MINERVA Fellowship Programme on EU-Japan Economic and Industrial Issues

The EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation proposes a 6 month in-house fellowship scheme in Japan, designed to support its research and policy analysis of EU-Japan economic and industrial issues.

The Research Fellow will undertake research work on a selected priority topic of the Centre, which should result in a consistent policy report (70-100 pages), to be owned by the Centre.

Apart from research on a pre-determined topic, the Research Fellow will be expected to support the daily analytical activities of the Centre, including media monitoring, policy briefings, seminar reports, etc.

Who can apply?

Candidates must be citizens of an EU Member-State or a COSME Third Country (*) or Japan. They must be professionals (trade and economic analysts, academics, scientists, civil servants) with a proven interest in EU-Japan cooperation from multiple perspectives (trade/market access, industrial policy issues, R&D, etc...).

Minimum requirements: EU / COSME or Japanese citizenship, university degree, strong interest and motivation in Japan and EU-Japan relations.

The following elements will constitute an advantage in the selection process: previous professional experience with Japan, an already advanced study/research on one of the priority topics, Japanese language abilities.

The application process

The candidates should specify the slot for which they are applying.

Application documents to be submitted: CV, Covering Letter, Research Topic-Research Plan (1-2 A4 pages).

Contents of each MINERVA application should flow coherently and contain substance, in order to allow the selection board to see clear and easy-to-understand connections between the candidate’s background, the letter of motivation and his/her research plan.

Deadline for Applications   

• 2nd slot 2019  ~  October 2019 to March 2020 ~   deadline to apply:  1st June

The application materials and eventual requests for clarification should be sent electronically to the following address: minerva@eu-japan.gr.jp

The selection process

After a first review of the applications, a short-list will be established. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview (via telephone, Skype or in person).

Shortlisted candidates will be required to submit official documents proving that they meet the minimum requirements (citizenship, education etc).

The short-listing will be done by the two general managers of the Centre on the basis of the submitted CVs, cover letters and work/research plans. The final selection stage may include an interview in person, by telephone or via Skype.

Practical aspects

The fellowship is worth 2500 EUR/month (paid in JPY) and covers a period of 6 months:

The fellowship is expected to cover basic daily expenses and accommodation in Tokyo. A Research Fellow selected from outside Japan, will receive an additional travel subsidy of up to 1000 EUR.

Insurance: the Research Fellow shall take out a personal insurance policy for the whole duration of the Fellowship to cover:

• Travel,
• Personal health,
• Accident insurance,
• Third-party liability (private life): insurance against the loss of, or damage to, his/her personal property, and insurance against any injury, loss or damage suffered by a third person for which the Participant is personally liable.

This policy shall be taken out prior to the beginning of the fellowship. (The Centre may provide assistance in this matter, if the participant is an EU national not residing in Japan.)

The EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation will provide assistance in obtaining the visa for Japan.

Extension of Fellowhip

Exceptionally and depending on the initial results and the interests from the stakeholders, the Minerva Fellowship may be extended for another 6 months.

List of Priority Topics 

The priority topics for MINERVA 2019-fall session, will be available online: https://www.eu-japan.eu/minerva-topics-2019