WHAT IS IT?

Vulcanus in Japan started in 1997. The programme consists of industrial placements for engineering or science* students with EU or SMP associated country** nationality. 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 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.
• To learn Japanese 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

'Vulcanus in Japan' is financed by the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation and the Japanese host company. The EU or SMP associated country** students are awarded a pro-rata grant that is expected to be around Yen 1.900.000 (*) to cover the cost of travel to and from Japan and living expenses in Japan. The language course, the seminar, the accommodation in Japan for the entire stay are provided free of charge.

(*) You will receive the pro-rata grant during your stay in Japan. In case of partial remote attendance of the programme, from Europe, due to entry bans, conditions will be informed later on.

ARE YOU ELIGIBLE?

You must be:

• citizen of an EU Member-State or a SMP associated country**.

• a student of engineering or science * at a university based in the EU or in an SMP associated country, enrolled –at the  moment of application– in between the 4^th official year of university studies (3 undergraduate + 1) 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 (please note that you cannot complete your cycle of studies before June)

(*) Computer science, mechanical engineering, chemical, electronics, biotechnology, electrical engineering, physics, telecommunication, nuclear engineering, civil engineering, metal materials, ceramics, production system, GNSS, etc. (this programme does not cover non scientific studies)

(**) Non EU ? Please check the status of your country at https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/docs/2021-2027/smp/guidance/list-3rd-country-participation_smp_en.pdf . For EFTA countries, please only refer to the sub-paragraph: "COSME strand (SMP COSME)". For EU Acceding countries, candidate countries and potential candidates, please only refer to the countries for which the agreement is in force.

SMP COSME: Stands for "Countries Participating in the COSME strand of the Single Market Programme". The Single Market Programme is the European Commission programme that has been funding the EU-Japan Centre, including its “Vulcanus in Japan” action, starting from 1 April 2022.

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 in the hands of the Japanese host companies. (for more information: click here)

HOW TO APPLY 

Session: SEPT 2023 - AUG 2024 --> deadline over

Session: SEPT 2024 - AUG 2025 -->  DEADLINE: 20 January 2024

What documents should you submit? How should you apply?  The documents for session 2024-2025 will be available online starting from November 2023.

ONLY FOR REFERENCE, you may wish to take a look at the application documents of the former session, available in the grey box headed "Vulcanus documents", on this page. 

Any questions?  please read the "Frequently Asked Questions" document and "More info on compulsory docs", available in the grey box headed "Vulcanus documents".

Before applying, please read our Privacy Policy 

TESTIMONIALS FROM FORMER PARTICIPANTS

	Ms Sarah MOUGHARBEL (FR)  VinJ Trainee at Fujitsu Lab Ltd. "Taking part in the Vulcanus in Japan program has allowed me to spend a year during which every second was a mental, social and cultural stimulation" Read more
	Ms Madalina IOVANICA (RO) VinJ Trainee at Mitsubishi Chemical Corporation  "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