Goals

Our Goals

Our goal for the 21st century is to make the University of Cambridge a global centre of excellence in the field of Japanese Studies. A dedicated research and teaching centre will nurture ground-breaking research that supports student-led investigations, engage Japanese academia, and offer a place to bring researchers and innovation together.

With this in mind, our renewed mission is:

  • To stimulate and support the inclusion of Japan-related research and creative activities in the full range of academic disciplines.
  • To enable scholars and students from Japan to engage with Cambridge colleagues in innovative research and dialogue.
  • To create a venue where research on Japan can be brought into broader discussions in all scholarly disciplines, academia in general and broader policy discussions.

As part of our focus on the future, we have launched Japan and the World scholarships for promising young scholars from around the world to undertake postgraduate study at Cambridge (for more information on scholarships and guidance on applying please consult the faculty’s graduate funding pages). We will continue to build on this initiative, with the help of our supporters, to increase the number of scholarships for graduate students and support for visiting researchers.

Cambridge is renowned for a culture and education that fosters and encourages innovation and leadership among the next generation of world leaders delivered by internationally recognised scholars. Social, political and cultural transformations are brought about at Cambridge not just by brilliant individuals but as a result of interaction and collaboration across our faculties, institutions, disciplines and borders.

Thus, to achieve change which is transformational and lasting, a thorough engagement with Japan and East Asia is necessary, along with an in-depth study of their languages, history and traditions. What makes Japanese Studies at Cambridge unique in the UK is exactly this emphasis on intensive linguistic, historical and cultural study within a regional context.

Japan and the World Graduate Scholarships

To mark the launch of our new Japanese Studies MPhil programme, the Japanese Studies subject group is delighted to announce the provision of a new set of Japan and the World graduate scholarships. The awards are intended for promising, qualified students applying for the master’s programme and are open to UK, European and international students. Funding is intended to cover fees and potentially also maintenance and living costs, and will be awarded based on merit.

As Professor Mickey Adolphson noted in his inaugural professorial lecture on 21 October 2016, “I am delighted to be able to share with you that beginning next year, we will be offering several scholarships for deserving master students. We have named them “Japan and the World” scholarships and they are of course meant to not just give young and talented scholars an opportunity to further their education under the guidance of some of the best mentors in Japanese Studies, but also to enrich our own intellectual environment.”

The deadline for submission of applications to the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is Wednesday 5 December 2018 and applicants should make clear in their applications that they wish to be considered for the Japan and the World Graduate Scholarship. Applicants are expected to apply for other external funding available to them but will be considered on merit. We encourage those interested to apply well before the formal official deadline and to make preliminary inquiries via email with potential supervisors. A list of supervisors in Japanese studies in the department can be found here