Japan to pay Ph.D. students in quest for cutting-edge tech
In brief…
+ Beginning in April, 7,800 doctoral students in Japan will be eligible to receive an annual 2.4 million yen ($23,139) in living expenses, as they take part in a government program meant to maintain the country’s global competitiveness in cutting-edge technologies.
To remedy the situation, the government in fiscal 2021 will adopt a five-year basic plan for its science and technology policy. A draft of the plan calls for raising the ratio of doctoral students eligible to receive support for living expenses to 30%. This was raised from 20% in the initial plan after the government decided to create the new financial aid system.
+ The government will provide the funds to universities, which will pick the recipients. Universities working on artificial intelligence, quantum technologies and other disciplines are more likely to be chosen to take part in the program.
+ Japan has some 74,000 students in doctoral programs. While JASSO and other entities offer scholarships, only 7,500 students receive enough financial support to cover living expenses.
Source: NIKKEI Asia. Nikkei Staff Writers, Japan to pay Ph.D. students in quest for cutting-edge tech…
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