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International Exchange

To prepare the students for operating in a “global” society, and make “internationalism” an essential component of daily life, we at the Graduate School of Science and the School of Science, are actively promoting a mode of study that involves: (1) The opportunity to mix inside and outside class with classmates from as wide a variety as possible of national or cultural backgrounds; (2) Daily use of more than one language; (3) A curriculum that gives insight into how to examine society (and oneself) from various angles international exchange; and (4) A curriculum that develops awareness of the problems society faces, and equips students to tackle the problems rationally and confidently. In the pursuit of academic excellence, world cooperation, and the university motto “Live Locally, Grow Globally”, apart from carrying out international collaborative researches, and the academic exchange of researchers, we also have active undergraduate and graduate-level exchange programs with prestigious universities in all six inhabited continents. These exchange programs are aimed at broadening the students’ awareness of the complex issues surrounding this new international/global era in which we live, perfecting their language skills and gaining knowledge of the political, social, and economic issues that the world faces today. Furthermore, experiences gained from these exchange program would equip the students to become better leaders who welcome challenges and challenge the status quo.

Admission Guidelines for International Students

I. For Entry into the School of Science

1. For Japanese Government funded Students (MEXT-funded Scholars/Students)

Recruitment is carried out through overseas Japanese embassies and education ministries in each country and universities. The recruitment method/period varies from country to country. Applicants are selected through document reviews, interviews, and written tests conducted at the Japanese embassies. Successful candidates are provided with one year preparatory training in Japan, after which they are enrolled in a university chosen by the selection committee of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology (MEXT). For more details, please inquire at your corresponding government ministry (e.g., ministry of education) or the Japanese embassy or consulate in your country. (cf.,http://www.mofa.go.jp/about/emb_cons/mofaserv.html)

See also Study in JAPAN Comprehensive Guide.

2. For Privately funded Students (non-MEXT-funded Scholars/Students)

(1)The same selection procedure as Japanese students applies
In this two-step procedure, one must first take the Common test for University Admissions [Daigaku-Nyugaku-Kyoutsu-Test]; those who pass then take a second entrance exam administered by the university.
For inquiries:
NCUEE: Write to the Center at 2-19-23 Komaba, Meguro, Tokyo 153-8501, Japan, or call them at +81-3-3465-8600.
Second exam: Write to the Admissions Division, Osaka University, 1-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan or call +81-6-6879-7097.

(2) Special Selection Procedure for Graduates of Overseas High Schools (Foreigners who do not have permanent visa status)
Selection is conducted through document reviews, scores on the Examination for Japanese University Admission for International Students (EJU) and TOEFL, and an interview.
For inquiries:
EJU exam: cf., http://www.jasso.go.jp/en/eju/index.html
Special Class-1 Screening Test (for foreign students with non-permanent visa status): Write to the Admissions Division, Osaka University, 1-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan or call +81-6-6879-7097.

3. International Undergraduate Program in Science (IUPS)

This program offers a unique opportunity for students to learn state-of-art science in a bilingual teaching environment in which their studies and research are conducted in both Japanese and English. IUPS students take advantage of the specialized Japanese language courses, and they will graduate with academic-level Japanese proficiency required for the fields of Chemistry, Mathematics, or Physics at the School of Science.

For details, visit https://www.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/iups/

II. For Entry into the Graduate School of Science

1. For Entry into the Master’s and Doctoral Programs

Selection is carried out using the same procedure as with Japanese students. Applicants for admission to either programs need to contact the head of the Admission Committee of the department in which they want to be enrolled. Applicants for admission to the Doctoral program also need to contact the provisional supervisor(s) in order to discuss the research plan and obtain their approval for the application: applicants must decide whom to contact as the provisional supervisor(s) among the professors introduced in the pamphlet; the provisional supervisor(s) will help applicants through the admission procedure.

2. To Enroll as a Research Student in the Graduate School

To be eligible, a person must be a non-Japanese national. The student conducts research for an extendable period of time, under the guidance of an academic supervisor.

