Source:Nikkei
Compiler: Mandy

From 2021, Japan will subsidize doctoral students in three major fields, namely information and AI, quantum and materials. About 1,000 doctoral students will subsidize more than 2 million yen in living expenses each year to relieve economic pressure, assist in schooling, and prevent decline in international competitiveness.

According to the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology announced on February 26 that 47 universities will be eligible for subsidy. These universities can apply for subsidies for specific research fields during the seven years from 2021 to 2027.

The Japanese government has designated subsidies for three key areas with high demand for talents in the industry and academia, including information and AI artificial intelligence, quantum, and materials; universities can also choose another area to apply for subsidies.

The university shall recruit 6 to 40 students in each field receiving subsidy in mid-March. In principle, the subsidy is for students who have enrolled in April 2021, are under 30 years old, and have not received other public subsidies, if there are doctoral students For those who have given birth or raised children, the subsidy age can be relaxed.

Eligible students can receive subsidies ranging from 2 million yen to 2.5 million yen per year within 3 years. Two-thirds of this will be borne by the government and the rest will be borne by the university. Living expenses are subsidized every two months, and research expenses are subsidized for actual expenditures. .

There are 459 universities in Japan offering doctoral programs, and there are about 75,000 doctoral students in school. According to statistics from the Ministry of Liberal Arts, only about 10% of these students receive government subsidies of more than 1.8 million yen per year.

The reason why the Japanese government expanded the subsidy for doctoral students this time was because of concerns that some people might stay away from the Ph.D. degree due to economic factors, causing a decline in international competitiveness.

According to the Ministry of Liberal Arts, the number of new doctoral students in 2020 is 14,659, which is 20% less than the peak in 2003; in 2017, 15,118 people in Japan received doctoral degrees, a decrease of 1,617 from 2008.

In terms of population ratio, in 2017, 119 people in Japan received a doctorate degree per 1 million people, which is 12 fewer than in 2008. However, in the same period, the number of people who received a doctorate degree per 1 million people in the United States, China, South Korea, Germany and the United Kingdom Both are increasing.