What IS Vulcanus anyway? There have been a couple of posts, all without a real explanation of why I’m actually in Japan. This series of guides (number undetermined) will first introduce the programme, then serve as an in-depth guide to applying, told from a perspective of a well-informed participant.
Vulcanus in Japan is a programme offered to university students by the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Cooperation, which operates as part of the EU. While the official page describes a lot of things in great detail, let me stress the more important aspects.
If selected, you get a year in Japan. Starting in September, you get four months of intensive Japanese lessons at an excellent school. Then from January onwards, an eight months long internship at a Japanese company. Although the year isn’t a vacation (I’d dare say you have more to do here than at home), there is ample time to explore, be a tourist, have fun and make new friends.
On the monetary side of things, you’re given a grant of 1900000 JPY, spread throughout the year of course, to support your living in Japan. It depends on your accommodation (which is provided by the company), but that should be enough for a semi-comfortable year. You’d definitely need to spend some of “your own” money to travel around and buy all sorts of nice things, then ship them home in numerous boxes.
To apply, you must be from the EU or COSME area and in at least your fourth year of studies. This means at least a fourth year undergraduate for those with four year undergraduate programmes, or a first year masters’ student if your degree has a three-year undergraduate part. The applications open each year in November and close in January, with the exact dates, application forms and official information available on the official website. This means you apply almost a year before you potentially go to Japan. A word of warning: if you want to apply, don’t wait until the last minute. It cannot be done in a single day. It takes about a week of work to get everything (properly) sorted out, but I’ll leave that topic for a separate post. The application process (and similar things you do after that) can be arduous, but you always get detailed instructions.
There are about a thousand applicants each year, out of which a hundred or so are shortlisted and then 30-40 are selected. There is no country preference, just an individual’s skills and background. Generally, those selected have a strong international background already and/or are overachievers in at least one field. Every participant has something special about them, however, your background only takes you so far, because to actually get selected, you need quite a bit of luck (or chance, depending on your belief in luck).
I don’t think there is anything else to write on the matter, though I hope I haven’t forgotten anything. If eligible, I strongly encourage you to apply! A whole year away from home seems scary, but Japan is really really fun! Stay tuned for an in-depth post about the application process.
This is part 1 of a multi-part series on Vulcanus. Read the other parts to learn more: