Sasakawa Studentship
MPhil or PhD
Studentship
Key facts
Start dates
September 2025
Application deadline
3 March 2025
Location
Course length
Full time: 3 years
More details
Eligibility: UK, EU and International
Bursary p.a: £15,000 towards living expenses for the first year. PhD students who make expected progress will be re-nominated each year, up to the max of 3-years continuous funding.
Fees: Applicants will be responsible for paying their own university fees.
Overview
The Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences at Oxford Brookes University invites applications for the Sasakawa Postgraduate Studentship in Japanese studies, made possible through the generosity of The Nippon Foundation and the Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation.
Oxford Brookes University offers a broad range of expertise on Japanese culture and language, but we would be particularly interested in candidates researching ageing and care, marginalised groups, contemporary religious practice, film, literature, song, or popular culture.
The Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences is home to the Europe Japan Research Centre (see site for information on research and links to staff members' profiles).
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Additional details
The faculty can nominate up to 3 MPhil/PhD candidates for a studentship of £15,000, for the 2025/26 academic year.
Applications can be made in recurrent years (up to the first three years) for the same amount.
Please note that although you may use your studentship to help towards the cost of your fees, you will be responsible for paying your fees.
International applicants should be aware that they will need to fund their fees at the international rate.
How to apply
Entry requirements
We are looking to recruit a candidate with a good first degree (2:1 or above) and a Masters degree with a Merit or above.
The research proposal must focus on Japan. It is important that you and your referees comment on your skill in Japanese in the areas of reading, composition and speaking as relevant to the proposed research. Interviews may partly be conducted in conversational Japanese, if relevant to your project.
Proposals that seek to bridge or expand the disciplinary strengths in the Faculty are especially welcome.
Application process
To request an application pack, please contact hss-researchdegrees@brookes.ac.uk with “Sasakawa MPhil/PhD studentship” clearly labeled in the subject line.
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on: