive the Japanese government (MEXT) Scholarship (Indian Ministry of Railways program by Embassy Recommendations) at the Japan Foundation Seminar Hall in India Delhi.
This program accepts up to 20 employees of Indian Ministry of Railways to Japanese Master's courses every year through the use of system of government-sponsorship of foreign students.
The UTokyo is responsible for the overall organization and briefing sessions in cooperation with Embassy of Japan in India as well as the Japanese side.
Following an overview of the program from Professor Satoshi Watanabe of UTokyo the application process for the scholarship was explained by Masahiro Kobayashi, First Secretary of the Embassy of Japan in India. Yoshihiro Kumamoto, Managing Executive Officer and Deputy Chief Director of International Business in East Japan Railway Company reported on the situation of the rapid transit railway project in India, and Dr. Shashank Bishnoi, Associate Professor in the Department of Civil Engineering at IIT Delhi talked about studying in Japan based on his own experience.
Then Project Lecturer Su Di (UTokyo), Associate Professor Masako Araki (Saitama University), and Assistant Professor Ankit Ravankar (Hokkaido University) gave an introduction to each of the universities, research at the universities, etc. All participants were then able to network and exchange opinions during the lunch break. In the final session, Hokkaido University, Saitama University, Ritsumeikan University and UTokyo held individual consultations.
More than 50 employees from the Indian Ministry of Railways participated in the session where active exchange of views as well as a questions and answers session about the program took place.