(1) Regular selection procedure for graduate students: There is no difference in the procedure for Japanese students and overseas students, whether on government scholarships or privately-funded. However, those wishing to enter the graduate school as a research student under the MEXT scholarship program must fill out an application available at the Japanese embassy, which forwards it to MEXT.

(2) Recruitments for MEXT scholarships are carried out by Japanese embassies, ministries of education in each country, and universities, please address inquiries to these corresponding government agencies.

(3) Students admitted through this procedure are required to take the regular graduate entrance exam after one-half or one full year of tenure as a research student.

3. Degree programs taught in English

The Special Integrated Science Course (M.S. and Ph.D. program) offers a full range of lecture courses from high-level basic knowledge to cutting-edge topics, and students in the departments of Chemistry, Biological Sciences, and Macromolecular Science can take classes that cross the boundaries of their disciplines. This program aims to train creative and independent researchers who are able to work in a broad range of fields in natural science.
For details, visit https://sisc.sci.osaka-u.ac.jp/global30/SISC/index.html

The International Physics Course offers M.S. and Ph.D. programs in many different fields of Physics, both in theory and experiment, from nuclear and particle physics to condensed matter physics and so on. Students also have the possibility to conduct research with large-scale lasers or accelerator facilities, and to participate in large-scale international collaborations. For details, visit http://www.rcnp.osaka-u.ac.jp/~ipc/

III. Short-Term Programs

1. OUSSEP

OUSSEP (Osaka University Short-Term Student Exchange Program) is an English speaking program with two study tracks: Full-year OUSSEP and Half-year OUSSEP. The Full-year track requires students to study selected courses in English earning up to 15 credits each semester, including Independent Study. The Half-year track (Spring Semester only) earns up to 15 credits in one semester. N.B. This program is not designed for those whose main focus during the exchange is Japanese language acquisition and Japanese culture immersion.

cf., https://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/international/inbound/exchange_program/oussep

2. Maple

Maple is a full-year program for students whose main interests are to advance their language skills in the Japanese language and understanding of Japanese culture. Participants are required to take Japanese language classes equivalent to 7 credit hours per semester. In addition to the Japanese classes, participants are able to broaden their academic experience by joining Japanese studies courses and other courses offered by other schools in the University as International Exchange Subjects for another 4 courses (8 credits) per semester.

cf., https://maple.cjlc.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/

3. FrontierLab@OsakaU for Engineering and Science Majors (English Language Program)

FrontierLab@OsakaU (aka APPRENTICE@JAPAN) is a research program at Osaka University for both undergraduate and graduate students in engineering and science. Osaka University is at the forefront of technological innovation in Japan and is recognized as one of the leading science universities in the world. FrontierLab@OsakaU offers students an opportunity to study with scientists who are top in their fields and with them push the frontiers of scientific advancement in the following research areas within the Osaka University Schools of Science, Engineering Science and Engineering:

  • Nanotechnology and Molecular Science
  • Life Science and Biotechnology
  • Systems and Robotics
  • Computing and Information Science
  • Advanced Materials Science
  • Photon Science
  • Other Emerging Fields

cf., http://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/international/inbound/exchange_program/frontierlab

4. Regular Short-term Exchange Program

This is a short-term study program for overseas students, organized independently by the School of Science. This program is also intended for students registered at foreign universities having a student exchange agreement with Osaka University; foreign students enrolled in this program study as Special Auditors / Special Research Students at the Schools of Science without transferring their registration.

cf., http://www.osaka-u.ac.jp/en/international/inbound/exchange_program/iexpo

IV. For further information

For further information, visit:

