REQUIREMENT

Dear Prospective International Students,

Thank you very much for your interest in joining our group.

Master's Program

To join our group, please apply through the entrance examination for the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Systems (EEIS), The University of Tokyo, and indicate your preferred supervisor in your application documents.

Details of the admissions process can be found on our department's website.

https://www.eeis.t.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Prospective master's students do not need to contact a potential supervisor before the entrance examination. To ensure fairness in the selection process, we generally do not reply to such emails.

Please note that we generally do not offer online meetings. If you would like to visit our group in person, independent of the admission process, please feel free to send an email to the following address.

mmae[at]ieee.org

Doctoral Program

Due to the large number of inquiries we receive, we ask all prospective doctoral students to carefully read and fulfill the following five conditions before contacting us.

(1) Japanese Language Proficiency

Although lectures and research discussions can be conducted in English, a high level of Japanese proficiency is essential. Our group maintains strong collaborative ties with industry partners, and these discussions take place at the pace of native Japanese speakers. Since language and culture are deeply intertwined, being unable to participate fully in these discussions would place you at a significant disadvantage. Fluent Japanese is also necessary for daily operations and teamwork within our group. We aim to develop professionals who can excel not only globally but also within Japanese society. For these reasons, we do not accept students through the IME program.

(2) Financial Support

Applicants must have secured funding through a MEXT scholarship or government sponsorship from their country. Privately funded students often face severe financial difficulties, which can lead them to spend excessive time on part-time jobs rather than research, ultimately making it difficult to complete the degree within the standard period. In addition, writing numerous recommendation letters for private foundation scholarships places a considerable burden on faculty members.

(3) Research Proposal

Please clearly describe your intended research topic and your specific reasons for choosing our group. Vague statements such as "I am interested in renewable energy", "energy management", or "machine learning" are insufficient. Applicants are expected to have read our past publications and to provide concrete comments, impressions, or original perspectives based on them.

(4) Research and Career Plan

Your email must include a detailed timeline, specifying when you intend to apply for the sponsorship and take the entrance examination. Please also describe your long-term career goals.

(5) Required Documents

Please attach your Curriculum Vitae (CV) in Japanese with a recent photograph, together with documents demonstrating your academic and language abilities, including a list of publications, Japanese language proficiency certificates, and official transcripts from your undergraduate institution.

Important Notes on Contacting Us

• If you meet all five conditions above (1)-(5), we will respond to your application. If you do not meet all five conditions but still wish to contact us before applying, please note that we may not be able to respond to your email.

• We do not accept Research Students (研究生 in Japanese) unless they have already been selected as MEXT Scholarship recipients through Embassy Recommendation in your country.

• Please write your email in Japanese if possible, following the sample application email.

Kind regards,

Masahiro Mae

Please refer to the following sample when you send an email.

To: mmae[at]ieee.org
Subject: 博士課程への進学希望について [Insert your full name]

前先生

はじめまして。[Insert your full name]と申します。
現在、[Insert your current university or affiliation]の[Insert your current status, e.g., 修士学生]です。

先生の研究室のWebサイトを拝見し、博士課程の学生として貴研究室に所属したいと強く希望しており、ご連絡いたしました。
Webサイトに記載されている5つの条件について、以下の通り満たしております。

1. 日本語能力について
   [Insert your Japanese proficiency, e.g., 日本語能力試験N1]を取得しており、研究室での議論や日常業務を日本語で問題なく行うことができます。

2. 経済的支援（奨学金）について
   [Insert your funding source, e.g., 文部科学省奨学金 / 〇〇国政府奨学金]の支援を[Choose one: 受ける予定です / 既に獲得しています]。

3. 研究テーマと志望理由
   貴研究室を志望する理由は、[Insert specific reasons for choosing this group]という点にあります。
   先生の論文「[Insert the title of the paper you read]」を拝読し、[Insert your concrete feedback, impressions, or original perspectives based on the paper]と考えました。
   これを踏まえ、貴研究室では[Insert your intended research topic]について研究したいと考えています。

4. 研究・キャリア計画
   ・奨学金の申請時期および入学試験の受験時期：[Insert the specific month and year]
   ・将来の計画：[Insert your long-term career goals and aspirations]

5. 添付書類
   以下の書類を添付いたしましたので、ご査収のほどよろしくお願いいたします。
   ・顔写真付きの日本語の履歴書（CV）
   ・[Insert other attached documents, e.g., 発表論文リスト、日本語能力試験の認定書、学部・修士課程の成績証明書]

お忙しいところ恐縮ですが、ご検討いただけますと幸いです。
何卒よろしくお願い申し上げます。

[Insert your full name]
[Insert your current university or affiliation]
[Insert your email address]