Undergraduate Admissions for Privately-funded International Students (Japanese version)

and / or contact:
Admission Division, Osaka Univeristy
1-1 Yamadaoka, Suita, Osaka 565-0871, Japan

gakusei-nyusi-dai1@office.#

※Please replace「#」with「osaka-u.ac.jp」

tel/fax: +81-6-6879-7097/7099

Number of International Students

Region Country 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Asia India 3 6 6 8 7 6 7 7 9 8 9
Indonesia 3 3 7 7 7 7 12 16 19 22 22
Singapore 1 3 3 4 5 3 1 3 2
Sri Lanka 1 2 2 1 1 2 2 3 2 2 2
Thailand 1 1 4 2 4 6 8 4 5 7 8
Korea 11 13 14 13 12 15 17 19 24 30 22
Taiwan 5 4 6 3 4 5 8 10 8 6
China 26 39 45 47 47 47 48 46 65 73 74
Nepal 1 1
Pakistan 1
Bangladesh 3 2 1 1 1 2 3 3 2 3 2
Philippines 2 5 6 6 5 6 5 2 2 4 5
Brunei 4
Vietnam 3 8 11 10 12 13 10 15 12 9 7
Hong Kong 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 4 2
Macau 1 2 2 2 1 4
Malaysia 4 4 5 5 8 9 12 13 12 9 7
Mongolia 1 1 1 1 1
Myanmar 1
Middle East Israel 1 1 1 1
Iran 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 1
Turkey 1 3 3 3 1 1 1 2 2 1 1
Jordan 2 2 2 2 1 1
Africa Egypt 1 2 2 2 2 2
Kenya 1 1
Sudan 1 1 1 1 1
Nigeria 1 1 1 1
Malawi 1 1
Morocco 1
Oceania Australia 1 1
New Zealand
North America Canada 2 2 2 3 2 2 2 3 2 4
USA 2 2 4 4 1 4 2 3 2 7 2
South America Colombia 1 1 1
Brazil 3 3 1 1 3 2
Peru 1 1 1
Mexico 1 1 1 1 1
Europe Italy 1 1 1 1
Ukrane 1 1 1
UK 1 1 2 1 2 3 1 2 1
Estonia 1 1
Netherlands 1 1 1
Kazakhstan 1 1 1 1 1
Greece 1 1
Geogia 1 1 1
Switzerand 1
Sweden 1 1 1
Spein 1 1
Slovakia 1 1
Czech 1 1
Denmark 1
Germany 1 1 4 6 5 7 1 6 3
Hungary 1
Finland 1 2 3 3 3 1 2 1
France 2 3 2 3 2 2 4
Bulgaria 1 1 1
Rumania 1 1
Russia 1
Total 73 110 131 143 139 150 163 167 194 221 196

List of Partner Universities and Institutes (1 October 2022)

Country University/Institutes
U. S. A College of Art and Sciences, University of Kentucky
The University of Maryland
Princeton University
Italy Università degli Studi di Perugia
University of Genoa
The University of Naples Federico Ⅱ
India Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (School of Natural Science)
The Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
The Department of Physics & Astrophysics,University of Delhi
Faculty of Science, University of Mumbai
Indonesia Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Institut Teknologi Bandung
Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, Padjadajran University
Australia Faculty of Science, Monash University
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Netherlands Department of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering/Department of Biomedical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology
Graduate School/Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science, Twente University
Kazakhstan Faculty of Physics and Technology, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
Canada University of British Columbia
Thailand Institute of Science,Suranaree University of Technology
Faculty of Science, Mahidol University
Faculty of Science, Chiang Mai University
Faculty of Science/The Petroleum and Petrochemical College, Chulalongkorn University,
Korea College of Natural Sciences, Inha University
Taiwan College of Science and the College of Life Science,National Taiwan University
Genomics Research Center, Academia Sinica
College of Science, Nationanl Tsing Hua University
College of Science, National Chiao Tung University
China School of Physical Science and Technology, Lanzhou University
School of Physics, Nanjing University
Germany Bonn-Cologne Graduate School of Physics and Astronomy, Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn und Universität zu Köln
Department of Physics and Electrical, University of Bremen
Faculty of Science, Technische Universität Dresden
School of Phisics and Astronomy, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena
Turkey Science Faculty, Istanbul University
Finland University of Jyväskylä(Faculty of Mathematics and Science)
Vietnam Vietnam National University, Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh City University of Sciences
Ho Chi Minh City University of Technology, Faculty of Applied Science
Belarus Faculty of Physics, Belarusian State University
Malaysia Faculty of Science, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia
Republic of South Africa The South African Astronomical Observatory
U.K. Faculty of Natural Science, Imperial College London